Post 101 : 5 February 2017. 1,000 Mile Walk Challenge
Yes it’s official I am part Viking. My recent DNA tests, the results of which were given to me on my big birthday on the cruise ship, Fred Olsen’s MS Balmoral , revealed the following.
Great Britain 38%
Scandanavian (Viking) 32%
Irish 25%
Europe West 4%
Europe Jewish 1%
Iberian Peninsula 1%
Italy/Greece 1%
So it was only appropriate that with these results I was on my way to Norway, to hopefully see the Northern Lights again.
In order to carry on my 1,000 mile walk challenge I decided that despite five storms at sea including two force 10/11 violent storms (force 12 is hurricane), (videos to be added on Facebook and You Tube later),
See Slideshow
paths on land that were sheet ice and significant rain on lower ground and snow on higher ground I must keep walking on the trip, sometimes around the deck of the ship and sometimes on land.
See slideshow:
Plenty of snow. Marks in the snow left by early morning skiers are evident.
Sheet ice.
Deep snow
As well seeing the Northern Lights I also wanted to photograph them.
I succeeded in walking 34 miles over two weeks, which just passed the criteria to be classed as a long-distance walk. This was my 50th completed, which was my target I set to do in the 1990s by the time I was 85. I had reached my target 20 years earlier than planned.
In order to complete the various tasks, particularly seeing the Northern Lights, I had to dress accordingly for the cold and to spend hours on the deck of the ship waiting for the Northern Lights to appear. The clothing included thermals, a Rohan goose down jacket, winter lined trousers, a Norwegian Dale woollen jumper, two hats, two pairs of gloves, Yaktrax hand and foot warmers, two pairs of socks, a neck warmer and over-trousers. This turned out to be a mild two weeks in Norway!
In addition, when walking on land, micro-spikes were essential. I saw three other passengers from the ship slip on the ice.
When on the way to dinner one night, dressed in more smart casual attire, a lady who I had previously met whilst photographing the Northern Lights, replied when I said hello to her, that “she hadn’t recognised me with my clothes off”!
I think she meant to say she didn’t recognise me with my outdoor clothes off!
Sometimes I was on deck until midnight, 1am, 2am and between 3am and 7am and some rest outside in the cold was necessary.
However, despite a number of disappointments due mainly to cloudy skies, I did get to photograph the Northern Lights from the deck as below:
Well worth all the effort!
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