Wanderlust Nordics: Exploring Trails in Scandinavia

In the course of the web site’s latest hiatus, I hiked, traveled, dabbled in excessive ironing, and wrote two books. The primary of these titles was Wanderlust Nordics: Exploring Trails in Scandinavia.*

Launched late final 12 months, it’s a 300-page espresso desk ebook that showcases 26 of the best hikes from Iceland, Norway, Greenland, Finland, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands. From family-friendly day hikes to difficult multi-week treks, there’s something to curiosity everybody, from newbies to skilled vets. The featured trails embody established classics such because the Kungsleden, Arctic Circle Path, and the Laugavegur, together with lesser-known excursions akin to Lengthy Crossing of the Lofoten Islands, Saskun to Tjornuvik Path, and the island-spanning Iceland Traverse. 

Cowl picture by Cody Duncan.

Wanderlust Nordics marked my fifth ebook with Gestalten Publications. As with the opposite titles within the collection, it was very a lot a collaborative effort. The ebook options photographs from an array of fantastic photographers, Florian Bayer offers the illustrations, Bureau Rabensteiner takes care of the map design, and the crack enhancing workforce at Gestalten (led by Robert Klanten and Anna Diekmann) places all of it collectively. Yours really was chargeable for the writing, cartographic analysis, and chipped in with an help on the enhancing entrance.  

Overview map for Wanderlust Nordics

From a private perspective, Wanderlust Nordics was an ambulatory journey virtually 1 / 4 of a century within the making. In 2000, I made my first go to to the area within the type of a prolonged journey round Iceland. Since that preliminary journey, I’ve traveled again to this magical a part of the world on a number of events, repeatedly drawn by a Viking treasure trove of climbing prospects. From sweeping Arctic tundra to iceberg-dotted coastlines and from yawning fjords to lost-in-time villages, it’s an space to which superlatives and photographs can by no means actually do justice, although hopefully, in Wanderlust Nordics, we give it a superb crack! 

Nordic Adventures via the years (clockwise from backside proper): 1. Skaftafell Loop, Iceland, 2000; 2. Kungsleden, Sweden, 2009; 3. Saskun to Tjornuvik, Faroe Islands, 2022, and; 4. Lengthy Crossing of the Lofoten Islands, 2016.

Together with the flight-search-inspiring photographs, every Wanderlust Nordics hike options path descriptions, background historical past, logistical info, and sensible ideas. Like the opposite editions within the Wanderlust collection, the ebook isn’t an in depth planning information that hikers will take with them out on the path (Trace: It weighs virtually 2 kg/4.4 lbs). Somewhat it’s an thought generator for many who prefer to expertise pure locations on foot, with every little thing they want on this planet on their backs.

And with that, I’ll depart you with some extra photographs from every of the ebook’s 5 chapters:

Ponds and meadows dot the geothermal panorama close to Landmannalaugar on the Laugavergur and Iceland Traverse. (Picture Credit score: p.214 (backside) – Tomáš Zrna/ northernadventures.co, Wanderlust Nordics, gestalten 2023)

Turf-roofed farmhouses close to the start line of the Skafatell Loop, Iceland (p.175 – Paddy Dillon/ paddydillon.co.uk, Wanderlust Nordics, gestalten 2023)

Rapadalen Valley in Sarek Nationwide Park (Picture Credit score: P. 58-59 – Cody Duncan, Wanderlust Nordics, gestalten 2023)(Word: I extremely suggest Cody’s web site. It has a number of the most wonderful photographs I’ve ever seen from Northern Scandinavia).

The village of Sisimiut, the western terminus of Greenland’s Arctic Circle Path (p.132-133 – Paddy Dillon, Wanderlust Nordics, gestalten 2023)

Consuming in a crimson dawn with icebergs floating by / Oqaatsut Path, Greenland (P.126 – Cam Honan, Wanderlust Nordics, gestalten 2023)

Mykines is the one and solely village on its namesake island. It consists of round 40 homes, of which solely six are occupied year-round (P.98-99 – Cam Honan, Wanderlust Nordics, gestalten 2023)

Yours really gazing out from Cape Enniberg (Faroe Islands), the world’s highest promontory (P.119 – Cam Honan, Wanderlust Nordics, gestalten 2023)

Fall foliage on Finnish Lapland’s Bear’s Ring Path (P.293 – Cam Honan, Wanderlust Nordics, gestalten 2023).

Aurora Borealis over Horseid Seashore in Norway’s Lofoten Islands (P.276 (backside) – Cody Duncan, Wanderlust Nordics, gestalten 2023

Mountaineering Norway’s Rondane Triangle (P.238 – Cam Honan, Wanderlust Nordics, gestalten 2023)

*The second ebook referenced within the opening paragraph is Wanderlust Mediterranean, which has simply come out in Europe and will likely be launched in all places else on October 1, 2024.

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