May to date

May was a month of transitition, I guess, and started with a superb outing on local hot Norwegian rock at the start of the month.  Spring definitely felt on it's way.  Coastal cragging - nice!

There were also parties on the beach (yes, that is a pig: now sausages...) with friends who were leaving to work elsewhere in Norway, and bicycle rides to support others who were cycling across the country - I accompanied Rene and Tim on their send-off from Vilmarkssenter/Tromso to the ferry port to nearby island of Senja. This involved a 9hr return journey for me, which was painful to say the least (not the sweet goodbyes so much as my ass!).

  

I then journeyed Northwards (Cruise-ship transport - now that's a fine way to commute to work), for a pre-breeding season visit the island of Hjelmsoy with Geir, my new boss for the summer, as I switch from work at the busy dogyard to life in a seabird colony!  Hjelmsoy is where I will spend the most of my summer....  it's a fair-sized island, of several kilometres squared, not far from Nord Cap, which is mainland Norway's Northernmost tip.  Athough as you can see, it was rather snowy for the time of the year, it was already promising to be a hub of seabird activity. I shall be there monitoring kittiwakes, guillimots, puffins... and trying to catch some sleep in the 24h daylight!  We spent a week on the island, checking the progress of the breeding birds. Seems kittiwakes are slow this season, with nests still unbuilt, but gulls nesting and laying already, and plenty of bird life about. There were clouds of snow buntings foraging energetically on bare patches of ground. Ah, it's good to be in the North.  These birds are infrequently seen in the UK, and remind me very much of the two field seasons I spent avoiding polar bears up in Nunavut, Canada.  

'Goodbye Vilmarkssenter' - the expression says it all!

Ice-cream send-off at the ferry port to Senja island.

The fishing-boat transport to Hjelmsoy - a short stop from Havoysund.

But first Trollfjord, a ridiculously big cruise ship - an overnight journey from Tromsø to get to Havoysund.
Leaving Tromso behind.... 


And yes, I sat in this sauna for hours, and actually saw whales swim past at one stage (I had to blink twice!).





My home-to-be for June. Can't wait to be there again!

Ha det bra Vilmarkssenter

Spring has arrived: snow is melting out fast, rain has arrived, the cyclists have flown, and I am off to N Norway for a summer of seabirds.

So, it's -

So long, Vilmarkssenter, and thanks for all the...er... chocolate cake (Jan!)

Hut in the hills

I was away skiing by myself the other week.  I was lucky with the weather for two days, and covered a fair amount of snowy terrain, some of which was pisted... some not. It was an adventure on skinny XC skis with no steel edges on icey pistes and windslab - some spectacular faceplanting with a back pack on! ;)

Ski and sun

Well, I was away for a few days recently (well, almost a month back now but slow to blog about it!). This is what seems to be the National Sport around Easter time. Spring skiing. I was on snowshoes (!) due to injury, lack of skis, and ... mostly lack of technique...  But it was a glorious, hot day and we all had a good time out the back of Tromsø, nearby the Lyngen Alps region.  After this day in the scorching sun a few of us skiied on into a hut for the night.  We awoke to grey skies and snow.  You got to take these days as they come.  

Fresh snow

Lyng's puppies

Walk in the countryside

When I was a child, I yearned for a dog of my own. Friends had dogs, there were dogs in every park in Bristol, we went on great family walks out of the city every weekend (or so it seemed!). In short, I wanted a dog and it was on every Christmas list - every year!

People who know me from that period know that on walks in the countryside I would 'find' dogs to walk (better than my sister, who actually 'found' a tame duck and brought it home - I kid you not!).  I was never happier than with some dog we had picked up at a pub where the landlord had said I could walk their dog and bring it back afterwards! It was always difficult for Mum and Dad at the end of those days, I feel sure. 

Anyhow, here I am now, in my element - 240 of the darn things to exercise!  

We have snow again now, but yesterday was picture perfect. Here are Rocky and Rambo (two 4-month old pups) and Grey (a bit older, but still one big puppy).  We were on a walk before my shift started at 13h.  

Nice.

(... and, although I hate to admit it, perhaps Mum and Dad were right: the city is no place for a dog).

Time out

Snowshoeing with reindeer

Well, I had a fine day out in the hills, snowshoeing the other day.  It's a great way to travel in deep powder.  Means that you hike up a lovely snowy hill such as nearby 900m Litle Blaefjell, and then slip slide on the way down (looking enviously at peoples off-piste ski descents!).  Yes, I will MASTER ski touring I hope.  

A big highlight of this trip was meeting my first Norwegian reindeer herd - these are very non-flighty beasts.  Semi-domesticated up here, they did little more than to just raise their heads and then move a few metres and start grazing again.  But it meant I could take a good look at this group of 10 invididuals.  Nice backdrop of Tromso behind, in this photo.

It really was a Top Day Out as in the evening we had a no-show of a hotpot (hot tub) at the centre.  Guests had failed to show up for a dip in the hot tub we had been stoking with wood all day.... meant the staff here could profit from a bit of Aurora Borealis gazing in relative comfort! ;)

Skiing with moose

Two days ago we also saw moose wander near the Vilmarkssenter and yesterday I went XC (Cross Country) skiing before work and picked up their tracks.  There they were: moose tracks in the snow.  (Ironically there were also MOUSE tracks nearby.)  Unfortunately, one of these mighty moose ended up roadkill, and someone brought the carcass into the centre yesterday - food for the dogs.

It is not the first ever time I have been XC skiing, but I am not much good yet!  I took a colleagues dog with me the other time - I need say no more. When he saw his 'mates' in the dog yard and took off at full pelt... Well, yes, ahem. Face-planting in yellow snow!  

But on this trip yesterday, whilst I floundered in the snow and avoided the steep or wooded descents... I saw a very fit local Norwegian just 'flow' up to a checkpoint/logbook point labelled 'Skil' (misleading for me).  This sprightly local skier could easily have been in his 60's, and whilst recovering beautifully from what must have been a strenuous ascent he cheerily chattered to me in Norwegian.  I managed to stammer out to him that I was not very good, whilst he was great!

Anyhow, after this brief encounter I had an inkling of what had given Amundsen that 'edge' over Scott on the race to the South Pole.  Dogs, Skis, Englishness..... 

Dog's Life 2

Let it snow, let it snow

Since I've been back from Rjukan we have had plenty of snow, which makes sledding 'interesting' and gives you a nice snow face pack.  

Between flurries and dashing after the needs of tourists, I took a few shots of the place, some taken from the back of the sled (my passengers snug in their reindeer skins and blissfully unaware!).  Guiding is fun, but hours here are long and ardous. We seem to work 15 h days - not easy.  But hey, it is Norway In Winter.  A great place to be, knackered out or not!

Tromso in the far distance, beyond this team (photo above: click on the image to see it!). 

The drive home...

Rjukan Ice

In deepest South Norway there is a dark, cold world class ice climbing venue called Rjukan. I was there recently for a week with London Mile End climbing club and Junior (?!) SMC Cronies.  It is one mad icey playground, and although not climbing world class level myself (well, only in my head), I was more than content to see myself and others up some more modest routes  (mind you there was some crazy Mixed top-route action, not by me, but by enthusiastic others [one of whom later concussed himself snowboarding - need I say more?]).  Rjukan's many gorge locations provide routes, of all variety.  We had tropical conditions of plus 3-5C which was all good. Considering Feb average temp is minus 6C we were dead lucky. The routes were mostly in good nick, and we all battered ourselves.  I lead my first ice route, and learnt a heap; now I have opened this Pandoras Box of Ice I hope to climb more in Tromso area.

Thanks for the gear loans, Trev., Jane and Al., and Tore.  And for The Boys for putting up with a gal in their hut all week! 

So here are some shots: apologies but I know not how to rotate pics using the newly purchased Mac. computer (ahem).... so all the funky vertical scary ice pics have had to be left out (most of these are in my head anyways).  Hope these horizontal shots do the place justice! (the one vertical one was not rotated by me - thanks Jaap, for the uphill perspective).

Dog's Life

Hello Norway

Well, I have arrived. Tromso, Norway.  Here for a spell at least, and hopefully a wee while.  Those who know me in more recent years will know that I am wanting to spend a little more time in fewer places…  I had my needs though: mountains, sea, snow, sun/less rain, wildlife, trees, people… Yes, I am a fussy thing! Well, Tromso seems to fit the bill so far, although at 600km north of the Arctic Circle, the sun is a bit slow to come up still.  We have plenty of daylight (8-15h) but sun for only a short while still.  It’s OK by me though.  More than.

My work is ‘dog-handler’, and I work at Villmarkssenter (see http://www.villmarkssenter.no for more).  There are a varied tasks to this role: feeding the 250 odd sled-dogs (noisy! and messy), cleaning frozen poop (less messy), tending to the tourists needs…. and lastly (not by any means least) is charging off in a flurry of snow with a team of dogs. The noise of all the dogs shouting “pick me... pick ME... PICK ME!” as you unclip dogs from their kennels and harness the teams to their sleds is ear-splitting.  As is the frenzied barking when you career off! It’s wonderful.

Oh, and I forgot my Marmite this time, which is a crying shame…  If anyone fancies popping a jar of the stuff in the post - 'thousand thanks' (as the Norwegians say).  If you haven't the stamina to ParcelForce a glass jar of goopy, sticky, brown, salty, evil-smelling lifeblood to me then postcards also fine ;).  So, for those carte postales to decorate my otherwise rather undecorated room, my snailmail address here is: Tromso Villmarkssenter, 9100 Kvaloysletta.

But - in case you are thinking of it - no thank you, NZ buddies, VEGEMITE will just not do at all! ….Sacriledge!  (As I was saying, I am a fussy beggar!)

Gleðileg Jól II

Well, it´s goodbye Iceland for while at least. I´m off on Sunday to share xmas in England with family and friends this year. It´s been 2 years - NZ in ´05 and then here in Iceland last year - so I´m hoping I remember our family traditions and don´t slip up too much!

As expected, there have been so many places I never shared with people via this website, such as my winter dash over to Egilsstaðir (E Iceland) for NYE last year, arriving on 31st as the fireworks starting booming and police ushered my little car into a safe parking spot on the street. NYE in Iceland is dark, but beautiful. Also meant to post some pics of my 4 day hike into the Lanmannalagur hotspring area this summer. It rained solid for 2 days but was worth every soggy glacial-gravel sinking footfall. :) Ach well! Hope that the pics and updates were enough - in this digital age we go bonkers with photos anyway.

For the time of year, I´ve enjoyed so much sunshine here on the farm. We have such endless horizons that you see sun up and sun set. I´ve taken so many photos of the big skies around here. Here´s a dawn and dusk at Eystra Fröðholt for you!

So....

So long Iceland, and Gleðileg Jól to all.

Englishness

Well, you know it´s time to pack your bags when you run out of the good stuff.... Marmite, Food Of The Gods and imported with me to various countries wherever I go (and whatever they may say - Vegemite is NOT the same!). I have converted the most disbelieving folk to Marmite in some strange places. I guess at an arctic field base then the sheer NOVELTY of it was enough.

Anyhow, this jar I brought with me to Iceland is almost empty. I leave 16 Dec for new supplies....

Another Hekla

Hekla views: from the farm. It´s about 50km away (as the raven flies).