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Crossing Aotearoa

Posted on 30/08/201404/12/2014 by eefdeboeck

Welcome to Crossing Aotearoa! We hope you enjoy following our adventure on this website.

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Recent photos

At the start to Kungsleden at 09.00 in the morning, with the sun still below the horizon and the moon high up. Today, as the polar night has begun, we turn south and await better conditions to return after Christmas. The weather forecasts look promising. Go cold, go snow! #norway #sweden #bestofnorway #dreamchasersnorway #norgefoto #utno #mittfriluftsliv #ig_scandinavia #turjenter #nowifigreatconnection #kriket #acapulka #fjellsport_no #helsport #sqoop_no #turjenter #norgepålangs #abisko #kungsleden

There's a Norwegian mountain saying that reads: "Det er ingen skam å snu" (there is no shame in turning). Yet the decision to turn, or to stop, always feels like it needs a lot more justification, and is a lot harder to accept, than the decision to go on. But we have to face it: the conditions are bad. Walking or skiing in December on dry snow and thick ice is one thing. Ploughing through wet snow and worrying about thin ice in the dark is quite another. The section ahead of us is probably the most challenging of this entire trip. The complications are explained in full in the post. In short: because everything is currently closed, because of detours due to dammed lakes and the resulting unsafe ice and because there are no exits we have a 20 day stretch ahead of us, for which we needed snow. We needed to be able to pull our supplies. Summer routes are not viable anymore, but with the ice not solid and too little snow on the ground winter routes are not yet possible either. We could have gone on and walked around all of it on the E6, reaching Sulitjelma as we intended to before Christmas. But we both really want to get through. The trail follows the mountains through a long, remote sequence of national parks forming a cluster around the Swedish-Norwegian border. It's one of Europe's wildest areas, and I wouldn't want to miss it. I'm not walking the E6. I want to make it through. After turning in Abisko and with storm winds predicted in the Norwegian mountains we decided it was time to wait. We stopped. It's been tough, yes, but it's been a blast. Being out there under the dramatic autumn skies, just us, the reindeer and the Sámi. Seeing the northern lights in storm breaks. Now we just wait for conditions to improve and we'll pick up the thread again after Christmas where we left it. We've learned a lot and when we come back we'll be a lot wiser. When we come back, we'll make it to Sulitjelma. Link to the full story in bio! #norge #norway #norgefoto #mountainsofnorway #utno #mittfriluftsliv #ig_scandinavia #kriket #acapulka #helsport #fjellsport_no #norgepålangs #sqoop_no

Back in Abisko after having to turn around on the way to Unna Allakas and Narviksfjell. Short sequence of events: - With about 30cm of fresh snow and pulling the small pulka we have to follow winter trails. Summer trails through the dense woods are hard to locate, harder to follow, and in general a major hassle. Winter tracks, however, come with problems too: - day 1: PJ goes through the ice on a swamp about 6km from Abiskojaure. - day 2: I go through the ice a mere 1.5 km away from the cabin, on the river. Neither ice breaks are dramatic, though they include wet boots and a general sense of unsafety. It is -12 outside, but after the warm period most creeks and streams have reopened. We decide to return to the summer track, though after losing and relocating it several times while battling the pulka through the woods we are forced out on the winter trail again. It takes us many hours to gain 6km, after which we come to an open river, and realise we are at a dead end. The general feeling is that the conditions are far from alright and we backtrack our steps. We break through more times on the retreat - no water in the holes - but get back and all is good, though cursing this winter and its unusual conditions. We will try and force another way through from Katterat tomorrow, with Fjellbu as an end station. Though if that doesn't work we are out of options and we'll have to throw the towel in the ring until after Christmas. And darn, it's dark out here! #norge #norway #visitnorway #bestofnorway #dreamchasersnorway #norgefoto #mountainsofnorway #utno #mittfriluftsliv #ig_scandinavia #turjenter #nowifigreatconnection #kriket #acapulka #fjellsport_no #helsport #sqoop_no #turjenter #norgepålangs #abisko #abiskonationalpark

Crossing Dividalen was not an easy thing to do. I think that barely a day passed without talk of turning around. Several exit points lay on the route and going out to the road was a temptation at all times, much considered, and sometimes much desired. It feels like forever ago since we left Kilpisjärvi though it's really been just over two weeks. This post is a bit longer, since it was an intense and eventful stretch, but a very worthwhile one. Currently we are on the way back to Abisko. After much talk, research and thought we did not think that it would be possible now to pull the sled through Padjelanta to Sulitjelma. Last evening we finally made our final call and bought new train tickets, going home on the 8th of December rather than the 19th. In an almost cruel joke the weather gods decided to unexpectedly dump half a meter of snow in the mountains last night. That means we could have gone anyhow, but now it's too late to change again. All in all we'll only be 150-200km away from our original goal before Christmas which, considering the circumstances, I would say is not bad at all. We were also able to take the little sled with us now, to pull the tent, food and snow shoes rather than to carry them. That makes me happy. Now it's just a small stretch left into the polar night, from Abisko to Sitashytta, and then it's looking forward to coming back after Christmas with the full winter attire 🙏❄️ Full story: 🔸lostinthehills.com 👉blog🔸#norge #norway #visitnorway #bestofnorway #dreamchasersnorway #norgefoto #mountainsofnorway #utno #mittfriluftsliv #ig_scandinavia #turjenter #nowifigreatconnection #kriket #acapulka #fjellsport_no #helsport #sqoop_no #turjenter #norgepålangs #mittlekeland #dividalen

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