Haugastøl 2 - Should I stay or should I go!?

Travellers end, travels never end.
J. Saramago

Haugastøl, Norway same latitude, same longitude.

Inside my Lavvu (the tipi-like Sami tent) is warmer than outside and the wind a solid presence flapping the thin cotton wall. But outside is howling, roaring sometimes. The snow is accumulating and come inside the Lavvu. And the snow flakes re gently falling on the stove, evaporating instantly. The three states of water in less than one second.

My project too is changing, is evaporating or simply changing state? 

Finally the skins (something you glue under your skis to be able to climb a steep hill or mountain without retrocede) they arrived. Wonderful Pomoca skins 100% mohair. Also I got the wool jacket from Triple 2, so warm and waterproof and the Soulra Rugged Rukus solar charger which is also a bluetooth speaker.

Getting a pair of ski skins and I' ve lost some grams of my skin. During a skied trip to Tuva Hytte I skied for totally 23 km with some rented boot, trying to go lighter and these bots simply ate my heel's skin. Some infection came. So I am stuck again in this little paradise called Haugastøl.

Eulalia Valldosera, very well known international artist, came to visit me. She is a very important part of the project as you can read in the previous post.

I talked a lot with her about my doubts, my mistakes in organizing a trip so quickly and I came to the conclusion that it is better to move, like I made with Volta Mallorca too (and it's three…) to the next year the project. 

And now I tell you the reasons.

Here I met Carl Alvey, a well known and experienced polar expeditions guide. He was training two young New Zealanders, Josh and Zac Lyon,( Four Caps Expedition) preparing their polar skied and kited expedition. He was very hard and sincere expressing his opinion about my tent, my pulka and some gear. And he knows what is talking about.  He made 4 Antartica expeditions and 9 Greenland crossing, to say nothing about his Hymalaya experiences and Alps expeditions.

Basically weight is the problem. The Lavvu is a wonderful tent, and I am experiencing the comfort of its cotton walls, the possibility of bulding an open fire or lighting a stove, standing room and space, but it's heavy for one man pulling his own pulka, and I was overextimating my strenght. Also the Lavvu needs poles and also they are heavy too. It is perfect for a seminomadic trip, with prolonged camps, or with a sled pulled by dogs. So I have to go for a second hand traditional polar tent nylon made. At least I will try to reuse a tent. 

Also snowkite will take more time to learn and Carl is suggesting me to use also a ski sail, or paraglide or parasail. Shorter lines and easier to set up and down. Expecially in strong winds. Kite is really extraordinary but can aslo be quite dangerous in strong wind expecially skiing along unknown surfeces and in gusty conditions. I am still on the way to learn and maybe I will improve quickly. Anyway...I  must confess...I'm in love with it.

I am thinking now to go around the plateau of Hardangervidda for a tour with the pulka and the new tent, donating the Lavvu tent to the Hotel Haugastol. I want to visit some  of the cabins arounf the plateau and see the wonderful lanscape which I've already and for only two days skied from Ustaoset to Tuva anc back to Haugastol. And some shorter trip.

The majesty of this lanscape is breathtaking, expecially (and literally) when windy; maybe I will be so lucky to see the biggest reindeer herd in Europe. 

In Tuva I met the owner Peter and Heileen who are looking after this 100 years old cabin since 40 years. Great people and great food.

Eulalia got a passage back to Ustaoset after skiing in cold and wind for almost 10 km from 0 experience. She has been really strong! 

The many persons using cross country skis, pulkas, dogs are wonderful. A different approach to mountains not so popular in the Alps where alpine skiing is overwelming the valleys. In Geilo the night skiing piste was empy.

My pulka is good. A little bit heavier than "serious pulkas". Like the one of Alex Bierwald and his girlfriend Nathalie. They build the best pulkas of the world, the company is called Acapulka and I was so lucky to be involved and help them in the friction tests.

My pulka generates "only" four time more friction than his best pulka. But I still didn't apply the p-tex under the runners. let's see! Also, I have a secret, some eco-wax from two companies, Nst and Nzero (our partners). I will keep updated with it.

Pubblicazione di Man on the snow.

Last night a good snowfall, windy and finally back to negative temperature after some unusually warm day. Dripping inside the tent is a problem and everything get wet.

For me the best spring is a cold and dry day.

Meeting so many interesting persons here. The Kaupang family, running this magic hotel and helping me so much, Terjie, Elbjørn, Liv, Bjørn, and the last younger son whose name I never learn, then Florence, Clara, …Daan, Juan... so many from so many places. The Haugastøl Turistsenter Hotel is a catalizing place.

I am happy here.

A super hug and Tusen takk

Giacomo



Healing Shapes

Eulalia Valldosera collaborates with the Man on te Snow with an energetic intervention in his sledge

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To accept your proposal to intervene on the sledge has led me out of my confort zone  as a visual artist. I’m very grateful since it made me dare to act as a bridge between  particular languages and knowledges that are out there for collective use. I found myself transmuting the imminent endeavor and sacrifice involved in this type of travel by finally feeling the forces of Nature, winds and waters, coming into collaboration, as an act of co-creation with their consciences, therewith deeply ressonating with the philosophy of manonthesnow.

By practicing mediumship channeling I have chosen and applied on the surface of the sledge several geometric shapes. Not only asking for to enhance the underlying message of manonthesnow but to optimize your physical performance through one of your key elements for subsistence, the sledge, designed and measured to fit your body literally inside, like a second protective skin.

I chose the universal archetypal forms we know as geometry, because we know that absorb, modulate and radiate universal  energy, acting upon the most intimate levels of matter and, in the case of living beings, at cellular levels. Their performance is based on the principle of resonance and, associated to a color, have a potential healing effect. Capable to displace chaotic states of matter and thought, these shapes may restore our own original frequencies.

The amount of light present in the ice and snow will enhance the effect of the forms attached to both sides of the sledge. The sledge will run close to the frozen water, and we know of its capability to receive and store information. Water will easily capture these codes forms, producing hypothetically the healing effect desired in the environment.

The geometric shapes I visualized appeared sequentially, during a trance under an oak tree that usually gives me the specific altered state of consciousness in order to channel information contained in higher frequencies or subtler dimensions. First appeared, in green color, two triangles on either side of a square that immediately became an hexagon.

The combination of triangle and square activates the listening to a pain associated with repeated behavioral codes inherited from our ancestors. The hexagon decodes poisoning, slow self- destruction *. Enhacts any structural forces, like the body skeleton or the sledge itself.  Both resonate perfectly content with environmental issues that motivate you travel and led you to manufacturing your sledge. Snow and nomadism are both in the origin of life, and to restore our connection to these forces is a healing act.

Haugastøl...

Mounting the tent to sleep. 
At the end of this video look at the short stop motion of the tent mounting.

Thanks to Lavvu

Pubblicazione di Man on the snow.

Oslo to Haugastøl again

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.

Pubblicazione di Man on the snow.


Back to Oslo

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.

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Oslo to Haugastøl

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.

Pubblicazione di Man on the snow.
Pubblicazione di Man on the snow.

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.

 

Now in Oslo

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.

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