Category Archives: Travel tales

Hardangervidda

Posted on September 12, 2016 by indyjols

To my shame, it’s over a month since my brother and I slithered down off Hardangervidda, in south-central Norway, and I’m only just getting down to writing about it. Our four-day walk was a sort of warm-down after a week … Continue reading →

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Jotunheimen jaunting

Posted on August 15, 2016 by indyjols

It’s becoming apparent that I am something of a Jonah when it comes to mountain trips. For the second summer in a row, my hiking companion has brought home a broken bone as a souvenir. Admittedly my brother’s paggered hand … Continue reading →

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My Green Ribbon 2015 video

Posted on April 12, 2016 by indyjols

I finally got round to stitching together the GoPro footage of my two-month hike through the Swedish mountains in summer 2015. The Green Ribbon (or ‘Gröna Bandet’) is a long-distance challenge where you walk the length of the Scandinavian mountain … Continue reading →

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A bit of winter walking in Füssen

Posted on March 16, 2016 by indyjols

This time last week I was beginning my journey home from a snowy week spent winter walking in Bavaria. I was actually on a press gig for walk magazine, and though the full feature will show up sometime in the autumn, … Continue reading →

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A mission to Bavaria

Posted on March 5, 2016 by indyjols

Considering much of my existence is spent hunched over a computer in the front bedroom of a North Yorkshire cottage, life has been rather exciting lately. Last week I was in the Swiss Alps near Verbier, wobbling erratically down the … Continue reading →

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2016 updates to the Norwegian pilgrim trail guide

Posted on January 26, 2016 by indyjols

Around this time last year, Dave and I put together a short PDF guide to the St Olav pilgrim trails in Norway. Since I posted it, a full English-language print guidebook has been released (available from pilgrim centres within Norway, … Continue reading →

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Wild camping in Kielder Forest

Posted on November 9, 2015 by indyjols

Last week E and I ventured up into Northumberland. We crossed Hadrian’s Wall and spent three days walking and camping in Kielder Forest. If you haven’t been up there, then the area has some very appealing features for backcountry hikers, … Continue reading →

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The big expedition gear review: navigation and miscellaneous kit

Posted on October 30, 2015 by indyjols

Behold, the third and final part of my massive gear review, following this summer’s Green Ribbon. Parts one and two concerned sleeping and eating and clothing, and now I’m finishing with navigation, plus all those extra little oddments which didn’t … Continue reading →

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Zell am See, 1927

Posted on October 26, 2015 by indyjols

One of my most popular posts last year was a ‘guest blog’ from my grandfather’s short collection of travel memoirs. The book was called Continental Kindnesses, and contained anecdotes of unprompted generosity during his travels round Europe between 1925 and … Continue reading →

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Returning from my Green Ribbon, and a bit of hindsight

Posted on August 21, 2015 by indyjols

I’m finally back at my cottage, conspicuous from afar in our well-kept village on account of its wild, untrimmed hedges and a little front garden so overgrown that you can barely see the door. Across the road, my old Volvo … Continue reading →

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