The times they are a-changin'

Turning a corner. Not quickly, with G-forces trying to snap your neck, but slowly, almost unperceivable movement. Incrementally every day. The one hour leap forward of Daylight Saving has been the only jolt on the long sweeping clockwise bend into spring as the earth tilts once again in favour of the those of us in the northern hemisphere.

For those of us even higher on the earths surface this turn is still way off pining the apex. On Sunday we visited the Arboretum, out on the rocky coast, south of the city and dreamed of summer evenings, swimming in the fjords. Flowers were starting to brave the nippy air and the extra hour meant that it stays light here until 8.30p.m. already.

Sunday lunch consisted of garage forecourt hotdogs and a 5km long detour to eat them that took us quickly into a landscape 500m above sea level that is till very much in the grips of winter, reluctant to let go, but letting go it is. Winter's grip on the landscape is slipping, it's hold on the mountains greased by snow-melt.

Keen Targhee II Mid boot review

PLEASE NOTE: Due to popular demand (i.e. - both my readers asked for it) I've decided to start adding a few gear reviews now that I feel more confident in knowing what works for me when I'm out in the hills. And that brings me to my first point: these are just my thoughts on stuff. I'm happy to concede that there are plenty more people out there with WAY more experience than me, who are possibly more objective and more knowledgeable in this field than I, who you should definitely listen to more than me. But hey, this is the beauty of the internet/blog/cyberspace democracy: we can all have a voice and add our two cents/penny/kroner (although the Norwegian Kroner is worth roughly 10p so does my opinion carry more weight?!). Anyway, I digress. These are my views/experiences/opinions. Treat them like a portion of hot, greasy chips... with a large pinch of salt.

I chose to review my Keen Targhee II Mid boots for two reasons: firstly, a pair of 'walking boots' is probably the first piece of kit that anyone taking up hill walking/hiking/backpacking/trekking buys and secondly, my Keens have let me down and when your footwear lets you down on the hill you know about it. Every step of the way.

I can remember seeing my father's big chunky leather hiking boots in our house from a very early age, sometimes stuffed with newspaper and often lovingly cared for with frequent applications of some magical waxy goo he kept in a tin. It's probably where my fascination with 'technical' footwear started and every hobby I've had since has required me to have the specialist footwear to go with it. I spent most of the first half of my life on bikes of some description, mountain bikes, road bikes, bmx. They all have their own necessary footwear and I've had all the shoes to go with each discipline. I've nearly always had a pair of 'hiking boots' though. Sometimes not used for a year or so but always there if I should need them. After destroying my knee twice in quick succession, falling off my bmx and the subsequent re-constructive surgery I was advised by my physio to get some walking done, on rough ground, to get my knee used to changes in level. So I did a little research on what to buy and ended up reading a lot about lightweight hiking and backpacking and it seemed to suit my need to be outdoors, physically active and with minimal impact on my convalescing knee.

Anyway, this is a long winded way of saying I ended up choosing the Keen Targhee II Mid boots. The wide toebox suited my slightly wide forefoot and the mid height collar was perfect as I have some weird nerve on the outside of my right ankle bone that can't stand much contact. They were fairly lightweight, waterproof and tough looking. Everything I thought I needed in year round footwear in the hills and mountains. And they were to start with. The big chunky toe bumper gave me the confidence to crash through rocky paths and the tough leather bits protected my foot. They were also a lot lighter and more flexible than the other boots I saw in the shops. Come rain or shine I knew I would have dry feet with the eVENT waterproof/breathable lining. However, after moving to Norway last year and wearing them on a weekly basis I started to notice a drawback. The eVENT waterproof lining wasn't keeping my feet dry in the summer, it was making them sweat. After more reading on the lightweight ethos I switched to light, unlined, quick drying trail running shoes in the summer and never looked back. My Keens were subbed off early in the game and had to wait until the second half of the season before they came on like an impact player from the bench.

Winter arrived on the west coast of Norway and it snowed a lot in between the rain and hail. The hills became wet AND cold and whilst my trail running shoes were fine for short, sharp sessions in the hills, on longer jaunts they left my feet cold. Sensing the right time for a change in tactics the Keens stripped off their tracksuit and began warming up. Out in the snow and slush they kept my feet warmer and dryer. That was until water got in over the top or wicked into the lining through my troos. Then they became wet inside and took forever to dry out (days in fact, on the floor of my bathroom with underfloor heating...). Wearing gaiters and/or waterproof over-troos sorted that problem but then I noticed another issue. As I started making my way higher up the hills and mountains the somewhat shallow grip began to cause me several heart-in-mouth moments, often on terrain and in conditions no where near crampon-necessary. Hmmmm, I was starting to have doubts about my Keens. They were still really comfortable and light but they gave me no confidence on anything steeper than a moderate gradient. Then the straw that broke the Camelback's back. They sprung a leak. My right boot would fill up with cold water within half an hour of leaving home.

That was it. That was the moment when I decided that these boots were not working for me. Yes, they are super comfortable and light (for leather boots) but that isn't the whole equation. Boots need to be grippy too. How much depends on your location and ground conditions but out here the Keens don't measure up. My ultra light and thin Inov-8 trail runners were WAY more grippy. Even my Salomon trail runners, with their infamous not-quite-grippy-enough tread offered more purchase when the ground was moist.

The subject of waterproof/breathable linings is a whole other matter. I'm used to getting wet feet in the summer in unlined footwear, safe in the knowledge that unlined footwear drains and dries faster and with good socks you're feet are perfectly capable of surviving being a bit damp. In winter, especially in cold, slushy conditions, I still believe a waterproof/breathable layer on my feet can improve long term comfort. I may try another brand of lined boots next year, I will definitely be trying Rocky Gore Tex Socks in unlined footwear in the spring and I know the waterproof/breathable lining can fail (or work) in any footwear (my girlfriend's ten year old Berghaus boots are still watertight). In conclusion: the Keen Targhee II Mids, despite promising much in the early days, haven't lived up to my expectations. Springing a leak could have happened in any brand of lined boots but the leak, coupled with the poor grip in the conditions I use them in have necessitated me to not only drop them to the reserve team (walking to work duties) but I'm also considering ending their career early in the Salvation Army clothes recycling bin.

Active convalescence

 

We were lucky enough to be loaned a car for the weekend again but with M's bad knee and my lingering man-flu going out into the mountains was never discussed. Instead we decided to do some exploring of the surrounding areas outside Bergen, particularly the island of Sotra, with it's rocky demeanour and hill fort, where Sea Eagles have recently been seen flying. It was beautiful weather and insulated from the cold, ensconced in the car, it felt almost like summer.

On the way home we called in at another place that we'd been told to visit, Fantoft stave church, originally built in the 12th century, moved to it's current location and recently rebuilt. It had a real Black Sabbath album cover feel about it, especially in the wintery sunshine, under leafless trees. Unfortunately it was shut until next month and surrounded by chain link fence. Security cameras keep watch on this previous target of Norwegian black metal musicians.

My bestest day at skool

 

"Would you be able to work on Friday? We have a school skiing trip to Kvamskogen and we need another member of staff to look after the one kid who wants to go cross country skiing. Do you think you could help out?"

Despite my heavy cold I managed "Let-me-think-about-that-for-a-minute-YES".

Can you believe I get paid for this?!

Up, down and around

This weekend away in Geilo was booked months ago. A cabin in the resort housing 1 American, 1 Lithuanian, 1 Scot, 1 token Norwegian, 1 Norwegian/English cocktail, 5 Full English Breakfasts and a Geordie. 2 days of skiing and snowboarding and a night to remember around the table playing drinking games with Lithuanian vodka and Jagermeister.

Unfortunately M wasn't able to join in the snowy fun due to her dicky knee so she stayed behind in the cabin and whilst the rest headed for the very necessary cash machine and queues at the ski pass office and lift stations, myself, Steve and Catherine, headed into the backcountry to get away from it all.

On the first day we had an inauspicious start when we gained a lot of altitude very early on only to find ourselves having to lose it even quicker by walking down the side of a black ski run. We eventually found a great 10km loop on an undulating but perfectly groomed trail around a lake. The sun was so hot Catherine was forced to ski in just her long johns and gloves were removed only for us all to suffer with sore hands and blisters later, despite some M*A*S*H field hospital duct tape wound dressing. We built a snowy laz-e-boy recliner for lunch with my shovel and Catherine broke out the homemade banana bread stuffed with fruit and nuts. We took another loopy route back to the cabin across yet another lake and found ourselves skiing around a biathlon arena.

After picking up the alpiners from a noisy bar in town we all sat down to a huge pot of bolognese and pasta before settling in for the night telling stories and playing drinking games until the food, drink, stove heat and exercise all took their toll and everyone drifted off to bed at a very rock'n'roll 11pm.

We sleep Norway-style these days. Fat duvets and open windows. It was 8C in the bedroom in the morning and I awoke feeling just a little bit fuzzy around the edges. After almost filling the recycling bin with last night's empty bottles and cooking up some porridge those of us feeling up to it headed out for Day Two. Cross Country Team did another Up, Down and Around, this time on the other side of the valley. The highlight was watching the Snowcat roll past our high lunch stop and being able to lock into fresh cut Nordic tracks and ride the roller-coaster trail back down the mountain.

We were chased back to the cabin by bad weather closing in down the valley and the car drivers were keen to get moving a.s.a.f.p. as there was the real possibility of getting caught if the mountain roads were shut. On the way home, driving through the worst road conditions I've ever seen, we were held in a tunnel for over an hour. We waited for a snowstorm to pass then we followed a snow-plow in convoy, 18km at 10mph, bumper-to-bumper. At the first service station we pulled over, racked with hunger, and devoured guilt-free cheeseburger and chips, with hot-dogs for desert.

So kiss me, I'm shitfaced

St Patrick's Day. Daisey's. Legendary times in 'our' pub in my home town. I'll miss it for sure. Have a Guinness for me lads.

Good times, bad times, you know I've had my share

It's been a busy week with plenty of hours available at work including some very rewarding work with a severely autistic child and I'm also looking after Hop Along Cassidy at home who is still confined to quarters. Luckily I was allowed a day off for good behaviour so I headed off into the mountains to scope out some possible sites for trying out my shiny new Laser Comp in the next couple of weeks (next weekend is out due to a weekend's cross country skiing way out east).

There's a real feel of spring in the air as you trawl through the outdoor blogs at the moment and here is no exception despite the stubborn snow above 400m. The snow is getting slushy underfoot and with daytime temps around 9C I doubt it will be around for long, certainly not here on the coast. It's getting easier moving around in the hills with the receding snow pack and as much as it's fun to rediscover familiar trails when the snow arrives it's just as refreshing to rediscover the hills as the snow retreats.

Not many people about today and a poor weather forecast was probably to blame for that as I sweated out my Powerstretch top in the Spring-like conditions. Once up onto the plateau however the wind picked up a windproof was needed to keep the chill at bay.

As fun as it was to be up in the clouds I was concerned that it felt a bit wet in my right boot, sodden in fact. There's been a couple of times recently that my sock has felt damp after wearing my Keen Targhee II's but today it was definitely a lot worse. Still, my wool socks kept me warm as long as I kept moving along, following the metal marker poles through the pea soup.

I stopped for lunch under the enormous telecommunications tower at the Ulriken cable car station. It was good to get out of the wind, have a couple of cheese sandwiches, some Danish marzipan and a warm coffee. I swapped my wet socks for fresh ones and awarded myself points for always carrying a spare pair, the feeling of dry socks is priceless on days like these.

I sent M a text to say I'd be home in a few hours and headed into the teeth of the wind and then down the rock step path below the cable car station. It was slippery underfoot and I cursed my boots less-than-stellar grip. First wet feet, then sending me flailing down the mountain side. I can see some shopping coming on.

On the way home I checked out one of the spots I intend to try camping at, marked it on my map then headed back down below the snow and into the forest. The clouds were starting to build up and M was probably getting hungry so I beat a hasty retreat, my right foot squelching with every step.

"MEDIC!"

After such a good time on Friday we looked forward to another days skiing in the mountains on Sunday when we were lucky enough to be lent a car again. This time we took some friends with us who also enjoy being out in the mountains and who are also new to cross country skiing so no-one was going to get left behind!

We arrived at Kvamskogen again and set off up the trail in a mix of hail showers and snow, broken up by periods of warm sunshine that threatened to boil those of us who were wearing waterproofs from head to foot! There were less people about today as the Winter Break came to an end and families were leaving their cabins, effortlessly whizzing down towards the carparks with full rucksacks, casually careering past, one-handed, with ski poles in one hand and bags of rubbish in the other.

Near the top of the trail we sheltered behind a small hill, out of the cruel wind that tore at the crusty snow and dug a snow bench, using the skis first as shovels then as planks to put our sit mats on. There we poured warm coffees and scoured the map for a suitable circular route. We'd already reached the high point of Friday's adventure so we planned to go further up the hill, over the back of the resort and along the ridge at the top of the alpine lift.

To get warmed up after our stop we marched straight up the highest and steepest point of the marked trails and we were immediately faced by a sharp, steep, twisty decent. Some of us managed it down safely on the waffer thin skis whilst some of us decided it was better to 'live to fight another day' and snapped out of the bindings and walked down. M, fresh from her victorious and confidence-building exploits of Friday decided to give it a go and a couple of corners later came a cropper and fell awkwardly. Mummy's little soldier didn't let a little fall stop her and gallantly carried on the rest of the day in some pain which was later diagnosed by a doctor as a ruptured cruciate ligament in her left knee.

M's injury took a bit of the shine off the rest of the day which was ended up being long and tiring as the trail snaked across the ridge and slowly zigzagged back down to the resort but we enjoyed some stunning views of the Hardanger mountains and fjord. We stopped again on the way down, disturbing a winter plumage ptarmigan and building another snow bench where we scoffed chocolate peanuts. Those of us that managed to stay injury free gained even more confidence with the technical side of the skiing and plans for a couple more trips before the season closes were made. M was upbeat and determined in the face of several weeks of rest and possibly longer doing physiotherapy. The need for a surgical intervention is slight but never-the-less worrying. As I've already undergone knee reconstruction several years ago I know how she must be feeling. She'll be back though and is already talking about her comeback session in the mountains.

You gotta get up to get down

Had an awesome day in the mountains about an hour east of Bergen. We drove to a ski resort called Kvamskogen which has several lifts and alpine slopes and 60 km of prepared Nordic trails snaking off into the hills. When you get to the end of the prepared trails? Well the mountains just keep going and we spent the day exploring on our cross country skis. We found a deserted hill to practice our downhill skills and after 2 hours of going up and down the same hill we felt we'd learned a lot, gained a lot of confidence and had a fantastic afternoon in pretty wet heavy snow conditions. We even managed to make it all the way back down to the resort without falling once. A record. The borrowed car had to go back this evening... but there is a chance of more skiing on Sunday, if we can recover from tomorrow's planned hike up our backyard mountain with some friends. Weather forecast: Ugly.

The Art of Carbo-Loading - Scandinavia Style

We've been lent a car for 24 hours so a quick wish list was drawn up of where we could go with wheels for once. IKEA and skiing were top of our lists. In the evening we went to the land of semi-disposable Swedish furniture primarily to partake in two great traditions: the Swedish Meatballs for me (Large portion obviously - 23 meatballs, 4 spuds, cranberry sauce and gravy) and the more local dish - raspeboller (dumplings) for M. Served with a hunk of pork, a sausage, creamed kohlrabi and bacon bits fried in bacon fat. Fuel tank full.

Right, who wants to go camping!

Guess who got a proper tent at last!

Warning: may contain shot

 

Schools is out for 'winter break' so I spent a long cold, wet day in the hills. I stopped halfway round in the shelter of a massive boulder to heat up one of those 'Look What We Found' meals that I was given as a Christmas stocking filler. Wild Rabbit in Leek and Elderflower sauce with Camargue rice. Lightweight it may not have been but boy was it tasty.