Journal
Man on the Snow - Oslo to Nordkapp by fair means
Haugastøl again. Some places' attraction is beyond logic. Why am I here again? I had to start from Oslo. Oslo is a town. People wear a mask like all the towns. I could not listen to the wind in Oslo. No silence.
For the ones asking me about the weather here.. now, 14:59, temp is -8.8 C°. This morning at 6:35 it was -21C°. Almost no wind.
This is the Haugastøl live weather page.
Back to Oslo to get stuff, for a few days, then again here with the Lavvu tent, finally arrived, to prepare the departure. Still so many clothes have not arrived. I can't start without that very important part of equipment. The Norwegian custom is very severe. And some of my partners told me that their products left weeks ago. I don't understand. No mail, notice...Nothing! This delay is a problem. In Oslo no snow and rain for the next days.
In Haugastøl snow is not missing luckily. Take care.
In Italy it seems that another clown will play with the circus.
Its funny how before the start of all my projects it seems that I'll be never going to make it and that everything is out of place. But, simply, everything is at the right place. That's simply travelling alone and doing things with very little.
I was talking here with a polar guide about the costs of Antartica expeditions. In terms of money and enviromental impact (see how to get there). I have some personal opinions but I keep them for me.
Haugastøl, 60°30′43″N 07°51′46″E
Very briefly a new post to keep you updated....
The days of Oslo have gone faster. The city is very nice and well organized.
I was in the company of Sondre and Sara who helped me to get the Lavvu tent that is still in customs.
As well as many other gears of our partners.
I'm stuck before of custom.
I am now at Haugastøl, where there is the largest high-altitude plateau in Europe.
Although the high altitude is related to the characteristic climatic and geographical, considered that the maximum quote in the area reaches barely 2000 meters. Even at 1000 meters here, over the 60th parallel North, there are the conditions that in the Alps are located above 2000 meters.
I'm here to learn how to use the two snowkites that Ozone has given me.
Ronja Havelin is a fantastic instructor working for Fluid and she is teaching me how to use the wind with a fabric wing. This idea fascinates me as well as for many years I am fascinated by doing it at sea. Wind and water in different physical states! And move without polluting.
I arrived here by train leaving in Olso the pulka to wait for all materials. I had a funny mishap. The train left at 23:23 and arrived from Oslo to Haugastøl at 3:44. Used (and very sleepy...) trains southern europe and even though I woke up missing exactly 10 minutes on arrival I was knocked out of the train stops thinking that two neighboring stopsin a sparsely populated area were rather unlikely. Wrong! Just 15 km from Haugastol we, me and Sandro, luckily found the station of Ustaoset covered and heated and waited for the morning. The kind owner of the Haugastol 1000 we came to take.
Should I leave at Nordkapp around 18, if it comes snow. If not I leave from here.
Here is a dream and I'll tell you why in the next post. Snow is not missing, not cold and wind.
Tussen Takk and hugs from the beautiful North.
Arrived Oslo* from Port de Pollença, Mallorca, travelling 3000 km using only public transportation, a bike, my legs and three roadshared passages.
Now I am starting a trip of 3000 km using my legs, skis, a snowkite, snowshoes and a bike maybe, if no snow.
*Port de Pollença > Palma, Barcellona > Figueras > Montpellier > Arles > Ginevra > Bern > Zurich > Bregenz > Sheidegg > Munich > Copenhagen > Malmö > Göteborg > Borås > Oslo
And back by boat and public transportation or and roadsharing.
p.s.: Before leaving, I'm going to Haugastøl to learn how to use snowkite. Going there by train. Maybe leaving from there. I wanted to go by skis but still many things from our partners did not arrived here.
From Monaco has only been six days but already seems like a lifetime .
The journey of 3000 km from Port de Pollença already gave me so much. I have seen new products and interesting ISPO, the largest fair in the world of Outdoor, and, some of these products we will test them on the field.
Among our partners there are some companies that have invested in an ethic of sustainability. And they do it really. Recycled fabrics from fishing nets , power stations that will allow me to be independent, natural fabrics, such as curtains Lavvu that I will use .
After Monaco I got a passage from my friend Sandro but...southbound and while I was there I took the opportunity to say goodbye to my parents in Venice.
Then again to the north and the journey to Oslo led me to Malmö, the most sustainable city in Europe and Borås where I was invited by Emiliano Pinori, PhD Scientist at SP Science and Tech. Institute of Sweden. I visited their laboratories where they test products that will reduce much our impact on this planet. Unfortunately I could not shoot because it was forbidden. From algae they are obtaining polymers to replace plastics derived from petroleum. Plastics which can then be disposed as an organic product and with the same characteristics of the traditional.
Emiliano has developed an antifouling which reduces the impact on the environment while maintaining the same features, or improving them. The project is called LEAF (low emission antifouling). Thanks to Yukka, Emma, and all researchers who work at SP Boras.
Although the press conference was organized by them. The warmth of Emiliano and its availability have made me feel at home.
Then travel to Gothenburg, water city and very, very beautiful. I cycled with my bike Sandwich and I unfortunately had to leave her there. After several trips by train from Copenhagen to Malmö and then by Boras and Göthenburg to return at the time of taking the bus to Oslo I was told that I had to pack it and take it apart. I did not have the time. So I left it to Maria to the store where Houdini will be loved. Hodini will be our partner. They made a line of clothing from recycled polyester as well as merino wool garments. Cool!
The pulka arrived in Oslo thanks to the angels of the CMM and On-site group Goran, Markus Christen, Susann and before all of Pär Klattermusen.
I'm very tired and I'm already in love with Scandinavia. For the moment it is not cold, -3 C°. Little snow, even if it's snowing everywhere she goes a bit and the light starts to be a lot .
Now a week of being Snowkite to avoid to kill me .
For Haugastol, on a plateau at 4 hours by train from Oslo. Best snowkite school in Europe.
Tusen Takk
Leaving Göteborg. Gotha canal.
Interview today on Sveriges Radio Thanks to Emiliano Pinori and SP
Today last day at Ispo. A lot of friends. Received a lot of gift and great products. Solar panel within a waterproof bag from O-range, a beautiful knittted rainbow hat, a fantastic pair of merinos socks, and a sole made with the waste of wool working a silk and cotton hat from Houdini, a passage to Malmö from a serie of magical meetings all of them bringing me something needed and apparently so difficult. Smiles and working very hard. Talking, pulling the pulk all around, hundred of meeting. Thanks to everybody. On the way to Malmo tomorrow. Pulk and bike got a free passage and I need to go by train or find a passage.
Be snow!
p.s.: I am sorry my friends, for a few days I will be travelling on the way to Oslo and might be difficult to update the blog.
Many thanks to Göran Magnusson from
On-Site Exhibitions AB.
An other angel helping the Man on the Snow project.
He gave me a free passage for the pulk and the bike to Malmö. Gift Economy's miracles.
Man on the snow, Oslo to Nordkapp by fair means is a project to travel by ski in a sustainable way from Oslo to Nordkapp, across Norway, Sweden and Finland in the period from late January 2014 to May 2014, to film a documentary, the first of a serie, to research the possible ways of dealing positively with nature analyzing the increasing and long terms effect impact of the winter tourism.
, Norway
