2010-08-28

Final call for Mr. Grmpyoldman ... Mr. Grmpyoldman, plz!

or 'Sports Challenge at Copenhagen Airport' ... Hunting down the hallway from danish domestic flights from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3 gate ... guess what? Yes! The really ultimate last gate D4! Including a second full security scan, while I hear my own name called throughout the whole airport for the first time in my life ... Not for the first time today, as they did not say 'last call' but 'final call'! After aeons I jump towards the gate. A steward flips a seatcard into my hands like he has trained this move more than a thousand times before. Was I glad to check in on Bornholm, so I run on, down the gangway, jump into the plane ... boarding completed. 2 minutes left. Calm down ... take a breath ... They even placed me directly behind the business class. Let's check the menu card for a cold beverage. Maybe a beer? It's after mid, so why not? ...
"Dear Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the captain speaking. Due the traffic situation above germany, our flight has been rescheduled for approx. 55 minutes."

My vacancy has been definitely too short.

Only a missing backpack on arrival could become a sour topping on a pile of sh** ...

Btw. Just wrote this while we wait for take-off ...


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Ses Danmark.

Bornholm was nice. But after 2 weeks in the middle of nowhere of swedish Fjäll even those 40 per day in the last days of summer were a bit too much.

Back to work ... but only to get away again ... Padjelante anyone?


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2010-08-22

Sverige, vi ses igen.

It has started to rain, so the LovelyYoungWoman and me jump down to Danmark.

Still many things to see and admire and almost nothing to complain about - well ... tonarigen last night that passed our tent with his small motorcycle at 2h with about 60km/h could get accused of something as long as i can't get my hands on him ... but, I'll let him live.

So. Hiking next year? Javisst!


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2010-08-21

Hej Piratpartiet! Capture the Flag!


Not much time left until Riksdagsvalet.

It's all about transparency, privacy for folket and freedom of speech. Turn the computers off, go out and talk with the people ...

... and good luck!

Sincerely, your's GrumpyOldMan.

P.S. Just read the Assange stuff several hours ago ... GOGOGO!

2010-08-20

Worst weather for hiking today...

Leaving the Fjäll is a bit sad. But we have to hit the track down to Nikkaluokta.

PS: the customers internet computer at Kebnekaise Fjällstation is broken, so I was not able to get hold on my pictures from yesterdays topptour. And the crew-computers ask with username and password if you try to mount external devices. Shame and brave STF administrators. :-)


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2010-08-19

Greetings from the top of Sweden!

No more words ... but still a suprise left, if I can get my hands on a card reader. ;-)


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2010-08-18

Camping at Kebnekaise?

(Tricky 3rd person view above) 
They build a new helicopter base directly beside the place we camped two years ago! *facepalm*

Ok ... the new bastu is great.


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Let there be Weather.

Just up those hills tomorrow ... there waits sydtoppen.


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2010-08-15

Six hours later ...

Yes. The wind calmed down enough. Many swedish weekend-hikers got quite nervous. Business people cancelled their flights and booked fresh train tickets (if the decision to rely on SJ really was wise? We won't know ...).

If you have enough time, you wait a bit and take the next ferry, so the Ultimate-tomorrow-have-work-to-doers could catch their next possibility to get home ... and eat another warm waffle with Lingon.

Now on the road again and in 20 minutes back to get offroad.


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Less Wind, plz.

We stick to Saltoluokta. We do not want to, but we have to, as the wind from the west has reached 8 up to 10 m/s so there is no ferry at the moment. It's really crazy to have the sun shining with all it's got to give, charging the batteries in less than three hours, but wearing gloves as temperature dropped down to 7 degrees because of the wind.

The team of Saltoluokta just announced free coffee for all. So let's make the best of it.

Ah. And I should have a short call to Meindl ... I do not know what has has happened to my boot.


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2010-08-13

Folkets Dance. For sure.

No pictures, so noone is compromised. But it IS fun. At least if you have learned it... You really have to forget about regular dancing schools: they are all crap (sorry). It has to come from the heart.


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Folkfestival at Saltoluokta.

Just imagine some tunes of sapmi (samish) "Joik" in the background. Live.


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2010-08-12

The 2 Degree Difference Phenomenon.

Much more comfortable to hike with a bit more wind and as we walk from south to north the temperature falls a bit. From now on, as far as I remember some weather stats (need to put a link in here), the temperature falls in 4 days about 2 degrees - even with the sun full shining. Perfect: less sweating, less mosquitos today on the way from Aktse to Sitojaure.

The people are great as long as they know the rules ... the Stugvärd from Aktse told us that only yesterday, for 3 times the hikers did not bring back the boats for crossing the lake if it is on their turn. It should be that simple: if there is only 1 boat left on your side of the river, you have to row 3 times: first to come to the other side and drop your stuff; second to grab a second boat to bring it back to where you came from and finally the third round to get to your stuff. 12km instead of 4km to row, but if you don't want to row, hire a boat taxi.

Is was too much work now using T9 as it is not so well written... I'll have another cigarette and attach the actual view.


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2010-08-11

A special for @silentdan and @UrbanP1rate.

Just to make you a bit jealous. Still from toppen of Skierfe. :-P


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Best weather for a day off.

Mobile ordinary household, washing, cleaning, a real breakfast ...


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Short Ping from Aktse.

Not much to say: dodstrött and the Sarek has maybe about 100 mosquitos less this august ... the rest of those Quadrupelzillards plays rain on the tent (from the outside).

Ah. And rowing is a thing, I do not need a course anymore - 4 km of training are enough, at least as far as you can see at 22h.

Now a day off with a walk on Skirffe.


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2010-08-09

Last Ping from Kvikkjokk.

Just arrived at Kvikkjokk Fjällstation. Seems to be owned now by an entrepreneur. But we don't care. Hit it!

Vi ses!


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God Morgon! Intermezzo ...

... eating miles since 5:30 by train. Estimated arrival ... 12:30. How did I even manage to get up at 4h? And what about 20km still left to go? A real suspense thriller with real blood as soon as the mosquitos get a grip on me!


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2010-08-08

Nature 20 minutes from the heartbeat ...

1 full and 2 half days in Stockholm are too short to visit your friends, but as STHLM is only the port to the north, it was as usual delightful.
Ängby Camping is a hell of a camping ground - and I like it hot. You find it vis-a-vis of Drottningholm and between Judaskogen and Blackeberg (for all friends of 'Let the right one in'). And there is a cosy beach with a 'Pirate Bar' (Arrr? Well, sort of. But more of that to come).
Since March or May '10 there is the new private Fotografiska Museet och Akademien with several great series from swedish Photographers like Vee Speers (The Birthday Party - really wonderful scary!), Anders Petersen (From Back Home - you get it why there are so many darkly good musicians come from the north) and Lennart Nielsson (A Child is Born - which you might already know from some illustrated or science magazines). Should I mention also the momentary huge collection of Anni Leibowitz - done, but not worth a picture, because it was not allowed to make one. All quick-mounted CCTV around only in this part of the exhib.
A day passes by almost instantly if the weather is bad enough ...
Not being quite the ordinary tourist, I had to see the bureau of Piratpartiet as elections for swedish parliament (Riksdagsvalet) start this year from the beginning until 19th of september. I was a bit afraid not to find the address directly, but 'someone' from butik@piratpartiet.se picked us up. Snygg taxi. Some problems sound the same, some are a bit different, but the ideas are really the same, and we all have a lot of work to do: I hope, I can help a little bit to ... No, I won't tell yet. You have to wait and follow my posts for a few days ...

And now ... tomorrow the train from Kiruna in the polar circle to our hiking start Kvikkjokk will leave on 5:25 in the morning. Very hard work, those things like vacations.


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2010-08-05

Sverige, here we come igen.

First STHLM, then 140km Fjäll and a few days at the end chillout time in (sorry) Danmark.

As far as possible impressions will be posted. But this will be more a problem of T9 annoyance than due lack of connectivity. The internet mobile flat per week will cost 29 SEK (about 3 EUR!).