Polar Bear

There was a small Hilton Hotel this winter on Svalbard. How small it was: go to you tube and search for the words: Svalbard, hilton, hotel This "Hotel" will come back next winter, that is for sure, it was perfect 😀 On the You Tube video you can see that I can stand straight up in the middle of the "house", this was surely needed……...

This winter I went back to this waterfall now filming with a drone, which give a total different view. The first video you see the polarbear going down the waterfall again. Halfway the video a picture with an air balloon above the Eskerfossen waterfall. At the end you see this waterfall in the summer at high water after 3 warm Sunny days. The second video you see the drone flying over this canyon. https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=pDKOkKsDw-k https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=xETla1zJo7E

Here a nice video, https://youtu.be/VExOXJfI58w,of my kayaktrip inside the Moskusdalcanyon,a sidevalley in Sassendalen on Svalbard. On the picture you see the top of the Moskusdal canyon. The river is streaming about 10 meters lower. When inside this canyon it feels almost like being in a cave, under the ground. This was my third summer visit to this canyon. The first time was during mid summer in July. The water level is then to high to get inside this canyon with a kayak, it would be my last kayak trip…….. So I got back the next year at the end of September to walk into this canyon (low water). Then I saw the pools inside this canyon and I knew that I had to come back next year with my kayak. Lucky for me there was blue sky on the day I went into this canyon, so just enough light to make video´s. I spent 3 hours in this canyon with the kayak, for me the most amazing 3 hours of this year.

This is a funny video, showing how to get out a polarbear of your tent. 😀 https://youtu.be/hHY9yBbvxXs

Last winter I made a combinated, seakayak-ski-tour to a nice viewpoint at Senja looking out over Bovaer. First there was no snow at sea-level, so I decided to go with my Sea-kayak to a campsite, close to a steep hill. On the other side of that steep hill is a beautiful view over Bovaer. The next day the weather forecast changed rapidly. I had to go back with my seakayak to get my seakayak save back. I left my tent, food, ski's etc.... behind, knowing that the proposed new snow fall for the next days would be enough to reach my tent on ski's. And so it did work out well. The next 2 days it did snow a lot. On the 3rd day I went back to my tent. The sun came back a little and the wind was calmer, but still present. Enjoy this video, with some amazing views at Senja's steep mountains. Here is the you tube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6YlUON_mAA&feature=youtu.be

This was a once in a lifetime awesome outdoor adventure in Dovrefjell in winter & summertime. Seeing the winter mountainviews from Amotdalshytta for so many times, I got the idea that it would be nice to paddle on Amotslake in the summer and try to paddle down the river from the lake. So last winter and summer this did happen. Allthough the start of the summer part did not happen as I planned but it did make this trip more special. It was something like: No matter what happen, ........ don't give up 😄 Below you see 3 pictures: 2x Amotdalshytta and one picture of the biggest waterfall in the Amotsriver, 8 km down streams from the hytta. That waterfall is better to look at, then to paddle it. That waterfall gives so much rain droplets that I had to place my camera 150 meters from the waterfall and place a stone cover on top of my video camera to protect the lens against drops. For anyone who is interested in the pictures/video's: I placed 5 video's on you tube about this trip, with a total lenght of 20 minutes. But I think you will see many special pictures/video shots. This is certainly not "just another day in the office". During this 11-12 days summertrip i got a lot of sun and many short heavy rain/hail showers every day. But Lucky for me, some sun when I was paddling on Amotslake and Snohetta was visable almost every day 😊. Here are some small notes which explain a bit what you see in the 5 video parts:: Part 1: Skiing the kayak in 2 days from Kongsvold to Amotsdalshytta (end of April). Skiing 2 days with the wind against me, knowing that the 3rd day (skiing back to Kongsvold) with the wind in the back would be really fun. Lucky for me, their was snow on the ground every where. Part 2: One week before I planned to go out on this trip (begin July) the engine of my bus got got a serious problem and could not drive. So I was stucked in Otta. What to do now? I did have a "pulk on wheels" with me to use when I walk in the first part into Amotsdalen (the first part of the the track is an old mountain road track). So I got the idea to take the "pulk on wheels" behind me bike. This was the new plan: Get every thing on the train in Otta. Get out at Kongsvold, bike the E-6 down to Amotsdalen and bike into Amotsdalen. On the way back: Bike from Amotsdalen over the E-6 down to Oppdal trainstation. I knew I could not bike up any hill with this "pulk on wheels" behind me. The E-6 goes down all the way from Kongsvold to Oppdal, so that was good. This was the way I started, you can see this on the video, and it did work out well. What a way to start a trip.............😊 I did transport a lot of equipment and food, needed for this trip, in my backpack and "pulk on wheels". So in Part 2: You can see me on the bike, walking in Amotsdalen, Pitching my tent halfway (as a kind of base camp), Walking to Amotsdalhytta, Kayaking on the lake, Walking from Amotdalshytta and following the special track over the river (the first part from the lake, the water is streaming under and beside the rocks before it becomes an open river). Part 3: Kayaking on Amotselva. The first part with less water but soon the water comes from every where into the river. At some lakes in between the rapids., the rocks are just under the waterline. Hail coming down. Great kayak views on Snohetta. Finally the first ww rapid in the river. Part 4: More ww rapids. Carry over the kayak by walking. Repairing a broken paddle by using sport tape and the aluminium angle parts (which I use for placing my camera on the kayak), very happy to have them 😊. Rapelling down a waterfall, Surching for shelter under a plastic cover against a heavy rainshower. More water coming down the waterfall after the rainshower. Part 5: Kayaking under the waterfall, Walking back to my basecamp on the otherside of the river, what a track was that 😊. Drying kayak clothes. Sleeping the last night in a nice cabin, beside the track. Nice weather the next day. Walking & biking to Oppdal. I had to secure one wheel (pulk on wheels) with a tyrap and make the axle wider (using 2 stones as a hammer) End of this 11-12 days summertrip. Sadly I am missing one sd card with pictures/video's of this trip, still hope that it might show up somewhere............ You Tube page part 1: (the other parts will show up when you see part 1)

This video will make you smile:

Thanks, I use Geo Viewer Pro now to view these maps.

Does anyone know if the 711 maps are also available as digital maps? I am not looking for GpS maps.

Two weeks ago I spent 2 nights in the Moskusdalen canyon, sleeping in a tent on a "safe place" under the overhanging rocks. These overhanging rocks follows a curve line above the canyon which give a special light/view inside this canyon. The canyon is about 400 meters long and at the end the rocks above the canyon almost closed the canyon This is a awesome place to be, but can, depending on snowconditions, be a tricky place to visit. For more pictures of this canyon, see this picture video: https://youtu.be/5acagWB2yMA

on top of the waterfalls is a lake, before the dam, that would be a good campsite, you can drive with car to the lake, follow up the tollroad

I didn't look for campingplaces then, just looking at the waterfalls, At the start of the track at the e6, is an information bord with other connected walking tracks, you will find camping places somewhere I think

There is a nice walking track going up nedre Ula fossen, the track starts in Sel at the E6 ,4 km north of otta, track starts at the E6, north of the river, impressive waterfalls. Ask otta turist info for other walking tracks.

Around easter there were some nice weather days at Longyearbyen. I went out to make some sunset and full moon pictures, both won’t be possible soon because in 10 days their will be midnightsun on Svalbard. During Easter I had a very luxery campsite on Plateauberget with 2 tents, the big yellow dome tent placed over the smaller green tent. After Easter I went up Nordenskiold and camped on the top, lucky for me there where some small thin clouds around the top, see the pictures. On the way down from the top I planned to be at the sattellite station before sunset, see the pictures. Here are 3 you tube picture video’s: The quality of you tube picture video’s is not that good, so if you look it on a big screen the quality is bad. Campsite on Plateauberget, with view over Longyearbyen: https://youtu.be/BJuegpvhETQ Campsite on Nordenskiold top:https://youtu.be/zMBpeCr1Vh4 Sunset at sattellite station on Plateauberget: https://youtu.be/0DdfFuezso4 Before someone is asking: All the equipment is walked/skied up and down to Longyearbyen which was a good training for the longer trips coming up.

I am driving through ostlandet next week, can you get one for me Nice work done, it is an unique jacket

I use merino hot wool trouser and shirt from Akla under my wind proof trouser/jacket. Merino hot wool is thick, I only use the shirt during skiing when it is very cold, otherwise the shirt is to warm, but very nice and warm to have around your tent etc. . Your warmest friend out in the field is ..... a thick down jacket, not for skiing, just to keep you warm during a break and around your tent.

Skiing up the same sand dune, first without snow, then with snow http://youtu.be/3KUe4MZB61c

It is not always possibe to go skiing in Holland, it is very rare. Normally I train in the "Dutch Desert" with ski's in the sand. Yesterday there was 10-15 cm of new snow over the sand, it was perfect skiing. Sand is a good underground for snow, 10-15 cm new snow was more then enough. This was a day to remember. Today it is raining, so goodbye to the snow. http://youtu.be/WFGM8HClI1g

@ Martin: The people who are in the “Dutch Desert” like to be in the nature, these people respect what others are doing in the nature. It is not that busy with people, so there is space enough. The people who see me, mostly show a smile on their face. Some will ask: “Isn’t that heavy?” Well , going on skies (with the pulk) through the sand goes faster then walking. It looks strange, ski-walking in the sand but it is easier then walking. It is the load in the pulk which makes it harder to go, and of course going up the small hills is the ultimate training. I use sand in the pulk to make the pulk heavier. When I get to tired or when it is getting to dark, I throw out the sand then I go must faster.

Training with ski’s in the sand is for me more fun then training with a tyre, I use old ski’s. Sofar Swix is not making wax for sandskiing, so I don’t use any wax. Here you can see the video: Going up and down a small sand hill on ski with a pulk. : http://youtu.be/k5ICuKdL2Uk The Going down part is fun Here you can see the video: Following T-signs, but where is the next one? : http://youtu.be/rf-hsEl-kxs

Someone is placing T-signs in the Netherlands. Here a nice place in the middle of Holland. Perfect terrain for training with the pulk, going up and down the small hills makes you tired after some hours. I will place here an up and down video tomorrow.

The video can be seen here: http://youtu.be/dkp_-nQREpQ

This is not an extreme telemark video, just a funny video with different close looks at smooth telemarkcorners on a special place:

10 Nk is very very cheap... I have some ski's with the chili 75 mm with rising plate, good solid system.