Sunday 23 May 2010

Got wood?

Another little local adventure. New trails, a new view, with new toys. Three hours of hot, sticky climbing after work took me over the other side, into pastures new. A different part of the city glowed below.

I gambled on cooking over wood above the tree-line and beat the house with a pocket full of birch bark and some foraging for dead twigs. I had one esbit up my sleeve though. Just in case. Lying in the soft, warm heather, sharing my attention between the sunset and the fire, I ran out of time doing very little. The embers of the sunset burned way past midnight.

In the morning I was chased out of town by low cloud that pursued me to the city limits. I packed up quick but the cloud was quicker.

I found refuge on higher ground for six hours of quiet wandering but in the end I had to go home. Down into the murk. Into the rain.

Only a few days until Sweden. All of a sudden it's just around the corner. There is still much to do.

"Woe to you oh Earth and Sea for the Devil sends his beast with wrath and he knows time is short"

14 comments:

Nielsen Brown said...

Wonderful photos, great story, look forward to seeing the stove later in the week.

James Boulter said...

Oh to be able to walk into hills like that from my house.......

Unknown said...

Looks good with wood!

Joe Newton said...

Roger - thank you. It will be good to stack the stoves against each other. No doubt the DX will be under-gunned against the BBU and Ti-Tri but I like it's simplicity.

James - I'm a very lucky boy I know.

Dave - it was behaving itself in this photo. When I do a review of the DX after Sweden I'll include a photo of a rather alarming flare up! I wouldn't us it in a tent, that's for sure!

Unknown said...

Flare up with wood or spirit?

Joe Newton said...

Dave - I was using wood. Not so much of a true flare up, just a bit unruly! I'll get better at controlling the flame the more I use it.

Anonymous said...

Looks like a great, short sharp blast into the hills. I'm formulating a plan to get myself out soon, it's been too long!

Joe Newton said...

Fraser - it was a fantastic 20 hours away from home where I was never more than 3 hours from my front door! Glad my little trip inspired. Get out there!

Thomas W. Gauperaa said...

Great photos! they inspire me to get into serious photography again :). We have to go hiking together sometime when I'm Bergen visiting my father and brother.

Joe Newton said...

Thomas - You're too kind! It's just point-and-shoot photography with the emphasis on 'shoot lots of photos and keep the best'! That and a little work in Picasa when I get home.

Very true. We will organise some backpacking trips this summer. Maybe one in Bergen, one in Oslo and possibly something 'bigger' in the mountains in between?

Roger said...

Great photos! And I'm glad you liked the DX. Pretty nice stove.
I was very satisfied with as well during my weekend trip. Strange feeling to bring most of your fuel home again. Used to use every single drop for a weekend trip like mine. Did you use any wind shield?
Roger

Joe Newton said...

Roger - The only fuel I carried was a single Esbit @ 15g. It would have been enough for a hot meal and drink but I was glad I managed to find enough dry wood to boil up enough water for two meals and three drinks. It won't be so easy in Sweden and the little DX will really be put through it's paces with the wet and cold we might experience.

No wind-shield. I have seen a few people make little mods to theirs to increase efficiency in the wind but there was only a gentle breeze on that particular night, despite the exposed camp spot.

Roger said...

Aha. Good start to try the setup that way. Did you try it with Esbit. Curious abt that. Especially in "stealthy conditions". And good as back up.
Did use my DX with a simple windshield of alu foil. A little bit windy on the rocks of Hovs hallar close to the sea.

Joe Newton said...

Roger - no, not tried with Esbit yet but I will in Sweden. Mt favourite type of wind-shield is a big rock!