Jarl Adventures

XC-Skating, Båven, 22nd of Jan

2012-01-22T17:26:00.005+01:00

Not nearly as good conditions as previous skating trips this year, as there was now a fairly thick layer of snow on the ice.. Still, nice to see lake Båven which is supposed to be one of the best for this sport in Sweden, and it does show some promise.. Distance was very short, but we managed to have a "fika" just when the sun showed itself for a few minutes during the day..

XC-Skating, Tämnaren, 15th of Jan

2012-01-15T19:05:00.002+01:00

XC-Skating with my brother on lake Tämnaren north of Uppsala.. Great ice, hardly any wind, nice area.. Total distance covered was 30 kilometres, with a combat-style lunch break at 15 kilometres..

XC-Skating, Gisslaren, 8th of Jan

2012-01-08T16:14:00.004+01:00

Sunday skating on lake Gisslaren with brother Jon.. A few degrees below freeing, almost no wind, and perfect ice conditions.. This lake is a bit smaller than Vällen, but with more wilderness feeling, no houses and much fewer fellow skaters.. Distance was about 17 kilometres..

XC-Skating, Vällen, 7th of Jan

2012-01-07T16:52:00.006+01:00

Finally, after a very delayed winter in Stockholm area, we could go cross-country ice skating today.. Myself, Jon & Emil went to Vällen, about 100 km north-east of Stockholm, and the conditions were superb.. 5-7 cm of mostly clear ice, mostly sunny, a couple of degrees below freezing.. We covered about 35 kilometres on the northen and southern part of the lake, with a few stops for coffee and lunch.. Great day, hoping for many more!

Mtb, Fornstigen, 10th of Dec

2011-12-16T14:31:00.004+01:00

Saturday morning ride on Fornstigen with Mr Ostkaka who also took these pictures.. Fairly muddy and slippery, and rather slow progress.. Need a bike rack for the new car.. Sort of hoping for snow soon..

Mtb, Lunsen, Uppsala, Nov 6th

2011-11-06T13:49:00.002+01:00

A couple of hours of mtb in Lunsen, Uppsala, together with 7 other guys from the Happymtb forum.. Still quite warm for the season, but with plenty of mud holes, and very slippery rocks and footbridges..

Kayaking, Trosa Archipelago, Oct 29th-30th

2011-10-30T21:45:00.008+01:00

Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon kayaking trip with Emil.. We started from Trosa and paddled south-east in calm waters under a sunny sky.. Camped on "Godahoppsudden", beautifully located on Askö.. Grey skies and some light rain on Sunday, but still very chilled paddling.. Apart from the short days, it's almost nicer now than in the summer, as the archipelago is quite desolated.. Back in Trosa, we took a little city tour in the creek, and then wrapped up the trip with some well-deserved fast-food..

Kayak Sailing, Svärdsfjärden, Oct 22nd

2011-10-22T18:30:00.002+02:00

Kayak sailing for a couple of hours on Svärdsfjärden, with the regular starting point on Torö, and a lunch break on a small island.. More wind would have been fun, but with this leaner kayak, one still has to be rather vigilant with leaning and paddle support..

Kayaking, S:t Annas Archipelago, 5th-7th of Aug

2011-08-08T13:48:00.008+02:00

Weekend kayaking in Sankt Annas archipelago with the lady.. First time for me in this area, and it for sure showed a lot of promise.. Friday night we headed north in our rented K2 and camped in a sheltered bay that was heavily infested with ticks.. On Saturday we continued northbound and set up an early camp on an island with a secluded lagoon that was perfect for sunbathing and lazing about.. Sunday morning offered heavy showers with some lightning strikes, but by noon the weather was a bit better so we scrambled back home to shore against the wind and waves..

Hiking, Sarek, 14th-22nd of July

2011-07-23T12:17:00.018+02:00

An 8-day hike with Hans and Markus in Sarek, up in the north-western mountain region of Sweden.. We started and finished in Kvikkjokk, walking a wide loop in the western part of this beautiful and remote national park.. During the week we made our way up and down of numerous rocky trails and hills, walked through swamp valleys, over snow fields and on high plateaus.. Weather covered 3 seasons, with wind ranging from calm to gale, temperatures from 5 to 25 and everything from sun shining from clear blue skies to hard downpours with some lightning strikes.. Which is probably quite normal for July up there.. Some additional excitement when my tent was smashed by a storm gust (we could make a field-repair the day after) in the middle of a night.. Our group of 3 also had company by thousands of hungry horse-flies and millions of thirsty mosquitos.. In summary, a perfect holiday..

Kayaking, Trosa-Askö, 9th-11th of July

2011-07-11T21:16:00.004+02:00

48 hour kayaking trip with the lady in the Trosa Archipelago.. Heading out on Saturday noon from Trosa past the nice Storsand beach on Askö, 1st camp in the shooting range area.. On Sunday we rounded the south point with some fairly challenging waves rolling in from the open sea.. 2nd Camp next to Bockholmen.. Total distance about 36 km..

Kayaking, Trosa Archipelago, 2nd-4th of June

2011-06-07T12:05:00.005+02:00

3 day/2 night solo kayaking trip in the archipelagos south of Trosa.. Started at Studsvik and spent the following days slowly cruising around in the beautiful scenery of the nature reserves in the area.. Nice mix of open waters as well as more sheltered areas.. Mostly sunny but at times fairly windy.. Plenty of birdlife.. I'll be back again..

Kayaking, Mälaren, May 22nd

2011-05-23T11:04:00.006+02:00

Kayaking for a couple of hours in lake Mälaren, rounding the islands Kärsön, Kungshatt and Fågelön, for a total of about 15 kilometres. Mostly sunny day, with a fresh breeze from SSW that gave headwind on the way out and nice tailwind on the way back..

Kayaking, Svärdsfjärden, 15th of May

2011-05-15T19:17:00.004+02:00

Kicking of a new kayaking season with a new folding kayak, a black and white Nautiraid Narak.. First impressions very positive, fairly easy assembly, lively and fast in the water.. Paddled for a few hours on Svärdsfjärden from Torö Stenstrand, passing a couple of islands and sounds with a lunch stop on Kolguskär..

Mtb, Lunsen, Uppsala, 1st of May

2011-05-02T10:31:00.007+02:00

The traditional May 1st ride in Lunsen, Uppsala, with close to 20 people from the Happymtb.org forum.. As usual, splendid weather, superb trail selection, chilled lunch break with BBQ at Torpet and nice people sharing the same passion for mtb.. After-bike pizza to recoup energy was great too..

Mtb, Öland, 21st & 22nd of April

2011-04-24T20:59:00.005+02:00

Two solo rides on northern Öland with Byxelkrok as the usual starting point.. Amazing, summery weather despite being in mid-late April.. The rocky beach on the west side offers lots of technical challenges and the sandy White Prick's trail on the east side down towards Böda Sands Camping was a blast as usual..

Mtb, Järvafältet, Stockholm, 17th of April

2011-04-17T17:01:00.004+02:00

Mtb ride on Järvafältet with around a dozen other people collected from the Happymtb.org forum.. Wide range of bikes, from cyclo-cross, singlespeed 29'er to hardtails, FS Mtb's and AM bikes.. Trails were varied as well, and it was a lovely warm sunny spring day.. As usual, we finished at Helenes Fik which never dissapoints..

Mtb, Lunsen, Uppsala, 10th of April

2011-04-10T18:21:00.005+02:00

First "spring ride" in Lunsen with most of the snow gone, and also first proper trial run on my new mtb.. Went from Plantskolan towards Torpet, took a break, and then tried the winter/ski trail back, which turned out to be rather unsuitable for mtb, but after navigating over the wetlands to Upplandsleden, riding was excellent again all the way towards Flottsbro before I was done for the day..

Mtb, Hellas, 9th of Jan

2011-01-09T18:18:00.004+01:00

Hike and hike and hike and some bike.. Snow-ride on mtb in Hellas in a temperature above freezing resulted in very soft trails that offered little flow.. But we made it to Brotorp eventually for a couple of great waffles & coffee.. In three hours including the lunch break we accumulated a meager 15 kilometers, but it was still very nice to be out..

Scuba Diving, Malta & Gozo, 18th-20th of Nov

2010-11-22T13:38:00.003+01:00

Three days of scuba diving in Malta.. First day included some easy dives around Sliema, second day two nice wreck dives on the northwestern side of Malta, Rosie the tug boat and the P29 patrol boat.. At around 35 meters deep these boats offer plenty of marine life and visability was superb.. Third day, we went to Gozo and the Inland sea and Blue hole dive sites, with cool caves, tunnels and steep drop-offs..

Kayak Surfing & Rock Hopping, Torö, 13th of Nov

2010-11-14T09:06:00.007+01:00

Mid-November kayak sufing & rock hopping session at Torö Stenstrand with Emil.. The winds that were forecastes went missing but there were still decent old swells to play around in.. We caught some surfs, had a couple of close enounters with rocks, and a few unplanned swims and being thrown up on shore..

Mtb, Järvafältet, Oct 24th

2010-10-24T15:43:00.004+02:00

Randomized solo ride for 3 hours in the pouring rain, a few degrees above freezing.. Mixing the usual forrest trails on Järvafältet with plenty of smaller ones I'e never seen, and some riding, hiking and carrying offroad, over ditches, hills and through bushes.. Defrosting and drying on Helenes fik afterwards..

Mtb, Hellas-Handen, 10th of Oct

2010-10-10T18:54:00.010+02:00

Mtb ride on Sörmlandsleden with guys from the Happymtb forum, from Hammarby to Handen via Alby where we stopped for lunch.. Nice autumn weather and not too muddy and slippery, but I was still pretty tired the last few hours, being way off any decent biking form.. Train back from Handen to the city, total distance in the saddle was close to 50 kilometers, including the rides to and from the trails..

Urban Kayaking, Stockholm

2010-10-03T09:01:00.005+02:00

Saturday paddle with Emil, getting the best of Stockholm's urban waters on a mostly sunny day.. Started from Huvudsta, paddled through Karlberg channel, to the first floodgate at Slussen to the sea side of Stockholm.. Onwards past Gamla Stan and Östermalm through Djurgården channel to an autumn desolated Fjäderholmarna for lunch.. On the way back we followed the Nacka side, had a coffee break in Hammarby Sjöstad and then used the Hammarby floodgate back into lake Mälaren where we rounded Södermalm and Kungsholmen.. Total distance was 30km..

Kayaking, Nynäshamn, 11th-12th of Sept.

2010-09-13T12:32:00.006+02:00

Kayaking with the lady in the Nynäshamn archipelago.. We started on Saturday southbound from Lövhagen, through the Draget channel and then down to Korsudden where we had lunch.. After rounding Långsudden, we turned north with nice tail winds up to Yttre Gården where we camped for the night.. In the Sunday morning, our only launch point out from the beach offered challenging breaking waves.. We continued north with lunch close to Äspskär and finally turned back south at Örnäsudden via the Nynäshamn harbour area to the starting point..

Kayak Sailing, Ingaröfjärden, 28th of Aug

2010-08-29T13:23:00.005+02:00

Half-day trip on Ingaröfjärden, with the distinct feeling of autumn being around the corner.. Before noon, I was mostly sailing, except for when passing through sheltered channels between the rocky islands.. After lunch, the wind dropped considerably, so I paddled the 15 kilometres back to my starting point at Älgö..

Hot Air Balloon Ride, Stockholm, Aug 10th

2010-08-12T11:29:00.004+02:00

Hot Air Balloon Ride, north of Stockholm from Rosersberg to Lindholmen.. Despite that the company Upp & Ner have by far the worst organisation and service I've ever seen in Sweden, the ride itself was actually a pretty cool experience, with great views from a different perspective than usual..

Kayaking, Åland, 7th-8th of Aug

2010-08-09T18:04:00.004+02:00

24 hour paddle in the North-western Åland archipelago.. In a chubby 2-seated rental, we strived against the wind on Saturday afternoon in a north-bound loop from Käringsund.. Lunch on Råttgrund, Högskärsöarna as the most northen point, and camp on Otterskär.. In the evening we heard distant thunder, during the night it passed straight over us, giving intense rain showers and amazing lightning striking the rock islands and sea on all sides of us.. Sunday morning was calm and sunny, as we made our way back south and east..

Kayak Sailing, 26th to 29th of July

2010-07-29T18:57:00.009+02:00

Kayak sailing in the Stockholm archipelago from Monday to Thursday.. Headed north-east from Stavnäs up to Kalvören in light winds for 1st camp.. Continued north with stronger tail winds via Bockösundet up to Långkobben.. Wednesday morning offered calm seas and light rain while I paddled south past the west side of Möja and with increasing wind sailed over Horsholmssundet down to Gråskär where I had the third camp.. Heavy showers and thunder in the skies during the night, Thursday morning offered more rain and fairly dense fog while I rounded the south side of Runmarö via the channel and some excitement when I crossed Nämdöfjärden with lots of boat traffic but less then 150 meters of visibility..

Hiking, Oviksfjällen, 19th-20th of July

2010-07-20T22:26:00.005+02:00

Hiking in Oviksfjällen with my brother Trond and my nephew.. We started in Höglekardalen on Monday and headed up the mountain to the peak of Falkfångarfjället and set up our tent camp next to a mountain hut.. on Tuesday, we took another route back down to the valley via Drommenskåran..

Mtb, Jämtlandsfjällen, 17th of July

2010-07-20T18:49:00.007+02:00

Mtb day ride in Jämtlandsfjällen with my brother Jon.. Starting from Storulvån, heading to Sylarna and then via Gåsån back to the starting point.. Route was about 45 kilometres but we added a few more in the end by bad map reading skills.. Still loads of splendid cycling though, with several long flowy sections that made the bumpy uphill struggles worthwhile..

Kayak Sailing, Svärdsfjärden

2010-07-14T00:32:00.006+02:00

First trial run on Svärdsfjärden with the new folding sailing rig from Kayaksailor.com.. With winds from the south of 6-9 m/s with some gusts likely above 10 m/s, it was a fairly challenging start.. But all went well without any capsizing despite a few interesting moments.. Downwind performance quite impressive and sailing upwind worked fine also after I figured out how to balance the daggerboards for best rudder efficiency..

Kayaking, Söderarm, 9th-12th of July

2010-07-13T23:17:00.005+02:00

Kayaking in the northern archipelago with Hans, with the heat wave in full swing.. Starting from Rävsnäs, we headed south-east and crossed the ferry lane late on Friday afternoon.. On Saturday we looked around on the island where the Söderarms lighthouse stands.. After a loop south and then back west with camping on an old artillery site, we finished the weekend on the northern side of the ferry lane including some lazing about on Håkansskär..

Kayaking, Håkansskär, 19th-20th of June

2010-06-21T10:53:00.004+02:00

Weekend kayaking from Fejan in a loop counter-clockwise up towards Håkansskär in north-east.. On Saturday, weather was mixed with periods of fog rolling in from the sea.. Camp on a nice island with scenic sunset.. On Sunday the wind was gradually increasing from the south but we stayed in lee behind islands most of the way back..

Kayaking, Stavsnäs-Sandhamn, 5-6th of June

2010-06-07T12:06:00.006+02:00

Weekend kayaking from Stavsnäs to Sandhamn and back, together with Carin, Emil, Sanna and Johan.. Colder than expected on Saturday, and our planned lunch at Sandhamn became a dinner instead, before some evening paddling to a nice little island where we camped.. Sunday morning started with a thick fog that gradually dispersed and the weather became sunnier as the day went along..

Mtb, Gömmaren, May 30th

2010-05-31T09:07:00.004+02:00

Sunny Sunday ride with 8 guys from the Happymtb forum.. We rode for a couple of hours on a trail that circled the lake Gömmaren, where I've never been before.. Not very long in distance but quite energy-zapping with an amazing amount of very large roots, combined with nice rocks and small sections of uphill and downhill..

Rock Climbing, Gåseborg, May 22nd

2010-05-22T17:32:00.006+02:00

Rock climbing for a couple of hours with my brother at Gåseborg, on the north-western side of Stockholm.. Warm and sunny like a proper summer day, and the mosquitos were plentiful and hungry.. There are loads of sport climbing routes here, more than 60, but we settled with a couple of fairly easy ones where I lead and Jon followed.. Nice location at lake Mälaren with splendid scenic views from the top of the cliffs where we had lunch..

Kayaking, Mälaren, 15th-16th of May

2010-05-16T20:41:00.005+02:00

Excellent weekend kayaking trip in the central parts of lake Mälaren together with Emil.. Starting on Saturday from the north side at Hjulstabron, heading counter-clock wise past Gisselholmen and Björktorp to harbor dinner with pizza and pints in Strängnäs.. Camp on a small island north of Stora Rullingen and on Sunday northbound past Bispgrund and Koholmen back to the starting point.. Few boats this early in the season and plenty of wildlife including ospreys, cranes and a snake swimming in a strait..

Mtb, Lunsen, Uppsala, May 1st

2010-05-02T09:49:00.008+02:00

The traditional May 1st ride in Lunsen, Uppsala with about 17 other mtb riders from the Happymtb.org forum.. Starting at Flottsund, lunch break with hot dogs at Torpet, continuing on the Southern Trail before heading back to the parking lot.. A few of us ended the day with a couple of laps on the BMX track in Gottsunda..

Kayaking, Stockholm City, April 28th

2010-04-29T10:14:00.004+02:00

Afterwork evening paddle with Emil, starting from Huvudsta/Pampas through Karlbergskanalen down to the streams surrounding the Parlament buildings.. The "kayakers only" tunnel at the City Hall building was interesting.. Troughout the evening a light rain fell but it didn't matter much.. By the time we got back it was pretty dark..

Kayaking, Älgö-Ingaröfjärden, April 25th

2010-04-25T19:06:00.003+02:00

Half-day kayaking trip from Älgö down south-east on Ingaröfjärden.. Had company by another folding kayaker, Gustav with his Klepper.. Fairly sunny before noon, getting more cloudy in the afternoon, moderate winds from south-west..

Mtb, Green & Blue Trail, Hellas, April 18th

2010-04-25T18:55:00.002+02:00

Mtb ride in Hellas on the Green and Blue trails, together with 4 other guys from the Happymtb forum.. Nice spring weather on mostly dry rocks and roots, mixed with a couple of properly muddy sections.. Had a few OTB's but no major bruises.. Fairly swift pace with few longer stops except for when Ubu got a puncture and gear wrapped around the wheel at the same time..

Kayaking, Öland, April 2nd-4th

2010-04-04T18:46:00.006+02:00

Spent Eastern at Byxelkrok on Northern Öland and made two short kayaking trips, premiere for the season.. On the first day all of the ice was gone, but then it came back, blowing in from up north.. Pretty cool to navigate between fairly large chunks floating around and to paddle through fresh, thin ice from the night before..

Snowboarding, Åre, March 20-27th

2010-03-28T15:47:00.004+02:00

Snowboarding week in Åre, Jämtland.. Stayed in a cabin with brother Jon and a couple of his friends and altough most of the riding was in the ski slopes, we had a few days with nice offpist runs, on the backside of the Åre mountain and in Duved.. Was my first time on a board in 10 years but luckily the abilities quickly came back..

Mtb, Hellas, Stockholm, 9th of Jan

2010-01-09T22:26:00.004+01:00

A sunny cold winter morning in early January, about -14 C on the thermometer and we had plans for mountainbiking in the forrest areas around Hellas.. Turned out to be a great day with excellent trails with packed snow, not unbearably cold and of course a lunch stop for Gulasch soup.. We took a short section on the "Green" trail, another on the "Yellow" trail, and then a loop on the Sickla side before calling it a day..

Mtb, Hellas-Sörmlandsleden, 20th of Dec

2009-12-21T11:08:00.014+01:00

With Christmas just around the corner we headed out into the forrests south of Hellasgården and with the heavy snowfalls the last couple of days progress was slow and mostly by foot.. Great fun though, especially on the downhill sections.. Hoping for lots of fun mtb rides in 2010 as well!

MTB, Järvafältet, 12th of December

2009-12-13T16:45:00.004+01:00

A Saturday ride on Järvafältet with about a dozen people from the happymtb.org forum.. Sunny, temperature around zero, partially very muddy, and we visited a couple of really nice trail sections I hadn't seen before.. The biking ended (and started) at the Helénes Cafe at Bögs gård for Gulasch soup and plenty of coffee..

MTB, Haninge-Paradiset, 28th of November

2009-12-01T08:51:00.005+01:00

Happymtb-ride with 6 other guys in the Haninge-Paradiset area on Sörmlandsleden stage 5, Sameslingan and perhaps some other trail sections.. Rain fell hard in the morning before we started so roots, rocks and footbridges were quite slippery and the rest of the trails were quite muddy.. Great fun altough I was zapped of energy the last half-hour or so..

Mtb, Fornstigen, Lovön, 22nd of Nov

2009-11-22T20:34:00.004+01:00

Got out of bed at 0700 on a Sunday morning for the first longer ride on the new/rebuilt mountainbike.. At 0800 I left the parking lot at Drottningholm for the regular counter-clockwise lap on Fornstigen.. Many sections were quite muddy, and it was the sticky kind that makes progress hard, slow and twitchy.. Still a nice morning and the Single-Speed Hardtail with serviced fork felt reliable and nimble..

Cave Crawling, Klövbergsgrottan, Nov 15th

2009-11-15T20:51:00.005+01:00

Joined a group with the lady to get wet, dirty, bruised and cold; the activity is called cave crawling and the site was Klövbergsgrottan in Tyresö.. The place did not disappoint, with some 362 meters of tunnels and chambers, containing "spider rooms", "art rooms", sliding slippery slopes and various types of sharp rocks and stones and water dripping from the roofs.. In all, a great Sunday afternoon that was finished off with hot dogs on an open fire as darkness fell together with a soft rain..

Kayaking, Adelsö, Mälaren, October 18th

2009-10-19T10:38:00.006+02:00

Suberb conditions for late autumn kayaking in Lake Mälaren.. Paddled around Adelsö anti-clockwise together with Emil in about 6 hours with a lunch-stop half-way.. Mostly sunny and moderate winds, where we had shelter on the northbound sections and nice tails winds on the southbound section.. This late in the season there are hardly any disturbing motor boats, but one has to take care with the cold water temperatures..

Bouldering, Blue Grottos, Malta, 26th of Aug

2009-09-27T20:11:00.016+02:00

On Saturday afternoon after lunch, coffee and a brief siesta, Kalle and myself had a go at the very nice bouldering traverse that goes around the bay where boat rides takes off to Blue Grottos.. We were quite impressed by ourselves, as we made it the whole way around (took about 45 minutes) without any unplanned swimming despite disputable form due to a long-lasting social event the night before..

Freediving, Blue Grottos, Malta, 26th of Aug

2009-09-27T16:15:00.001+02:00

An awsome way to clear the head, freediving before noon for more than 1 hour at Blue Grottos.. Snorkeling our way past numerous fishing rods while avoiding getting run over by the tourist boats to the caves and back, and then later some laid back freediving in the harbour area.. Around 25 C in the water and mostly sunny..

Scuba Diving, Malta, August 23rd & 25th

2009-09-26T19:33:00.000+02:00

Back on Malta for work and some fun.. On Wednesday we headed over to Comino with the boat rolling on high waves, unusual weather for the season with lots of rain, wind and thunder.. Nicer weather on Friday and more cool dives.. Sites visited included Cominetto Reef, P31 Boat wreck (recently scuttled), Chirkawa Reef, Elephant Rock and the Fortizza Reef..

Roadtrip/Hiking, Jotunheimen, Norway, 28th-31st of August

2009-09-01T10:49:00.004+02:00

A roadtrip from Stockholm into Norway, around Jotunheimen, out to some fjords and then back again.. Most of the fantastic sceneries we saw from the car with frequent stops to take pictures.. But we also had time for some mini-hiking with tent camping high up in the Jotunheimen mountains where the rain had some company of both hail and snow.. (In late August!)

Kayak Surfing, Torö Stenstrand, Aug 17th

2009-08-17T10:29:00.005+02:00

Wind speed about 13 m/s, the pebble beach and the sea were filled with surfers, wind surfers and kite boarders, and I joined the fun in the big waves with my little Kahuna.. Caught a few waves that gave exciting surfs, had a few others flushing over me and a "swim session" when I lost concentration and eventually was thrown up on the beach in a rather un-stylish fashion..

Kayaking, Landsort, August 9th

2009-08-10T10:16:00.003+02:00

A half day paddle from Torö, heading south-east and then south along the eastern side of Landsort (Öja), with a lunch stop on the southern tip, and then back north and north-west towards Torö Stenstrand again.. Winds from south-south-east, 4-5 m/s..

Kayaking, Byrum, Öland

2009-07-31T13:54:00.006+02:00

Drove to Byrum's raukar on the north-western side of Öland to paddle for a few hours.. First headed south in head winds that made for slow and bouncy progress.. At the turning point there were nice and fairly big surf waves in which I played around for a bit before turning back north again, pushed forward in a brisk pace with tail winds..

Kayaking, Utö-Nåttarö, July 15th-17th

2009-07-17T12:42:00.007+02:00

A 2 1/2 day round-trip starting at Gruvbryggan after a ferry from Årsta.. Started with a south-westerly route in moderate head winds past Rånö's west side down to southern Nåttarö where I had the first tent camp.. Continued past Nåttaröhals the morning after, past Stora Björn and Storsand with nice tail winds.. At Hamnudden the winds from the side that bounced on the cliffs created rather choppy conditions.. Second tent camp on a small island north of Järnholmen, then I took the ferry back to Årsta on Friday morning..

Kayaking, Archipelago, July 11th-13th

2009-07-13T21:58:00.006+02:00

A 3 day paddle starting in Stavsnäs, heading south and south-east to Bullerö, then south and south-west round the southern tip of Nämdö and then back northbound again.. Winds from the south, at times fairly brisk, giving nice waves to try out the new blue Kahuna..

Hiking, Storulvån-Sylarna, July 1st-2nd

2009-07-06T15:29:00.006+02:00

A 2 day hike in Jämtlandsfjällen with the lady, from Storulvån to Sylarna and back, some 32 kilometres.. Very warm and sunny, luckily a mild breeze made it bearable.. we camped with nice views of "Templet", "Slottet and "Storsylen" pretty near the mountain station.. Mosquito-season in full force.. Sore feet were cooled in streams a few times..

Kayaking, Svärdsfjärden & Konabbsfjärden

2009-06-14T15:33:00.007+02:00

24 hour paddle in the southern archipelago, again with a loaner from Avanza in wait for my own Kahuna that will arrive within a few weeks.. on Saturday afternoon a loop up in Svärdsfjärden with early camp on the way back south on Kolguskär.. Dark skies but moderate wind.. Started to rain during the night with increasing wind.. On Sunday the wind was blowing from north-west at around 8-10 m/s, creating nice surfs on the way south-east.. Headed over to Konabbsfjärden for lee, rained a lot the whole day..

Kayaking, Northern Öland, May 22nd-23rd

2009-05-23T15:53:00.004+02:00

Two more half-day paddles on May 22nd and 23rd.. First one from Byxelkrok south to Byrums Raukar on the north-western side of Öland, second session on the north-eastern side of Öland from Böda hamn first south for a bit and then northbound up to the white sandy beaches..

Kayaking, Northern Öland, Sweden

2009-05-21T16:57:00.008+02:00

Half-day paddle on Northern Öland in a Feathercraft Big Kahuna borrowed from Avanza Kayak in Älvsjö for a possible purchase.. A light and nimble little kayak of a much higher quality than other foldables I've paddled previously.. Sunny but not hot pre-summer day with a breeze that picked up gradually and gave some moderate waves..

Kayaking, Northern Archipelago, Sweden

2009-05-17T21:25:00.005+02:00

Weekend paddle from Fejan in a north-eastern loop with two twin-seaters.. Sunny but fairly chilly.. Mellow pace between the rocky islands with plenty of time for eating and siestas.. Tent camp on high grounds with great views.. Didn't spot any seals but plenty of ferries..

Kayaking, Mälaren, Sweden, May 3rd

2009-05-04T12:44:00.005+02:00

With a delayed delivery of a new folding kayak and an urge to get back on the water, I headed to Pampas with Carin for a couple of hours of city-side paddling on lake Mälaren in a twin seater.. Tried my Greenland style paddle for the first time and it was nice altough the wide hull of this kayak got a bit in the way..

BMX, Gottsunda, Uppsala

2009-05-02T19:56:00.004+02:00

Old guy on big mountainbike on bmx track south of Uppsala.. More physically challenging than I had expected and in the beginning it felt like I was about to nose-dive after each jump, but I found the balance pretty quickly and it was loads of fun.. Not a single crash and the bike coped well so next time I'll push harder..

Mtb, Lunsen, Uppsala

2009-05-01T20:49:00.003+02:00

Joined a May first-ride in Uppsala with about 27 other cyclists from the Happymtb.org forum.. Sunny and warm pre-summer day with perfect conditions on mostly dry trails.. BBQ-stop at Torpet, and a laid-back finish along lake Mälaren.. Both myself and the bike made it through without any damages, unlike the last Lunsen-ride a few weeks back.. Mtb as good as it gets!

Rock Climbing, Vårdberget, Fituna

2009-04-26T20:06:00.004+02:00

Sunday afternoon climbing with Jon, Magnus and Fabian on Vårdberget southeast of Stockholm.. Had the feeling of an indoor climbing center minus the roof, lots of people, tighly stacked routes and mostly top roping on low grades.. But great weather and useful XP's..

Rock Climbing, Ekoberget, Nacka

2009-04-19T18:39:00.003+02:00

The wind was chilly, the rock was cold, and our climbing skills were crap.. But still, 2009 premiere for outdoor climbing on April 19th, and it was nice with the fresh air, a few cups of coffee between the rounds on Ekoberget, and we will only get better for sure..

Snowmobiling, Hotagen, Jämtland

2009-04-13T22:30:00.011+02:00

Motorized Eastern weekend in Hotagsfjällen with Daniel.. With slushy late spring snow and myself being the worst snowmobile rider I've ever seen, I got a fair workout from nailing pretty much every pool, hole and tree possible.. Between the weightlifting on various locations there was also time for lazying about in camp, sub-gourmet-cooking and a sniff or two on the cork..

Mtb, Lunsen, Uppsala

2009-04-04T18:05:00.011+02:00

Happyride in the Lunsen forrest area south of Uppsala, together with about 17 other mtb-cyclists.. First real spring ride with sun and blue skies, mostly dry trails but also muddy patches and some very icy bits, often covered with water on top = extremely slippery.. We started at "Plantskolan" and took a northern loop and arrived some hour later at Torpet for a long break.. After that we took another loop on the south side of Lunsen and then headed back towards the starting point.. I had a couple of proper crashes and some mechanical failures but still a superb day..

Cycling, Utö, Sweden

2009-03-21T19:53:00.003+01:00

Half-day ride with GF on the island Utö in the southern Stockholm archipelago.. We headed out with the ferry and then rode southbound on soft and slow gravel roads to a nice rock and sand beach for a coffee break.. Back north to Gruvbryggan for a delicious late lunch at Utö Wärdshus, some sight-seeing at the mines and the windmill with scenic views, and then back to the car at Årsta brygga..

Cyclecross on a wintery Northern Öland

2009-01-04T16:15:00.004+01:00

2 Days ago it was cold and windy, but with crisp and dry gravel roads.. I had plans for some fast hiking-trails but yesterday afternoon the white fluff started falling from the skies, and this morning it was a very different landscape.. Settled with a fairly short, about 30 kilometers, but still rather challenging ride on snowy roads.. Lots of fun! :-)

Cycling, North-Western Öland, 2nd of Jan

2009-01-03T10:24:00.002+01:00

First ride of the year, heading south from Byrums raukar on the North-Western side of Öland.. A few degrees below freezing point and a rather chilly north-western wind.. Followed scenic, winding gravel roads to Äleklinta and then turned north at Vannborga.. Back to the car via a pizzeria in Långerum, total distance aprox. 86 kilometres..

Mtb, Hellas, Stockholm, Nov 23rd

2008-11-24T07:43:00.006+01:00

Winter came early to Stockholm, and in full force.. Best to make good use of the snow before it melts away, so I went to Hellasgården with 3 other Happymtb riders and rode "Gröna spåret" and "Blå Spåret".. Progress was very slow in the challenging conditions but lots of fun..

Mtb, Järvafältet, Stockholm, Nov 2nd-08

2008-11-03T14:48:00.009+01:00

Half-day ride with 6 other from the Happymtb.org forum.. Very sunny but pretty cold, below zero in the shady places, so at times it was very slippery on icy spots, but at other places it was very slippery due to wet roots and rocks.. Loads of mud.. A few soft crashes but no damage.. Nice late lunch at Bögs gård..

Cyclocross, Järvafältet, Stockholm

2008-10-25T17:34:00.008+02:00

Started out the day with semislicks and the intention to do about 100 km's on asphalt, heading west from Solna out on "Mälaröarna".. But it was pretty boring so I turned back home at Drottningholm, had a quick lunch, switched to cross-tires, and drove to Säby Gård at Järvafältet.. Had a lot more fun there, racing on gravel and dirt roads, and exploring various trails and rocky areas.. Distance today was about 20 + 30 kilometres..

Cycling, Byxelkrok-Byrum, Öland

2008-09-27T12:04:00.012+02:00

Started from Byxelkrok at around 08.30 and headed south along the western coast, first on asphalt roads, then on gravel and later on sandy but untechnical hiking trails.. I had planned to go much further south, but at Byrum I discovered that my rear wheel had become seriously askew so I limped back the fastest route and the distance covered was only 36km..

Cycling, Alvaret, Öland, Oct-25th

2008-09-26T08:20:00.003+02:00

A half-day road trip around Alvaret at the southern part of Öland.. Started close to Skogsby, headed south to Resmo, then east over Alvaret to Stenåsa where I took a break at the sea.. Continued south past Seby and then headed west over Alvaret again to Möckleby.. Then north back towards Skogsby, with a stop at a café and a hill with a scenic view on the way.. Total distance was 102 kilometres..

Mtb, Blå Spåret, Hellas, Sweden

2008-09-13T18:43:00.011+02:00

A Saturday ride with my brother on "Blå Spåret", starting from Hellasgården, heading east, taking a lunch break and than going back the same way.. Superb, fairly techical trail with perfect mix of rock surfs, root fests, mud madness and short but challenging ascends and descends.. We started at around 10.30 and was back at the cars about 3 hours later..

Happy BBQ ride, Hammarby-Rudan, Aug-30

2008-08-31T08:22:00.014+02:00

A Saturday ride with close to 30 people from the Happymtb.org forum, starting at Hammarbybacken in Stockholm, following Sörmlandsleden section 1-4 past Alby friluftsgård and Tyresta to Rudan in Haninge.. Great weather, probably one of the very last summer days.. Varied mix of trails with plenty of roots and stones, short sections on gravel or asphalt, some pretty steep and hilly sections, and a few really nice "rock surfs" with a nice flow.. We finished off with a with a nice BBQ in Rudan, a great day!

Kayaking, Stockholm Archipelago, Sweden

2008-08-24T20:09:00.006+02:00

A Sunday half-day paddle with Daniel in the northern part of the archipelago, starting at Vettershagasundet, heading east and north-east past Nämmarö, Stor-Andö, lunch on Ekholmen, then north past Ängsö and then back west and south-west.. Perfect conditions with a 3-5 m/s wind, 19-21C, sunny to fairly cloudy..

Mtb, Jämtlandsfjällen, 1st-4th of August

2008-08-07T11:35:00.002+02:00

Another ride in Jämtlandsfjällen, this time with entry from the south side, Kläppen in Ljungdalen.. The rough plan was to head north-west past Sylarna and then head west into Norway, south again and then follow Sylsjön back towards Helags and then return to the car.. But the weather turned pretty bad, loads of rain and fairly windy, and at Sylarna the back tyre ripped apart by sharp rocks, and I didn't have a spare tyre, only patches and an extra tube.. So I had to walk back to Kläppen with the unusable bike, some 32 kilometres.. Still a nice weekend though..

Kayaking, Öland, 29th of July

2008-07-30T09:51:00.003+02:00

A sunset paddle on a very calm sea at the north-western side of Öland from Byxelkrok to the "raukar" (erosion shaped rocks) at Byrum.. After about 2 hours I arrived at destination just on time to join the crowds at the raukar to see the sun drop below the horizon..

Kayaking, Northern Öland, 25th of July

2008-07-26T10:44:00.005+02:00

A morning paddle from the "Tall Erik" lighthouse at the northern tip of Öland, southbound along the western coast to Hagskog via Byxelkrok.. About 15 kilometres, it took about 2 hours including a short stop, I was assisted by waves and wind coming in from the rear right.. Really nice conditions and very sunny..

Mtb, Jämtlandsfjällen, 19th-22nd of July

2008-07-23T13:26:00.002+02:00

A long weekend ride in Jämtlandsfjällen, Saturday to Tuesday.. Brought rather spartan camping gear that to some extent dictated route selection as the weather was mixed with some wind and rain.. Started in Storulvån in the late afternoon, first camp south of Blåhammaren, continued towards Sylarna via Enkälen, second camp at Långtjärnen.. On the third day I rode on towards Gåsån mountain station via Storforsen but turned back north when the weather took a turn for worse.. Third camp close to the Gåsån shelter. On the forth day I rode back to Storulvån, finishing the ride at around noon..

Rock Climbing, Ekoberget, Saturday 12th of July

2008-07-13T23:34:00.005+02:00

Saturday climbing session at Ekoberget.. Teamed up with Mats who is quite experienced so he led most of the trad and sport routes and I followed as second, except for a bolted one that I led in the end of the day.. Pretty challenging for me so good training and really fun..

Kayak Training Session, Torö, Sweden

2008-07-06T22:55:00.007+02:00

Spent a few hours on Sunday at Torö Stenstrand, practicing self-rescue techniques, support strokes, paddle float assisted re-entry, paddle float assisted eskimo rolls etc.. And my lady got to do some trial paddles along the beach as well.. Will do more of this, hoping for warmer water and sunnier weather next time..

Rock Climbing, Ekoberget, Sweden

2008-06-13T22:39:00.003+02:00

An afterwork rock climbing session with my brother at Ekoberget, southeast of Stockholm.. I first lead a sportsclimbing route that is supposed to be pretty easy but I still got a bit of the "Elvis" shakes in my legs and was pretty pumped.. Still so much to learn, and form is bad after colds and lack of training.. Anyways, great evening, after I topped out the first time, we did that route and the one to the left of it a few times top-rope style and then we were done..

Kayaking, Torö, Sweden

2008-06-08T22:54:00.004+02:00

Sunday paddle from Torö Stenstrand eastbound past Ankarudden and then north.. Lunch stop on a rock cliff with scenic views over the summery southern archipelago.. The wind had picked up a bit during the day so when I came back along the pebble beach, the waves flushed over myself and the kayak from the side, giving pretty challenging conditions.. But on a sunny hot day like this it was refreshing..

UW photography, Ghar Lapsi, Malta, 31st of May

2008-06-01T19:29:00.006+02:00

Playing a bit with the water proof pocket camera, while spending a day of lazy sunbathing at Ghar Lapsi on the south side of Malta.. Found a few small jelly fishes even though its still early in the season.. They look harmless but can give pretty bad burns.. The silvery fishes swam around at ankle depht in this little lagoon with clear water..

Scuba Diving, Malta, 29-30th of May

2008-06-01T18:47:00.004+02:00

Spent a long weekend on Malta and had time for 2 nice days of scuba diving.. On Thursday we first went to the Imperial Eagle, a scuttled wooden ferry at 40+ meters depht outside of Qawra point.. On the way back to the anchor line we also went past the huge Jesus statue.. Windy day with choppy seas, I was pretty seasick on the way back from the first dive.. Second dive on Thursday was on the Fortizza Reef outside of Sliema, a grassy canyon seascape with some nice swim-throughs.. On Friday we went to the Marsascala Reef and then to a tug boat called St Michael which was pretty cool although we didn't see much fish and I got pretty cold..

Kayaking, Svärdsfjärden, Sweden

2008-05-25T20:34:00.004+02:00

Premiere for the kayak season! Later in the year than expected, but when going out solo I avoid too cold water together with windy conditions.. Half-day ride from Torö Stenstrand, heading north on Svärdsfjärden.. Sunny and calm seas, great early summer weather.. Saw plenty of bird-life, including dozens of swans, and an eagle.. Had a quick lunch on a little rock island before heading back south.. The "wavy" self-portrait is taken from under water, playing a bit with my adventure-safe camera..

Mtb, Lunsen, Uppsala

2008-05-11T11:00:00.003+02:00

Half-day ride in Lunsen, Uppsala, with 4 people from the Happymtb.org forum.. Warm and sunny, maybe up towards 25 C the last hours.. This forrest area is amazing for cross-country mountainbiking, must be the best or one of the best in Sweden, at least if you appriciate fairly technical trails rather than fast ones..