Just a week after my last kayaking adventure in a gray and dreamy landscape, I finally got to experience what I’ve always dreamed of – paddling through a winter wonderland. And to top it off, the sun was shining brightly. I hesitated until the very last moment, as the weather forecast predicted winds of 8 m/s, but once I was out on the water, it was as calm as could be.

Winter has become my season for planning. It’s the time I research, test, acquire, and maintain gear for the adventures that await later in the year. Over the past week, I’ve made some adjustments to my kayak in the garage. On longer trips, I’ve struggled with numbness in my legs and feet, so I decided to tackle the issue by installing a back support in my kayak. When the weekend arrived, I couldn’t resist taking it out for a test ride.

The weeks are flying by and lately I've been feeling frustrated that I'm not doing anything meaningful at this time of the year. At the weekends, at best, I will take a bike ride, shopping groceries, cooking dinner and then a movie before going to bed. Eat, sleep, repeat. But when I saw the forecast calling for sunshine this weekend, I decided it was time to break the routine and take a trip to Malma Island.

It was less than two weeks until Christmas, and I had one vacation day left. When the forecast called for crisp, sunny weather, I couldn’t resist the urge to get outdoors. After all, I hadn’t winter camped since my military training, and neither had I tested my new tent. So, I decided to take a midweek day off and head to the Björnö Nature Reserve for a much-needed adventure.

Autumn holidays had arrived, and Vera and I headed to Åre to breathe in some fresh mountain air. I’d heard there was a plane wreck on the west peak of Ottfjället, so we decided to make it our mission to go wreck hunting!

After several days of rain and storms, a high-pressure system was finally moving in. With the forecast looking promising, David and I decided to make the most of it and spend one last weekend in the archipelago before the sailing season came to a close.

Not long ago, I moved my boat to a new harbor, which means I can now keep it in the water for an extra month each year. Autumn has always been one of my favorite seasons for sailing, so Marcus, David, and I decided to take advantage of the quieter waters and spend a weekend out in the archipelago. It was pure bliss—just the three of us and a few majestic sea eagles, with no one else around.

After a wet and rainy day, I noticed the skies clearing up in the evening. So once I wrapped up work for the day, I loaded my kayak onto the roof of the car and drove out toward Björnö. And what an evening it turned out to be! The air was refreshingly crisp, and the water felt surprisingly warm. But it wasn’t long before I had an unexpected visitor on the water... or rather, on land.

With only a few days left in Åre, I decided to take another ride on my bike. The weather was absolutely magical, not a cloud in the sky and the wind pretty much non-existent. So I jumped on the bike in Tegefjäll and set off east towards Häggsjön.

Just east of the more familiar Ottsjön in Jämtland lies the peaceful lake Håckren. What makes it quite special is that you can cycle all the way around it, following beautiful gravel roads along the way. After several days of rain and dreary weather, I finally decided it was time to take a test ride.

The original plan for the weekend was to go sailing with Vera. However, with gale-force winds predicted in the Stockholm archipelago, I had to rethink things. Instead, I strapped a bed to the roof of the car and headed up to Åre to build a loft bed in the cabin. The weather forecast here didn’t look much better, with rain on the way, but the forecast was wrong—there was actually a fair amount of sunshine too! After a morning of carpentry, I found myself with a few free hours and decided to lace up my running shoes.

Earlier this year, David and I decided to cycle on Gotland. However, since we live in different places and the ferry schedules between Oskarshamn and Nynäshamn didn’t align well, we opted to cycle on Öland instead. I had seen very little of Öland myself, and with the change, we had the opportunity to explore the entire island rather than just half of Gotland. In the end, it turned out to be a fantastic decision!

Finally, the day had come – the 2024 edition of Gullviverallyt! This year, David and I sailed with our girls once again. After a long and cold winter, we were really excited. The weather started off a bit gloomy, but soon we were promised plenty of sunshine and perfect winds.

Just two weeks after Easter, I'm back in Åre to soak up the last bits of winter. Today marked my first ski tour at Storulvån, and it couldn’t have been better. A big group of us gathered, not only to celebrate Allan's milestone birthday but also to enjoy skiing in all its forms. The weather was absolutely stunning, and honestly, there wasn’t a thing to complain about all day.

Today was the last day of the Easter break, and I was determined to squeeze in a ski tour before packing the car for the journey home. It had been snowing for a whole day, but now the sun was shining brightly, so I strapped on my skins and started making my way up Englandsbacken.

As Christmas was coming to an end, and after a whole day on the slopes, I still felt like something was missing. So, with the sun setting over the valley and the lifts closing for the day, I decided to put on my skins for one final run in Tegefjäll.

In Åre, the snow had been absolutely dumping for weeks, and with a few vacation days left, I, Allan, and Odd took the train up for a few days of skiing in the Åre mountains.

Since some of my old friends no longer live in Stockholm, I thought it would be fun to run a race in Västervik, as we all come from there. Apparently, my friends thought it sounded like a great idea too, because in the end, all four of us signed up for the Gränsö Trail Run.

It was time for autumn break in Åre. A few days before Vera and I were set to leave, I started seeing ice skating photos from Åre popping up everywhere on social media. Had the ice already formed up there? It certainly seemed like it. And what a day we ended up with!

When I woke up this morning, I wasn’t feeling too excited about running a race. I’ve had a slight cold this week and haven’t been able to fit in any long runs lately. But I pushed myself to get ready and made my way to Haninge anyway. The weather was fantastic, with a temperature of nine degrees, and once I got there, I started to feel pretty good after all.