Sorgenfri to Ølstykke

The sun was shining so it seemed like an ideal opportunity to take a local walk. Having packed my Aarn Featherlite Freedom I set off by bus then train to Sorgenfri, approximately 40 minutes away.

Passing Sorgenfri church I headed down to the Prinsessestien a path between Lyngby and Fredriksdal named after Prinsesse Caroline Amalie this path is also interesting for its approximately 800 year old Oak tree





The path follows and then crosses the canal connecting Farum Sø and Lyngby Sø before reaching Fredriksdal. After which I followed the western side of Furesø. Along the banks of Furesø there was a fascinating mixture of ice, water and debris.


The trail continued along the banks of Furesø and with the sun shining there was excellent views of the semi frozen lake.



Leaving Furesø I passed under the motorway and headed to Farum Sø, the main trail (Mølleådalen) follows the north side of Farum Sø whereas I chose to follow the south side as the path wended its way around the lake then inland before returning to the lake at a bird watching tower. Soon after which I arrived at an ideal location for the bivy.



The campsite provided excellent views across the lake to Farumgård which was initially established in the 1300's.



After a pleasant night punctuated by the sounds of the Naturugle, I awoke to a misty morning. Setting off along the lake shore then inland and ultimately returning to the Mølleådalen by the banks of Mølle Å which flows Bastrup Sø to Farum Sø. I did wonder if it was possible to pack raft through here but decided there would be more packing than rafting.

Reaching Bastrup Sø it was apparent that the swans were waiting for the ice to melt.



It was in this section that I also passed Bastrup Tårn (tower) a site of an earlier day walk.

After Bastrup Sø the path bordered the forest and the fields as it wended its way towards Buresø.


From Buresø it was through the recently harvested forest to a delightful small ice covered lake Guldbjerg Mose where I sat and enjoyed the hazy sunshine whilst eating lunch. Fishing is allowed here. The final section took me through Sperrestrup Skov before finishing at the railway station in Ølstykke.

It had been a pleasant 24 hour walk and it was evident that spring was coming with the ice melting and many more people out enjoying the outdoors.

Gear Observations.

Nemo GoGo Bivy, this bivy weighs in at just over 1 kg including stuffsack and pump. This was the first trip I have used it on and I was happy with it. There is sufficient room for one with a pack near the door and gear along the sides by the sleeping mat. The airbeam is easy to inflate and provides a rigid structure when assembled. I was able to keep the front open all night so there was no condensation at the front and only a minor amount at rear of the bivy. It is not a light bivy but one I will be happy to use on quick overnight trips again.


Pacific Outdoor Peak Elite AC - Regular Size, recently Phil Turner gave his readers a first look at this new offering from POE, I was impressed and soon as they were in stock at BPL.co.uk I obtained one. I was pleasantly surprised by the weight of the mat which including stuff sack was 345 grams. Now they are perhaps not the ideal height for the bivy but as a side sleeper there was still some space between me and the bivy outer. I was pleased with the comfort of the mat though I did feel some cold seeping through from the frozen ground. At this time of the year I would probably put a thin piece of foam underneath to provide a little ground insulation. I will report on its extended use in due course.

Hareskov to Lyngby

It had been a grey and gloomy week weather wise and with the appearance of sunshine it seemed like a good idea to get out and go for a walk. My only plan was to catch the train to Hareskov station and return from Lyngby station, in between there are three major lakes, Farum Sø, Bagsværd Sø and Lyngby Sø as well as three forests Store Hareskov, Fredriksdal Skov and Nybro Skov. So I set off through Store Hareskov choosing whichever path appealed to me as I walked, I have visited this area on many occasions so I always try to go a slightly different way and with the ice still in the low lying areas and bright sunshine it was easy to find something to look at.





After leaving Store Hareskov I entered Fredriksdal Skov but instead of taking the shortest possible route through the forest I decided to head west which resulted in perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of the walk, because I entered an area that I had not visited before. There are many well trodden (and cycled paths) here but I picked less travelled sections and found myself on the edge of a frozen lake with the ice glistening in the sunshine I located a warm spot out of the wind and settled down for lunch, it was magic.



After a relaxing lunch I sidled around Store Hulsø before climbing away onto another minor trail trail which ultimately provided me with beautiful views of the windswept and partly frozen Farum Sø.



At this point I was glad of my macpac fleece, Icebreaker shirt and especially my Montane Litespeed which ensured the wind did not penetrate. I followed the shoreline of Farum Sø before crossing over into Nybro Skov which took me to the banks of the canal connecting Farum Sø and Lyngby Sø



By now there were many people wandering the trails around Lyngby Sø, but I was still able to find my own sense of enjoyment in what is an area not more than 10 km from the centre of Copenhagen.

Glædelig Jul - Merry Christmas

Frilandsmuseet

Todays walk was to the Frilandsmuseet (Open air Museum in Copenhagen) which can be reached from the Copenhagen Main station after a short walk from Sorgenfri Station. As its name suggest it is an open air museum and consists of many buildings associated with the 1800's as well as other outdoor displays. For two weekends at christmas time it is open.



The displays are diverse with old thatched roof buildings and horse drawn vehicles.



Along with fascinating uses of birch bark on roofs.



There is many different cobblestone pavements within the housing areas.





Within each building there is many examples of the furniture used in days gone by.






We left as the sun was setting.



Perhaps more importantly access to the whole area is free, as it is for many other National Museum locations.

A local walk in the snow

With all the snow we have had recently I decided it was time to take a walk and see how the snow had transformed the surrounds. Loading up my day pack and putting on my trusty Innov8 390 boots, I walked out of the house into the winter wonderland. My wanderings took me through the forests before arriving at Søndersø meeting a couple of nordic skiers along the way as well as the occasional inquisitive deer.



At the western end of the lake in an area I had never visited before I came across an old water tower built in 1911, there was picnic area nearby and it is adjacent to the old military barracks associated with the former Værløse airforce base.







There was still plenty of snow hanging around and with the local weather bureau predicting more below zero temperatures and snow it could well be a white christmas.



A pleasant days outing, in the eerie silence of a snow covered land.

Esbit Caldera

I went for a short walk this afternoon, the temperature was about -2 C. There has been snow on the ground for about 3 weeks now and the ground is frozen. I visited a nearby forest Hareskoven, where I have been many times before. It is a very popular area though late on a friday afternoon it is less so. I wandered around the area, meeting some people as well as a couple of deer, after a while I decided it was time for a cup of tea so I got my BPL 550 Titanium pot out out along with the Caldera and set about boiling some water. After about 6 minutes the Esbit tablet had heated the water to boiling at which point I made some tea.


I keep returning to Esbit for its convenience and simplicity, the ability to take it in your luggage on a plane is a further benefit. No doubt Esbit has its down side but for me, it works.

The walk was very pleasant and a fine escape from other commitments.

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.

A walk in the forest

Some random photos from a walk in Hareskoven west of Copenhagen

Søndersø

For the first time since Jotunheimen I put on my walking boots and went for a walk around one of the local lakes, Søndersø. The trail around the lake is approximately 5.4 km in length and is bordered by the township of Værløse, the now closed military airstrip as well as open farmland and is a popular jogging, walking and cycling path though during week days it is a little quieter.

The trail while mostly gravel does offer some forested sections to walk through, as well as the possibility to see Deer, and listen to the sounds of many different aquatic birds along with pleasant sounds of the Nightingale. The lake is popular fishing spot with many boats moored in an inlet on the lake. It was great to be able to get out for a walk in preparation for an upcoming walk or 2 along the west coast of Jutland.

A walk along the banks of Furesøen

Though the temperatures were at or below freezing I was able to go for a walk along the western shore of Furesø earlier this week. Furesø is one of the many lakes that are on the north west fringe of Copenhagen. Whilst some of the lake is bordered by houses there are many parts where the lake abuts the forest. Located near the lake in the forest is a primitive overnight camping site.

Access to Furesø can be by public transport, Bus 191 will take you to Frederiksdal from Lyngby Station as well there are many other bus stops near the lake along with several railway stations nearby including Farum, Sorgenfri and Holte.

The forest adjoins the western shore of Furesø between Frederiksdal and Farum and provides a pleasant undulating walk as you climb and descend along the shore line. The views across the lake as well as the forest itself provided a pleasant and relaxing walk especially with the sound of oarsman from the Roklubben Furesø training in the icy waters of Furesø.

It was a great start to the walking season for 2009 with many other walks planned.