A hill hike and a bog walk May 9 2026

Trehørningen

While the mountains around Tromsø are still snowy and the locals are still going ski touring I was looking for a mountain or hill that I can actually walk on by foot. On Facebook people were talking about Trehørningen, not the large one but the small and child-friendly one near Skulsfjord with an astonishing height of 283 metres. Today I drove there, because most places are not accessible by public transport which makes hiking a bit of a motor sport most of the time. I arrive at around half past eight and I’m the first there. After three minutes I and a bit of ascending, I get the first views of the fjord Gállafjerda or Kaldfjorden and the mountain range around the Store Blåmannen.

At first, the path is muddy but then the ground is much drier. The track leads up through an open forest of birch trees. They are still bare.

A bit further up, there is a plateau with a beautiful view of Gállafjerda and the mountains behind.

There are some small snow fields, but only one covers a few metres of the track.

By that snow field there are some water-filled depressions. To my surprise a thin layer of ice covers these puddles. Was there frost last night?

While I am taking these pictures another hiker passes. I’m not alone anymore. Anyway, the mountaintop is near, as usual marked with a huge cairn.

The view is awesome. In the background you can see the island Vengsøya with its mountain Kvantotinden. The island is surrounded by islets and skerries, behind that the Norwegian Sea.

Vengsøya can be reached by ferry. It was just heading back while I was at the top.

The ferry connecting Vengsøy with Bellvik

The sun makes the air feel warm but the wind on the top wins: The air is still cold and I put on my anorak again, hood over my head. As often, I take less photos on my way back. I only want to take another photo of the bare birches. While I looked through the viewfinder I saw a movement. A reindeer that I haven’t noticed before it trots into view. Does it want to be photographed? Probably not. It continued its walk carefully looking at me to see what I intend to do.

After a four-kilometre hike I am back at the car. Six other cars are parked there now. I liked the tour. It is easy and the parking area is just 20 km away from Tromsø so you could do it as a small after-work trip. You get clean air, awesome views and maybe – if you’re lucky – a reindeer trotting by.

Peat bogs south of Tromvik

I had another tour in mind. A tour that could become pretty wet. I want to walk from Tromvik to the lake Storvatnet, but not on the track east from the river Storelva but instead crossing the mires and bogs. First I have to go there by car. Both Trehørningen and Tromvik are on the island Kvaløya but it’s a one hour drive. Remember, Kvaløya is the fifth largest island in mainland Norway. Then I put on waterproof clothes – you never know what happens and start my tour.

To make a long story short: I think, the lake is pretty boring. I took a souvenir photo, here it is. I guess this view is much nicer, when the lake is calm and the sun comes from the other direction.

Much more interesting were all the small ponds with mossy islets and also the muddy peat flats with their scattered grass tussocks forming small islands. Pretty fascinating. Some photos:

After a six-kilometre hike – a pretty wet one – I am back at the car. I liked this tour, too and I plan to come back on a sunny night this summer. Then the sun should be low in the north illuminating the mountains behind Storvatnet. Hopefully …

Mountains

Some mountains and mountain ranges are extremely fascinating in their combination of white snow and rough rock. The first photo I took from Trehørningen, for the other two I stopped the car on my way to Tromvik.

The first torsdagspadling 2026 Apr 30 2026

Yesterday I finally got back to paddling in Tromsø. I had already paddled once this year, on 2 January, more than three months ago. Because of the holiday the next day the traditional torsdagspadling (Thursday paddling) was moved to Wednesday. We were a group of seven, three of them tour guides. The weather was anything but friendly. It rained and it was pretty windy.

Shortly before 18:00, we started our tour to Telegrafbukta in the south.

On the way there we had strong headwinds that slowed us down a lot. Sometimes I felt like my kayak was anchored. I tried to push forward but when I looked at the shore I realized how slow we were. The distance of about 4 km took us 90 minutes, including seeking shelter twice to check on everyone.

Finally, the wooden pier came into view. From there it is not far to Telegrafbukta, I know, but yesterday it seemed to take ages until I got there.

We all turned left into the bay where we landed at low tide. We pulled or carried the kayaks higher up and took a break. Time to drink something and share some chocolate.

It wasn’t a long break because we were all wet and it was cold. A 3 °C air temperature and the wind resulted in a sub-zero wind chill. Even I, who had taken my insulated sailing parka with me, was cold.

The way back was completely different. Not only is it nice when the rain comes from behind, but also our kayaks were pushed back and we could paddle back quite effortlessly. I was nearer to land than the others, which gave me some nasty waves. One of them almost capsized me, because I reacted too slowly to take any countermeasure. I was lucky and could keep my balance.

Once we were back on land, we helped each other put the kayaks back into the boathouses, then I drove home, still wearing my dry suit and longing for a hot shower. I got it. After that I fired the wood stove in the living room that I rarely use, but which is a perfect thing to have after such an exhausting and soaking wet kayak tour.

As always, did I regret having been outdoors? Even with today’s aching muscles and stiffness I can answer: Not at all! I’m looking forward to the next time.

Takk for turen – thanks for the trip!

Winter intermezzo Apr 26 2026

When I wrote about the unusually early snowmelt in Tromsø a week ago, I was almost sure that new snow might come soon. I guessed right. Already on Thursday evening, it starts to snow. The next morning, the roads are white and the tussilago flowers are stuck in the snow.

On Saturday morning it is winter again. About 15 cm of snow have fallen; it is -1 °C and it is still snowing heavily.

I take the car on the gravel road to the ski jump, which feels pretty adventurous although the iPhone photo below is exaggerating.

None of the thousands of tussilago flowers is visible anymore on the turning area, they are all under the snow. And the small pond with the ski jump in the background looks like winter has never been absent.

Later that day I make a car trip with a friend. We visit the same beach as my wife Annika and I did two weeks earlier. The first photo is from 12 April; the second from 25 April, which was yesterday.

The common cowslip peeks out from the snow while the pillows of purple saxifrage that were in bloom two weeks ago are buried deeply under the fresh snow.

This snow, however, won’t live long. Parts already have melted away and even if it may snow again tomorrow, the rain expected later will melt it all away. And that’s more than ok, because I have put away my skis and now I’m looking forward to some hiking tours, first some hills, and later some mountains.

Snow depth = 0 Apr 19 2026

The meteorological station Tromsø (Vervarslinga) measured the following snow depths yesterday:

Time	Snow depth [cm]
2026-04-18 17:00	1.0
2026-04-18 18:00	0.0

Time

Snow depth [cm]

2026-04-18 17:00

1.0

2026-04-18 18:00

0.0

Thus, yesterday was the last day with snow cover at Tromsø (Vervarslinga) this year. Let’s compare the values with previous years:

Year	Snow depth 18 April 18:00	First day with 0 cm of snow at 18:00	Difference in days
2025	72.9	2025-05-18	30
2024	71.0	2024-05-10	22
2023	87.1	2023-05-15	27
2022	45.5	2022-05-18	30
2021	82.7	2021-05-20	32
2020	157.0	2020-06-01	44

Based on the median values from the data above, around 78 cm of snow should have covered the ground at Vervarslinga yesterday, and snow should have remained for another 30 days. I also checked older data and couldn’t find a single 18 April that was without snow at Vervarslinga within the last 50 years.

Average snow depths Tromsø Vervarslinga18 April per year (source: frost.met.no)

That doesn’t mean that all the snow on Tromsøya is gone. Tromsø Vervarslinga is just a single station, but it illustrates how unusually early the snow has melted this year.

This morning I took a walk through the Tromsømarka on top of the island. As you can see, the snow varies. Some forested hills are completely bare of snow, while some boggy places still look wintry, and the lakes and ponds are covered with ice.

The second photo is typical. In winter, cross-country skiing is extremely popular. So popular that countless skiers compact the snow. As a result, it melts more slowly and so you can see “snow lanes” that cross the snow-free ground at this time of the year.

Another typical feature is the contrast: In one spot, thousands of tussilago are blooming while a hundred metres away in the shadow there is still ice on the water puddles.

What I am really curious about this year is the birch trees: will they get their leaves earlier or as usual?

Early spring in Tromsø Apr 13 2026

Saturday morning my car was covered with frost. But don’t be fooled by the photo, because winter in Tromsø is gone and in the lower parts of the city the wild flowers tussilago bloom everywhere together with planted flowers such as crocuses or scillas. The first butterflies and bumblebees fly from blossom to blossom and winter seems to be just a memory.

Yesterday my wife Annika and I went on a trip to Kvaløya.

With the flowers in mind I am surprised to see a thin layer of ice on the sea at the bay at Eidkjosen.

We take the road 862 to Sommarøya through the valley Kattfjorddalen. Although the elevation is only 150 metres, it is still winter here although the edge of the lake Kattfjordvatnet starts to melt. We see many cars with kayaks passing by while most cars parking here belong to ski tourers.

We park our car before the tunnel and walk along some sandy beaches. The sun is warm enough that we walk back in T-Shirts. On one of the hills I spot another flower that uses to bloom quite early – the purple saxifrage, one of the northernmost plants in the world.

Saxifraga oppositifolia – purple saxifrage

Next stop is Sommarøya were we take a short circular tour. Beside of some patches all snow is gone. On the water there are large flocks of common eiders – you can hear them from everywhere.

Back again through Kattfjorddalen. Some skiers return, others just start their tour, while tourists are standing around enjoying the scenery which is probably very exotic to many of them.

We turn left and head to Tromvik to visit the café Søstrene Kafè. It is quite a detour but it is worth it – both for the scenery and the café. And yes – I like the harbour, too.

Finally I take a detour by car to the village Rekvik. The road is pretty rough, but again the scenery is awesome.

From here it is 53 km home. I drive back without further stops. We have seen a lot and it is fair to call the tour “Norway in a nutshell”. Only the mammals were missing. No reindeer, no seals and no otters.

Note: the text is just a draft. I publish the article anyway and will polish it later.

Ice, ice, spring, ice and snow Mar 1 2026

It is mid-February in Obbola in Sweden. Dear friends are visiting us. The Baltic Sea is frozen. On the ice there is a layer of snow. On 16 February we walk from our house to and across the sea ice to a nearby beach. Three days later we do the same with skis.

Three days later I see the sea from above, because Annika and I are visiting part of my family in Augsburg in Germany. 100% sea ice coverage in the northern Baltic Sea, open water near Stockholm.

Augsburg is a striking contrast. First, it chilly and rainy, but then it gets warm. On our last day we are sitting outside for lunch, enjoying the warm sun while bees and bumblebees are visiting the thousands of spring flowers. It’s like another world!

Two days later we fly back the same way. The sea ice is segmented by many shipping lanes. I can even spot one of the Swedish icebreakers – probably the vessel Ymer – which keeps these channels free of ice during the winter.

In the afternoon we are home again in our house by the sea in Obbola.

However we are not here for long. For the next two weeks we will be on our backcountry skis, first in Finnish Lapland, then in Swedish Lapland.

Travelling through worlds Jun 7 2025

Some of you may know, that I live in two places. In Tromsø in Norway, my “work home” and in Obbola in Sweden, my “home home”. Travelling is not so easy, since the distance is 940 km by car. Normally I take the bus Tromsø—Narvik and then the train Narvik—Umeå, but I happens frequently, that the Swedish train does not operate this route. Yesterday for example I took the plane. It’s like travelling through different worlds.

Tromsø

Friday 11:00 – I am taking a promenade in the forests nearby. While the snow in the forests will soon be soon, the mountains will stay white much longer.

Airplane

Friday 17:00 – I am sitting in the airplane to Stockholm, now watching the snowy mountains from above until it gets cloudy below.

Airport Arlanda

Friday 21:00 – I am waiting for my plane to Umeå, one of the last planes for today. Less and less people are present and the shops are closing.

Obbola

Saturday 08:00 – I am home home. Compared to Tromsø everything is much greener . The weather is rainy and everything outside is soaking wet.

4th June – the snow in the front garden is gone Jun 4 2025

This is a photo from 28th April:

This a photo from yesterday, 3rd June:

Both photos show the same motive. The house where I have my apartment with its front garden. The bush in the front garden in about five metres high. In winter I could touch the top of the bush with my fingers, today the last remaining snow has melted away while I was working.

No, we didn’t have three metres of snow in Tromsø last winter. The maximum was “only” 120 cm. But my landlord and I use the front garden as a snow tip and so the amount of snow we put there accumulates in the wintertime. In spring it takes some extra weeks to melt.

And so it looks like if you step into the snow in front of the snow shovel and hop up and down several times …

Now I’m longing for summer but secretly I’m already looking forward to the next winter and the first snow ;-)

It’s June in Tromsø Jun 1 2025

After a week in my hometown Bremen in Germany I returned to Tromsø yesterday. This morning I took a tour through the nature of the northern island. The landscape is mostly wooded hills, with a few bogs and lakes dotted around. I was curious about two things: how much snow is left and have the birch trees got their leaves?

More and more snow is gone. However some of the forest floor is still covered with dirty snow, sometimes up to half a metre and more.

You can still see last winter’s cross-country ski trails. The pressure of many thousand skiers has squeezed the snow making it more compact. Like white ribbons, these paths wind their way through the forest.

Other paths give no hint that winter ever touched that place.

The moorland with its spongy ground is completely clear of snow. And so are the lakes.

However, although it is already 1st of June the colours look more like late October. But if you look a bit closer you see the signs of springs such as the blooming marsh-marigold and the birch leaves that finally start to grow and unfold on some of the trees.

Fremdriftstak May 23 2025

Monday 19 May

On Monday I joined a kayak training on fremdriftstak. That’s Norwegian for forward stroke, the most basic kayak stroke. We had two experienced trainers, one for the euro paddle, one for the Greenland paddle. I joined the euro paddle group and learned some new details that hopefully will help me kayaking a bit more effortlessly in the future. The weather was a mixture of sun and clouds and the last hour it rained. Doesn’t matter, we are fully waterproofed when on the sea anyhow.

Thursday 22 May

Yesterday was the regular Thursday paddling with eighteen eager kayakers and fantastic spring weather. I joined the group kayaking to the island Grindøya as the week before. While the tour leaders told us about their plans and checked, that we all know the basic communication signs, the colourful kayaks had already been brought to the shore.

My own kayak is in Sweden so I always rent a kayak from the kayak club. A good opportunity to finally test another model. I had used the same on Monday, now I checked it a bit again while waiting for the others to join.

The boat houses of the kayak club Tromsø havpadleklubb

We paddled to “Monsterbygget” – a large cuboid building that is one of the favourite orientation marks for kayakers. There we split and our group of eleven headed west to the island Grindøya.

It is round 2.5 kilometres to the southern tip of the island. A good opportunity to recap my learning from the Monday training. It went well but it will take time until it is in the muscle memory. At the small bay with the sandy beach we parked our kayaks. This is one of the two locations where you may enter the island during the bird breeding season. Time for a break, enjoying the sun, drinking water and eating chocolate.

Kayaks at the beach of Store Grindøya II

On our way back we paddled along the western shore of the island. We saw a lot of eider ducks and other sea birds that I cannot name. After two kilometres we had passed the northern tip and were heading back to Tromsøya crossing the strait Sandnessundet.

This is a great season for paddling, especially on such a sunny day. The coast is green, the sea is blue (and very cold) and the mountains are still covered with snow.

In the south we could spot a ship. Where will it go? We decided to wait. The ship was sailing along the strait and since ships are not only much bigger than us but also much faster we decided to paddle back a bit and then to a sea mark north to wait for the ship to pass.

First the ship’s movements were hardly visible but when it approached it seemed to become faster and faster. While it was passing we spotted another ship in the distance, this time in the south and decided to cross the strait instantly. I took two photos, then I had to keep up and since we wanted to cross the strait quickly I didn’t make any further photos.

At half past nine we were back at the boat houses. Takk for turen – thanks for the tour!

Today

I’m proud. I paddled 11.3 km yesterday and I don’t have any pain in my right arm as occasionally after other tours. Just for that the training on fremdriftstak this Monday was a full success. Thanks, B. for your tipps and advice.

These are the two recorded tracks from kayaking to Grindøya. The first one from last week, the second one from yesterday.

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