For the start of round 3 we chose a rarely used track south of the mountain Dhaulagiri, straight through the Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve. We would head west from Beni until the town of Dhorpatan and then go straight north over a couple of passes to Dunai in the Dolpo area. The hunting reserve and its… Continue reading Lost in the West, part I: Dhaulagiri and Dhorpatan
Everyone had left by the time we awoke in Dharapani in the morning: BJ, the guys, even our four-footed friend had disappeared. Suddenly I felt utterly alone, alone and tired at the end of the world. I realised I was tired of being alone, tired of being cold, tired of being sick, tired even of… Continue reading Annapurna Dreams
Even though we lost a day looking for phantom trails out of the Ruby Valley, we still arrived a day early to Machhakhola. Manaslu is a restricted area: it requires a special permit and a guide for company. I was quite grateful for a day of rest in the wait: the past 7 days alone… Continue reading Manaslu Circuit
Of the Ruby Valley track I had no knowledge, and no expectations. It was just a link between Langtang and Manaslu, a walk that needed to be walked to stitch the regions together. It soon became clear that there is much more to the Ruby Valley than that. Again we were taken by surprise as… Continue reading The Ruby Valley
Our story with Aarn starts on Te Araroa in New Zealand. When we first started encountering these packs we frowned at them with great skepticism, wondering how awkward it must be walking with those pockets on the front of your body. We didn’t really understand the point of it, and we decided we did not… Continue reading Aarn Guiding Light Bodypack
Three seasons in Swedish Lapland have gone and passed. Every season has come with an abundance of mixed feelings. Already in summer I decided it would be my last trip to the Swedish north. One to end it, one to close the chapter, one to enjoy driving sleds in Kiruna one more time. It didn’t… Continue reading Another day in paradise
Being the last outpost before the North Pole, the backcountry of Svalbard is one that truly deserves to be called wilderness. On these desolate islands approximately 2500 people share the land with more than 3000 polar bears. The geography is striking: pointy mountains rising out of the sea, broad valleys crosscut by glacial rivers, ridgelines… Continue reading The road through Norway, part IV: Svalbard
Coming to the end of a winter season feels very similar to coming to the end of a long hike: it's an intense period and it seems that it will never stop, then suddenly it's all over. People who were automatically around go their own ways. Life as it is stops right there. My last… Continue reading The end
For the past five days I have been so incredibly tired that all I felt I could do, was sleep. Outside endless snow kept falling from the sky. Around 50cm of fresh powder must have been dumped on us during the past three days. When I was driving back PJ's overnight guests yesterday, they asked me if the… Continue reading The beginning of the end
Ever-increasing daylight hours have brought leisure and ease to the forest. All the little things that have to be done can now be done in daylight. Seeing what you are doing makes the same tasks feel much easier and actually much faster, so we have more time on our hands. On guest-free afternoons we can… Continue reading The delight of daylight
Team Belgica 