Coastal walking in winter: Ängelholm to Torekov

I alighted from the train at Ängelholm after a 2 hour trip from Copenhagen, there was a light dusting of snow on the ground and the prediction was for temperatures around -5 C with little wind and clearing skies, the next day was to be even colder. I was on familiar ground as I had walked much of this trip before but it seemed like an appropriate walk for a quick get away. I was soon in the forest walking on frozen ground with my pacer poles barely sinking into the earth, I was quickly reminded of the challenge of frozen puddles and the options for ice skating, fortunately I was able to stay standing. The forest walk passed uneventfully with the occasional dog walker looking at me and probably wondering why I was carrying a sleeping mat as no sane person would camp out in this weather. This was the first trip for a while where I had a sleeping mat (Thermarest Ridge Rest) strapped to the outside of my Gorilla pack and there were several times i was asked was I camping out in such cold weather, not a common occurrence I assume in these parts. Soon it was into the summer houses area with many vacant houses with more sliding along icy roads. This section is perhaps the most uninteresting with bitumen bike paths trapped between the railway line and the coastline and as the wind picked up and the sleet began to fall it was not much fun but I knew that soon I would be on the trails passing through the coastal forest.

The forested section though short provided a little shelter from the wind and sleet and allowed for a lunch stop combined with a mist shrouded view of Kullabergs Naturreservat



After lunch the sleet had stopped but the wind was still cool so walked the rest of the afternoon in my Haglöfs Oz Pullover, feeling comfortably warm, however, I did notice some minor condensation inside at the end of the day. I continued north westward along the coast through the large coastal village of Vejbystrand clearly a popular area in summer but deserted now. After which it was about 3 kilometres to camp in the vicinity of Gryteskär shelter, located adjacent to a number of small rocky island which form part of the Bjärekustens naturreservat and are a protected bird sanctuary. However, as soon as the Hilleberg Soulo was up, it began to snow lightly so dinner was prepared on the gas stove in the tent. After dinner it had stopped snowing and I spent the remainder of a very still evening listening to different bird songs.



The next morning was very cool, with a thin layer of ice on the tent and the ground crunching under the feet. The section from Gryteskär to Torekov is mostly off road and follows the cost line within Bjärekustens naturreservat, a narrow strip of land separating the sea from the farming and summerhouse areas. Along this part of the coast there were swans, ducks as well as other sea birds happily drifting with the currents and feeding.



As the sun rose above the horizon, the clouds could be seen clearing further to the south and east and eventually the sun arrived where I was, it did nothing to increase the temperature, the reverse really.



The further along the coast there is less houses and the coastline also becomes rockier, however the views in the clear cold air were wonderful and with no wind it was a pleasure to be out on such a day.



The remainder of the walk was across frozen ground interspersed by the occasional ice covered small lake or stream all ensuring that care was taken when walking whilst appreciating the views.



This is an area of great beauty and on my two visits one in summer and one in winter have ensured that I will return again as there is so much to see and so much space that it is possible to have your own little bit of the coastline.

Have a great new year everyone

An early Christmas present

Yes I won one of Hendrik's Buff's thanks Hendrik.

I expect that I will be hiking next week wearing the Merino Buff it feels really nice, and I love merino. Thanks again Hendrik for a great addition to my hiking wardrobe.

Have a great holiday season everyone and include some time in the outdoors if at all possible.

Along the Ås till Åsleden: Röstånga to Höör

I had the opportunity to get away for a couple of days and complete the remainder of the Ås to Åsleden trail, having already walked the sections from Röstånga to Åstorp and Höör to Agusa (write up to come), this trip would also provide me with an opportunity to test out the Compact Ti Tri Caldera Inferno with the MLD pot.

Arriving at Röstånga in the grey misty morning I was soon into stride following the orange markers, until I realised that I had not seen any for a little while. A quick backtrack towards the bus stop and looking more closely at the marker I realised the folly of my ways and set of in the correct direction. I was soon out of town heading towards Jällabjär Reserve. The reserve includes the remnants of the volcano Jällabjär which was active around 100 million years ago, the trail passed through a range of forest types, before steadily climbing to the top of the volcanic plug.



The descent from the Jällabjär takes you through stands of beech and pine forest before entering the township of Anderstorp. Near to the township is the commemorative memorial for the Battle of Anderstorp, one of the many battles between the Swedes and the Danes for control of Skåne.



The details of some of the battles in the area are clearly described on the nearby plaque


Fortunately these days the battles between the Swedes and the Danes are confined to Football including the occasional Australian Rules football match.

Departing this sombre location the trail passes through the Eneskogen area a beautiful area with a wide variety of small trees and bushes. Soon you descend past basalt rock outcrops to the river Rönne which was shrouded in mist as I crossed what could be best described as a well built but very slippery wooden bridge, one wrong slip and a swim was the likely result. After crossing the river it was a 4 km road walk to the the nature reserve and home for the night. There was a cool breeze blowing and finding a flat sheltered spot was a little bit of a challenge. I soon had the duo mid up and having organised my gear it was time to cook.

The Compact Ti Tri Caldera Inferno was soon alight but with everything being damp, required a little coaxing and patience, however, after a period of time I had enough boiling water for dinner and coffee afterwards, without resorting to using Esbit. I do believe though that I had just about reached the limits of the use of the Compact Ti Tri Caldera Inferno in damp forests. It was soon into bed as the temperature dropped and the wind increased.

The next morning I awoke to the same greyness and less breeze, after a quick breakfast using Esbit and the gram cracker in the Caldera I set off through the nature reserve with it variety of bushes and ferns


Much of the remainder of the day was to be spent wandering minor roads through the forests, occasionally meeting cyclists, hunters, joggers, day walkers. However, I was very pleased to suddenly find myself at St Olavs Kalla (well)



It was a tranquil place along side of an old path which connected the hamlet with the church.



The trail was also a part of the Pilgrimsleden which I walked along in an earlier trip.



Leaving the tranquility of the well and the nearby church I returned to the roads and trails before reaching the aptly named Frostvallen a large commercial hotel and conference centre located adjacent to the Skånes Animal Park and Vaxsjön (lake) leaving this well travelled area behind I soon reached the end of the walk on Route 23. However, I quickly discovered that bus drivers do not like stopping at bus stops in the dark so after a bit more walking and then a taxi I was on the train heading home.

It had been an enjoyable two days in the outdoors providing a range of historical and natural perspectives.

Tisvilde Hegn

Tisvilde Hegn lies approximately two hours to the west of Copenhagen and can be reached by public transport, with the promise of sunshine I was keen to visit this area. Aside from wonderful beaches, and forests there are a number of historic sites. I set off from the railway station through the quiet village ( it is much busier in summer) and headed towards the coastline. The sun had only just risen but the temperatures were still below zero.



With no map and no real plan I headed south along the coastline walking up down the dunes, admiring the coast, the inland forests and the sun gradually climbing above the trees, occasionally walking on crunchy sand which had not felt the warmth of the sun. After about an hour I headed inland to Troldskoven with its wonderful pine trees, illuminated in the early morning sunshine.





Continuing south I arrived at one of the southern parking areas and collected a Vandreture folder which allowed me to plan my return path to Tisvildelejre railway station. But first I decided to visit Asserbo Slotsruin (castle ruins) with its idyllic moat.


After passing by a well used shelter place with its view of a mud covered frozen lake it was time to look for a spot to have lunch. The bushbuddy was soon out and a pot of noodle soup soon took away the chill in the air. After lunch I wandered through some beautiful stands of birch as well as pine forest before arriving at Torup Landsby (village).





Torup Landsby consisted of 16 farms and was deserted when large sand drifts in the 16th to 18th century took away the the land owners livelihoods. Excavations by volunteers in the 1960's and 70's led to the discovery of pottery and a coin from about 1320, indicating the long history of the village.



After leaving the remnants of Torup Landsby it was a pleasant stroll through the forests before arriving back in Tisvildelejre, it had been a very enjoyable day with the diversity of scenery combined with historic sites. I will be back as there is still much to see here and there will always be the sea to provide that calming effect.