As I wrote in the last entry, with the beginning of May the poles for marking the skiing tracks were removed, signalling the end of the winter – and the way too short skiing season. This fact however, let my girl friend and me decide to cross the lake Ounasjärvi for the last time this winter and to go on a small skiing trip into Pallas-Ounas national park, to stay over at the autiotupa Sioskuru. Continue reading “Sioskuru – The Last Skiing Trip This Winter”
Skiing to Pahakuru – in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park
On the Easter weekend we took advantage of the warm spring weather and well maintained skiing tracks, to carry a pulk with our backpacks and some food to the open wilderness hut Pahakuru, to stay there for one night. On the next day – on the way back – it was much more windy, though still sunny at the beginning. However, after Sioskuru there was no sight anymore, so heavy winds and strong snowfall kept me away from taking more pictures .. Continue reading “Skiing to Pahakuru – in Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park”
Kilpisjärvi & Malla Strict Nature Reserve
In August I took my bike, put a trailer on its end and went to Kilpisjärvi. After four days sitting on my bike, I arrived during heavy rainfall in Kilpisjärvi, where I then attended an almost two weeks lasting summer school. Within the school we had a lecture at the three border point (Finland, Norway, Sweden) and afterwards hiked back through the Malla Strict Nature Reserve. After the summer school was over Continue reading “Kilpisjärvi & Malla Strict Nature Reserve”
Skiing in Käsivarsi Wilderness Area – Exploring the Surroundings of Kilpisjärvi
In April I kind of felt like needing some mountains around me, especially because I really wanted to go skiing. Alpine Skiing! Rovaniemi and its surroundings is really great for cross country, but suffers from a total absence of mountains – like Finland in general (I’d say, even if not everybody agrees). However, close to the Norwegian border, in the very North-West of Finland, there are some (the native Austrian would say: almost) mountains, that looked inviting for skiing when I passed by there in January, on my way to Tromsø.
So it was pretty easy to make a decision. Continue reading “Skiing in Käsivarsi Wilderness Area – Exploring the Surroundings of Kilpisjärvi”
Carinthia (AUT) and Saisera (ITA)
In April a friend of mine and I travelled to the southern part of Austria and the northern part of Italy, close to the Austrian border. We went to watch the sunset at the ruin Finkenstein, where also an arena is situated, where you can see open air concerts in an amazing atmosphere. The next day we went for a short hike on the Dobratsch mountain, Continue reading “Carinthia (AUT) and Saisera (ITA)”
Vermont, Montreal & NYC
After coming from Russia I took a flight from Stockholm to Burlington in Vermont. I got picked up by a good friend who lives in Montpelier, where I also stayed – and also visited some other friends. The amazing luck that I had was, that on my 2nd day there I got invited to join for a beer festival (Backwoods Brewdown), which was really great. However, most of the time Continue reading “Vermont, Montreal & NYC”
Hiking in the Khibiny and Lovozero Mountains (Russian Lapland)
My friend Andi and me made a long planned hiking trip into the Khibiny mountains, on the Kola peninsula in summer. For me it was the first part of an almost three months lasting trip. First we went by train to Moscow to visit a friend before we went on by train to Apatity, from where we took a taxi to Kirovsk, visiting another friend for a few days. We used this time there to get some better maps for the region, since there are no marked trails Continue reading “Hiking in the Khibiny and Lovozero Mountains (Russian Lapland)”
