Outdoors – Page 2 – David Kotz

Svalbard cruise

A first installment about my trip to Svalbard.

I’ve just completed an amazing ten-day visit to Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago far to the north of Norway. In a prior post from Longyearbyen (the only substantial town in Svalbard), I described the fascinating multi-national character of these islands located at 76-81ºN latitude, only 600 miles from the North Pole. I flew here for a week-long photography workshop with Muench Workshops, aboard the MS Virgo. In this post I’ll share an overview of the ship, our itinerary, and our activities. I’ve posted a photo gallery; the videos may give you a good sense of the incredible landscape, but I am saving the best shots for future posts focused on wildlife and landscape – I’m still sifting through over 12,000 raw images snapped over ten days! [Postscript: One of my trip-mates put together a really nice five-minute video about our trip.]

Our group photographs the landscape in Hornsund, southern Svalbard.

Moffen Island, Svalbard

Snow and walrus at 80ºN.

Today was not a typical hike, by any stretch of the imagination! While a light snowfall whipped across the featureless arctic landscape of Moffen Island – a tiny islet three hours’ sail north of Svalbard’s mainland at 80ºN – we walked across the southern spit to photograph a group of walruses that had hauled out of the sea for a long nap.

David (at left) and others photograph walrus during a snowstorm on Moffen Island.

Longyearbyen – Svalbard

Time to launch a new adventure!

I’ve just concluded a 48-hour visit to Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in Svalbard, an archipelago far, far above the Arctic Circle. (Just to give you a sense how far north, the flight from Oslo (Norway) lasted over two hours.) The weather was fantastic and the flight delighted us with spectacular views of the snowy mountains and fjords as we descended along the west coast before landing just outside Longyearbyen.

Incredible views of mountains, glaciers, and icy fjords as we approach landing in Svalbard.

Wimbledon Park to Richmond Park

Another segment of the Capitol Ring trail.

Another weekend, another hike in the London area… (my 26th consecutive weekend of hiking!). Although the weather is beautiful today, my time was limited. So I took the Tube toward Wimbledon – nearly to the end of the line – and hopped off in Wimbledon Park. This pleasant (and I imagine quite affluent) suburb is the starting point for Segment 6 of the Capital Ring Walk, a 78-mile continuous walking route encircling the city of London. Today’s walk started, perhaps not surprisingly, in Wimbledon Park… filled with tennis courts.

Tennis courts in Wimbledon Park, outside London.

Cissbury Ring hike

Climbing over 2,300-year-old earthworks with grand views of the sea.

The weather was beautifully clear for my 25th consecutive weekend of hiking, so I decided to head once again for the south coast and do a sort-of loop hike that would take me from a tiny coastal village, up to a hilltop capped by a Bronze-age earthworks that once served as a Saxon fortress; through the pastoral village of Clapham; to lunch in a 13th-century building housing a 17th-century pub, and over the highpoint at Cissbury Ring, a massive earthwork created in 300 BC and used (on and off) as a military asset for more than two thousand years. Read on!

Outer and inner earthworks of Cissbury Ring, atop a hill outside Findon.

Correçon-en-Vercors

Three days in the French Alps.

When I was invited to attend an academic conference in the mountains near Lyons and Grenoble, I did not hesitate. Especially when I learned that this small workshop (about two dozen experts in cyber-privacy research) is located in the tiny ski village of Correçon-en-Vercors at the base of the French Alps – and structures the program to retain the afternoons for skiing. This week’s forecast was not promising, however: rain every day. Nonetheless, we were able to find some rain-free time for outdoor activities on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.

Skiing at Corrençon-en-Vercors in the French Alps.

Capital Ring and Thames Path

24th consecutive weekend hike!

The forecast was for cloudy weather in London, so for this weekend’s hike I decided to explore the Capital Ring Walk. This 15-segment loop encircles London, covering 78 miles of terrain including forests, parks, and historic areas. Today I began at the beginning: Section 1: Woolwich Foot Tunnel to Falconwood. It was a fascinating mix of engineering, nature, and history.

The Capital Ring trail route through Charlton, London.

Finsbury Park to Alexandra Palace

A walk through northeast London (23rd consecutive weekend)

The three-day forecast for this weekend indicated today might have the best weather – or at least, little chance of rain – so I headed out for an afternoon walk along a rail trail (an abandoned railway converted into a pedestrian trail) between Finsbury Park and Alexandra Palace in northeast London. It was a grey and cloudy day, but the walk passes through parks and ancient woodlands where the birds are singing and the first flowers of spring are blooming.

Passing through Queen’s Wood – Highgate, London.

Epping Forest

21st consecutive weekend of hiking!

It has rained nearly every day for two weeks, here in London. So when this morning broke sunny and clear, it was time to go hiking! I headed for Epping Forest, an extensive area of forests and meadows on the northeastern edge of London. The sunny (though chilly) weather inspired many other people to get outdoors – walking their dogs, riding their horses, strolling with friends, or jogging the muddy trails. Two weeks of rain + heavy foot traffic = muddy trails!

Teton skiing

A lovely ski tour in the backcountry outside Jackson, Wyoming.

After a week-long tour through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, about which I’ll post later, I had the opportunity to meet some Dartmouth friends to go backcountry skiing in the beautiful foothills of the Teton mountain range. One of my friends, Scotty, is a professional guide and ski instructor based here in Jackson, Wyoming – check out his business, Peak Performance, if you are ever in the area and want to experience backcountry ski touring, telemarking, kayaking, or paddleboarding!