Category: Trips

First Impressions

In Trips, North America, Rockies

The Sawatch Range

Ever since I started doing multi-week hiking trips, a few years back, I felt I was going one step forward every time. Maybe several steps forward: longer, more difficult, more remote… in 2008, though, the Colorado Trail left me with this Deja Vu impression and the feeling that I had already done this before. But maybe I shouldn’t be starting here with a seemingly negative comment on an otherwise wonderful trip that basically reaffirmed my faith on backpacking as my best battery charger and necessary break from the modern. And the Colorado Rockies are a great place to feel the noise.

Plan

In Trips, North America, Rockies

The north american wilderness has this certain attractive: it may be easy, smooth going but also remote and solitary. Miles and miles of uninhabitted land not because conditions were consistently too tough but because there were better places and yet huge chunks of terrain were spared from human occupation. Now they may be visited by hikers and I enfasise the fact that we are visitors in some other’s home. We’ll try to be respectful and enjoy.

Pic from the Colorado Trail Foundation

Nordkalottleden

Baugevatnet, arctic Norway

Where	Lapland
When	August/September
Distance	800 km / 500 miles
Length	24 days

Hiking beyond the arctic circle may sound like a very extreme thing to do. I’d had pictured a world of summer under freezing temps and windswept barrens.

There’s such conditions north of the circle but Lapland has a weather of its own thanks to the Gulf Stream. There’s human activity up there. There’s even hiking trails.

Planning for this route wasn’t easy. At the time, there was little information, either on the net or in print, and only little bits could be found in English or any other language I could understand. In the following pages, I’ll try to fill that gap from the (necessarily limited) perspective of a one time hiker. Don’t expect a deep knowledge from the area here but I’ll try to stick to the facts as I perceived them and not make assumptions. Or say so when I do.

Slide Show

In Trips, Europe, Lapland

Telling stories with words is easy. Without them it’s a different language. This is about Nordkalottleden.

Ultralight in the arctic

In Ultralight, Trips, Europe, Lapland

Handy scale in Alesjaure

At nearly max weight for the trip with 11 days worth of food

One of the issues with ultralight or lightweight hiking is overcoming the fear of being unprepared for the conditions. It’s something you learn with practice but that fear comes back when you face a new set of conditions. This is particularly true when you’re about to travel to an isolated place with potentially severe weather.

Gear Performance Analysis

In Trips, Europe, Lapland

Shelter / Pack / Sleep system / Clothing / Shoes

Nordkalottleden was a bit off the typical 3 season conditions of a temperate climate and I had to make a few adjustments to my gear list to reflect that. There was also quite a bit of uncertainty as I was not so sure about what to expect so it was a bit of a challenge to gather a gear list I could trust and was still reasonably lightweight.

As usual, gear and technique are one in this discussion. It’s not possible to understand one without the other so this will not be a fancy presentation of cool looking equipment but a hands-on essay on how my gear and me got together in the arctic fells.

Logistics

In Trips, Europe, Lapland

Access / Ressuply / Huts / Maps / Transport

Planning for this route wasn’t easy. There’s little information, either on the net or in print, and only little bits can be found in english. In the following lines, I’ll try to fill that gap from the (necessaryly limited) perspective of a one time hiker. Don’t expect a deep knowledge from the area. I’ll just try to provide all that info I couldn’t find easily, if at all, and I know now.

Information

In Trips, Europe, Lapland

Terrain / Hiking / Trails / Signalling / Infrastructures / Weather / Obstacles / Season

The Lapland highlands

Terrain

Tundra

The northernmost tip of the route goes through the arctic tundra. Actually, I think it is not yet technically tundra as the terrain Nordkalottleden goes through is still forested and as far as I know the tundra is tree-less by definition but on this rolling hill landscape trees are small and the route often takes the high areas on the hills where trees are absent.

Afterthoughts

In Trips, Europe, Lapland

Expectations vs. Reality / About hiking in Lapland / People / Pace / Would I do it again?

Beyond the gear, the terrain or resupply logistics, there are memories not so straightforward to talk about which are yet a good part of the experience.

Tornetrask with a low “roof”

First Impressions

In Trips, Europe, Lapland

The blurred letters say “Nordkalottleden”

“What the hell am I doing here?… I want to go home…”

It eventually happens in most trips. There comes a moment when your morale weakens and you start wondering if it’s worth it. Usually, you soon decide it is, after all.

Idea

In Trips, Europe, Lapland

I started planning for this trail back in 2005 to eventually put the idea back. In part, due to the lack of information in a language I could understand, oddly enough in this information era where everything is supposed to be available on the internet.

Documentaries

In Trips, North America, California, Sierra Nevada, Cascades

The PCT is getting increasing media attention. In 2006, two proffessional, independent producers took their cameras out and tried to show the world how it feels to spend a few months of your life on this wonderful trail:

Slide Show

In Trips, North America, California, Sierra Nevada, Cascades

On the trail, I’m never alone. Music is always with me, setting my pace, shaping my mood. And I have this set of crappy but still meaningful pictures. It seemed straightforward to put both things together. Music is such a powerful tool to communicate emotions and feelings.

Journal

In Trips, North America, California, Sierra Nevada, Cascades

Chaotically updated from day 0, April 27th 2006

September 22nd 2006, 10.30 h

6/04/06

Currently waiting not for the snow to melt but to stop falling. Record breaking March snow fall has changed everything but one thing: I’m going. Adding stuff to the seasonal list: crampons, VB socks, WP gaiters, GPS… ¿snowshoes?

Gear

In Trips, North America, California, Sierra Nevada, Cascades

I’ve been a very gear conscious hiker for years, always looking for that perfect balance between weight and function. This trip was, among other things, a test for the viability of my 3 season system from a versatility and durability point of view, hence it was important for me to keep the gear kit consistent throughout the whole trip: no gear swapping or even replacing

Pacific Crest Trail

Northern Washington

Where	Western USA (California, Oregon & Washington)
When	May to September
Distance	4200 km / 2600 miles
Length	145 days

The Pacific Crest Trail was my dream hike. It’s great to know that dreams may come true, no matter how far they appeared to be and it’s great to know that we can take control of that cell where our dreams are.

In 2006 I’ll be chasing my dream of hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.

Gear preview

In Trips, North America, California, Sierra Nevada, Cascades

Gear is important. It shouldn’t be more important than the trip itself but it’s so fun to play with gear, to try things, to see what works and what doesn’t, to add weight to the equation and play again…

Obstacles

In Trips, North America, California, Sierra Nevada, Cascades

Never mind all your motivation, there are at least a couple of issues that bear mentioning. They may be more or less important depending on season and timing but be sure you’ll have to face at least some snow and water. Hiking on either is nothing like hiking on dirt.

Motivation

In Trips, North America, California, Sierra Nevada, Cascades

I keep thinking of my expectations matching, or not, what I found on the trail, of others’ views on the hike, the come back home, what it all meant… the good and bad things, the difficulties, the feelings along the way… and all I can think of is how different we all are! which is something I already knew, we all know that but it’s still striking to find out with such clarity.

Plan

In Trips, North America, California, Sierra Nevada, Cascades

Planning for a 5 month trip can’t be anything but loose. You wouldn’t plan your day to day for a 5 month period anyway because it wouldn’t work and it won’t work on the trail either.

Background

In Trips, North America, California, Sierra Nevada, Cascades

The PCT is not a particularly difficult route but it’s probably true that one needs some know-how and experience to do it. Just wanting to do it is not enough, this is not a long stroll in the park.

Why

In Trips, North America, California, Sierra Nevada, Cascades

I’d hiked on the PCT before. The first time, I just didn’t even knew, I just wanted to hike in Yosemite because I was on holidays and I wanted to hike and Yosemite was famous and it had to be so for a reason. I then knew about this John Muir Trail and thought it’d be great for the scheduled week I had. Then I knew the JMT shared the tread with something much longer.

Description

In Trips, Europe, Pyrenees

The Pyrenees stretch between Atlantic and Mediterranean. While the mountains create quite a weather of their own, the influence of the two seas clearly shows. The western Pyrenees are wetter and greener and since the atlantic weather systems usually approach from the northwest, the northern side is also damper than the south.

Pyrenean High Route

Camp below the Gran Astazu walls

Where	Pyrenees
When	July/August
Distance	800 km / 500 miles
Length	29 days

The Pyrenees are a magnificent range and it’s been amazing to cover their length through all the varied landscapes and environments within. I could see the range develop and fade away, it was like traversing its life story more than its length.

The High Route is as wild as it gets. 29 days, a good ratio of glory vs. misery and a great feeling about the long distance hiking coming home

Background

In Trips, Europe, Pyrenees

If you don’t know about the Pyrenees but you do about the Alps, I can use that for an intro into the former. Compared to the Alps, the Pyrenees are not as high, not as wide, not that much in the middle of urban Europe but still high, rugged and, in a way, still wild. The Pyrenees are usually the destination of choice for those visitors who want to try something different from the Alps, who are tired of the overcrowded, overurbanised world of the Alps or who simply want to backpack without having to worry about crossing glaciers.

Plan

In Trips, Europe, Pyrenees

After four years in a row visiting North America, this summer the hiking’s coming home. It’ll be not a little bit less exciting while I’ll be tackling a solo traverse of the Pyrenees, sea to sea over the Haute Randonnée Pyrenéenne, the wildest and most rugged of the three routes that cover the distance from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. 4 weeks and a strong will to finish but above all a stronger will to have a good time so no marathons here… I’ll try my best but the goal is in the trip itself, not on the finish line.

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