Time for a walk

It has been a while since I did an overnight walk, there has been a few false starts recently but I never really got past the planning stage. Today I decided it was time to put on a reasonable size pack on and go for a walk, testing some gear in preparation for upcoming trips. The location was a snow covered Tsvilde Hegn (the location of an earlier trip) with predictions of snow turning to raining it was to be a slushy trip.

The gear I was particularly interested in trying out was the MLD Trailstar (nicknamed the Yellow Peril, Melbourne humour), a pair of Salomon Quest 4D GTX Boots as well as an Aarn Marathon Magic 33l pack.

The walk followed a number of trails in the forest with large damp flakes of snow falling, I finally decided it was lunchtime and found a flat spot to put up the Trailstar, the benefits were soon obvious plenty of space under the trailstar, the resilience of the fabric as large wet clumps of snow falling from the trees hit the sides and slid to the bottom as well as the golden glow inside. This was only the second time I had erected the trailstar (both times in snow) and it took less than 10 minutes to have a secure pitch, I used 9" (23 cm) Easton Alloy pegs which easily went through the top couple of centimetres of frozen ground and provided a secure attachment for the shelter.

I continue to be very impressed with the trailstar and it will get its first over night outing in a couple of weeks and may in conjunction with an SMD Meteor bivy be my shelter system for Lapland this summer.

The Salomon Quest 4D GTX boots are not the lightest footwear in the world but I have come to recognise that for me Salomon footwear works, I use the XA Pro Ultras for every day use, the Salomon Fastpackers for hiking and I wanted something a little more weather worthy for winter and the Quests fitted this requirement. I was very pleased with the boots and found they also provided a little more toe room and I could have easily worn thicker socks, the boots are too heavy for summer in my view but will see some more use in the cooler weather.

The Aarn Marathon Magic 33l will seem to some as a strange choice, however, I have been very interested in the design of Aarn's packs for quite a while and have seen them as an option for reducing stress on my lower back when hiking. I have also come to realise that the packs I use these days tend to have hip belt pockets and shoulder strap pockets and the Aarn packs replicate this in the use of balance pockets. Recently I became aware that there was a distributor in Denmark for Aarn packs which provided me with an opportunity to try them on and see how they feel. I was impressed. I have only used the pack for a short trip so I will save my field report until after my next overnight trip, however, a report on the details of the Aarn Marathon Magic will appear soon.


The walk itself was pleasant and the sea was relatively calm, finally the hot chocolate cooked on the Ti Tri Caldera (using Esbit) was really appreciated in the cold damp conditions.

What gear have you carried for the longest time?

I like many others have changed gear when the next "bestest" thing comes along, however, there is always gear that does not change because we are happy with it, for me it is the BPL.com long handled spoon. The spoon has an interesting history as the design was first suggested by Bill Fornshell on BPL.com MYOG Spoon Well I purchased one of the BPL spoons in 2006, when they were bright and shiny, now they have a matte finish.
The spoon is ideal for the meals where there are a few pieces at the bottom of a deep pouch. However, whilst out for a day walk I realised that I had forgotten my Ti stakes for the Caldera stove, but then I discovered that the spoon had another use, a pot support in a Trail Designs Caldera Titanium Caldera.

It is no longer bright and shiny but will remain in my pack for many trips to come.

What has been in your pack for many trips? And it is not likely to be changed.

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.

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.