Video – The Sea To Tasiilaq

Video: The Sea To Tasiilaq

I have put together a short little video about the sailing expedition I joined in August 2015 from the Westfjords of Iceland to Tasiilaq, Greenland.  I have already published to photo gallery, so here’s a bit of movement and behind the scenes of the trip.

The expedition was organized and operated by Rubicon 3 Sailing, a British based company that focuses on sailing education while exploring adventurous destinations around the world, including: Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway, Scotland, Madeira, the Azores, and beyond.

Rays of light illuminate Kråkhammartind (732m) from summit of Markan (602m), Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Podcast Interview – The Traveling Image Makers Podcast

Rays of light illuminate Kråkhammartind (732m) from summit of Markan (602m), Moskenesøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Photo: Last light over Kråkhammartind, Lofoten Islands, Norway. September 2014

There is an interview with me on a new travel and photography podcast called The Traveling Image Makers, by Ugo Cei from Italy. We had a brief conversation last week about – can you guess(?) – Lofoten…

Here is a link to the website, or you can also search for it in the iTunes stores.

Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

Happy Birthday To My Blog – 10 Years!

Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

Lundy Canyon, Eastern Sierra, California. October 2005

Today I have to make a special announcement: Happy birthday to my blog! I can hardly believe it, but my first blog post was 10 years ago today!

On October 11, 2005 a younger version of me was a week away from flying to New Zealand on a working holiday visa good for a year. I had finished university in August, quit my job as the manager of a small video store, moved out of my apartment and sold/gave away most of the stuff I owned at the time.

With a couple weeks to kill before heading off on a new adventure in life, I made one last trip to the Eastern Sierra to have one last chance to photograph the autumn colors. The images from that trip were my first blog post.

I can’t remember what my expectations in life where back then, but I’m not sure I would have imagined myself typing these words from a small apartment in the German mountain town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, only just back home from 3 weeks hiking among the fantastic autumn colors of the Kungsleden trail in northern Sweden and a month after seeing my first iceberg while photographing a sailing expedition from Iceland to Greenland and back.

I’ve visited 29 countries in these last 10 years, with much of my focus being on Norway’s Lofoten Islands and my other website dedicated to them: www.68north.com

With 2016 seemingly just around the corner, I find myself working away on the beginnings of another travel site dedicated to The North. More on that to come in the following months. First I need to talk about Iceland, Greenland, and the Kungsleden. Plus my moving here to Germany in May – which hasn’t exactly been as smooth of a process as I would have hoped. Stay tuned…

And here’s to another 10 years! If I can somehow figure out how to make things work just a little longer…

Hiking Kungsleden trail in Autumn, Sweden

Kungsleden Trail 2015

Six years since I first started walking south from Abisko through the autumn forests and arctic tundra of Sweden’s Kungsleden trail, I will be making the journey again. This time I will be part of a team of four, and our goal, Hemavan, 440 kilometres to the south.

The team will consist of me, Cody – the photographer, my partner Justyna – the blogger, and the traveling couple of Theo – the filmmaker, and Bee – the writer, the duo behind vdubvanlife.com. I met and briefly traveled with them on Lofoten last year and they were also the first visitors at my new flat in Germany in May, as they were making their way home from a year on the road in Europe in their, can you guess, VW van.

Theo and Bee have also recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to help them get some necessary gear for the trip. Often with a week+ between power, the trip is going to require a lot of batteries and memory cards. They are also giving away some prizes, so go check them out.

Unlike the last few times in which I have visited the Kungsleden, during which I also combined with visits to other areas of Scandinavia/Europe, this trip will be dedicated to the trail alone. This is one of the reasons I moved to Germany in the spring, so I could focus better on the individual projects I have planned, as I have gotten a bit weary of the 3-6 month backpacking trips as my 30th birthday drifts further into the past.  This also gives me the benefit of being able to pack lighter, as I don’t have to worry about splitting my time on the trail and in cities/hostels.

September 2nd will be the day we head south, into the wilds of the Swedish arctic, hopefully with the sun bright overhead. Well, hopefully anything but rain really; I’m from California, I don’t like rain. I have hiked this northern section of the trail twice, but it is a landscape that I don’t think I will ever tire of, especially in autumn when the trees are golden yellow and the tundra foliage a mix of oranges and reds. If all goes well, we will find ourselves reaching Hemavan around four weeks later.

Many of you reading this are probably familiar with my 68north.com website, focusing on Norway’s Lofoten Islands. I was a bit hasty when starting the site in 2010 and was a bit small in my focus. Even though Lofoten was, and still is, one of my biggest interests, I have long had plans for something more. A bigger photography and hiking site dedicated to all areas north.

Like Lofoten, the more time I spend in other parts of the northern Scandinavian landscapes, the more I know I will return again and again. There is simply so much out there to see and walk. If I’m lucky in life, when I’m 60 years old, I’ll be like one of the old German guys I often meet wandering alone on the trail. With stories about the autumn of 1980-something that was so warm they spent 2 weeks in a t-shirt, or the cool summer when they were still in knee-deep snow in July.

And so choosing the Kungsleden this year will be the start of another project set to keep me occupied in my spare time over the following years, in which I’ll hopefully be able to add another Scandinavia region to each year. Keep an eye out in the autumn for a new website…

As my gear lists always seem popular, HERE is what I will be carrying on the trail this year.

Hiking Kungsleden trail in Autumn, Sweden

2015 Gear List

Hiking Kungsleden trail in Autumn, Sweden

Photo: Hiking the Kungsleden trail in autumn, September, 2012

I’ve now added a new hiking – backpacking gear article for my 2015 hike on Sweden’s Kungsleden trail. While there are a few updates from the last couple years, as I’m planning to hike the entire 440 kilometers of the trail, I’m using a lot of my tried and trusted gear from the last few years. Nothing new or experimental this time.

You can checkout the 2015 gear guide HERE.

Lofoten Winter Photography Workshop

2016 Lofoten Winter Photography Workshop

Lofoten Winter Photography Workshop

I’m super happy to announce that I will be hosting my own photo workshop on Lofoten this winter: February 14 – 21, 2016.

You can find more info about the workshop here: Exploring Lofoten – Winter Photo Workshop 2016

Guiding my own workshops on Lofoten has been a long time dream of mine – you can see the business plan I wrote back in 2011, but until now I was never able to cover all the legal aspects of running a workshop to keep everything legitimate as it needs to be. However, now that I’ve been able to obtain residency in Germany, as well as teaming up with a local business on Lofoten, things can finally get underway.

And if you sign up to my email list by August, there is a substantial early bird discount for the workshop. 🙂

Arctic Campers - Lofoten Islands Camper Van Rental

Exploring Lofoten In A Van From Arctic Campers

Arctic Campers - Lofoten Islands Camper Van Rental

While preparing for my June trip to Lofoten to grab a couple last photos for my eBook, I decided to get in contact with a new company renting out camper vans on the Islands: Arctic Campers. I often try and promote the flexibility of sleeping in a car while on Lofoten and also giving support to the local companies on the Islands, so it is good to see camper vans now added to the travel options.

And quite frankly, I’m really surprised it has taken this long. Some of you might know, that at the start of my travels 10 years ago, I spent my first year living in a van in New Zealand, where camper vans were one of the most popular forms of transport – I bought my own, but there were many rentals available as well.

Though Arctic Campers have a couple different models available, I used one of their VW Caddys – the Comfort Camper. Sleeping two (all bedding included) on a comfortable bed platform with plenty of gear storage underneath, the van also included free Wifi, a fridge, 2 stoves + cookware, water and sink area, a table and chairs. For those of you worried about cold, the vans are all equipped with heaters, strong enough to keep the vans toasty even in winter while you’re hunting for northern lights.

For more info, visit Arctic Campers at: arcticcampers.no

Arctic Campers - Lofoten Islands Camper Van Rental

Photo: Even summer rain can’t keep the popcorn away! Austvågøy, Lofoten Islands. June 2015

 

Arctic Campers - Lofoten Islands Camper Van Rental

Photo: Beach view at Unstad, Vestvågøy, Lofoten Islands. June 2015

 

Arctic Campers - Lofoten Islands Camper Van Rental

Photo: Waiting for the midnight sun, Flakstadøy, Lofoten Islands. June 2015
Disclosure: I was given a modest discount for the week I rented my van so I could have the opportunity to test it out for future usage. All opinions my own as always.

Silhouette of person watching Northern Lights - Aurora Borealis over coastline, Austvågøy, Lofoten Islands, Norway

Interview on Routes North Website

Hiking Kungsleden trail in Autumn, Sweden

Photo: Rainy days on Sweden’s Kungsleden Trail

There’s an interview with me now appearing over on the Routes North website.

Check it out HERE

It’s mostly about travel and photography in Scandinavia and how someone from California has ended up spending so much time in the north.

Routes North is a travel website focusing mostly on Sweden and Scandinavia.

Hiking Kungsleden trail in Autumn, Sweden

New Video Page

Kungsleden Trail – Video + Timelapse

Filmed on the northern loop of the Kungsleden trail from Nikkaluokta to Abisko in September 2012.

Some of you may have noticed that I added a video page to the site a few days back.  I have been shooting a fair amount of video + timelapse footage on Lofoten and elsewhere over the last couple years, yet up to this point, I haven’t really had time to put anything together.  And while I’m still new at editing and learning the programs (so don’t expect anything super fancy!), I think I will be nice to share another perspective from my travels beyond just photos.

Keep an eye out for some exciting stuff to come over the following months, including a return to the Kungsleden September this year.

You can find my video page HERE.

 

Seasons On Lofoten: Summer

New Ebook – Seasons On Lofoten – Summer

Seasons On Lofoten: Summer

I’m super happy to announce that the second eBook in my ‘Seasons on Lofoten’ series is now available: Seasons On Lofoten – Summer

Available as PDF, 125 pages, 98 images, and over 14,000 words. $10

BUY THE BOOK HERE

Building upon the same theme as the Winter edition, Seasons On Lofoten – Summer is a photography and travel guide focused on the Specifics of the summer season on the Islands.  Also included is the info for 6 of my favorite hikes and camping locations on Lofoten: Bunes beach, Horseid beach, Kvalvika beach, Ryten, Reinebringen, and Mannen.