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My Gronabandet Summer 2013

Wilderness Walking In Northern Places

'there is nothing like a wilderness journey for rekindling the fires of life. Simplicity is part of it. Transportation reduced to leg - or arm - power, eating irons to one spoon. Such simplicity, together with sweat and silence, amplify the rhythms of any long journey, especially through unknown, untattered territory. And in the end such a journey can restore an understanding of how insignificant you are - and thereby set you free' (Colin Fletcher)
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Svalbard Bound

31/7/2014

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Well, it's almost time to fly to Oslo. From there a short wait and then the flight to Longyearbyen. I'll arrive in the early hours but as the midnight sun is still shining the time of day is perhaps irrelevant. A couple of days in town to pick up my extra gear and then off, a slow meander around some of the huge glacial valleys before turning west to Barentsburg. A night in the Russian settlement there and then another couple of days back to Longyearbyen.

Nothing overly ambitious but I think just being out in Svalbard on my own is adventure enough. It looks hauntingly beautiful (see here), Chris of 'Ice Bear' advised me just to take my time, I can always come back. Good advice. I'm carrying extra kit, principally the Mauser Kas '98 and the 'fence'. That's another 6kg to my pack coupled with the flare gun.

I'm very excited but there's a lot to get to grips with. Setting camp is going to take some time in the evening due to the need to get the fence right around my tent. My living quarters will be outside of that zone, it being bear country I'll eat and store my food in the shelter of a flat tarp. A nice new one arrived the other day from the US, appropriately from 'Bearpawwd'.

Hopefully I'll have a memorable trip without too much excitement. I've got the notion of a route and I'm looking forward to visiting Russian Barentsburg ( it looks interesting as this film suggests). After that it's back down to Oslo and then a train to Jamtland. I am of course looking forward to returning to Norrland and a gentle hike with my wife and kids.

Happy Days!

3 Comments
RedYetiDave link
1/8/2014 03:03:33 am

Wow. Sounds utterly amazing. What an adventure. Look forward to hearing how it goes. Any change of updates from the trail?

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Mark
25/8/2014 12:28:51 am

Made it back safe and sound. Will hope to post soon but one camera left in Sweden so need that back!

Reply
RedYetiDave
25/8/2014 04:58:24 am

Hey congratulations! Look forward to reading about it... :)

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