Be curious. Be adventurous. Be safe.
On day 6 the wind suddenly comes to life and challenges us. Headwind is the biggest adversary of a stand up paddler. From one paddle stroke to the next, everything is questioned. The effort of each stroke is now not just a means to an end but an immediate goal. To keep on moving forward, we must put everything into our paddle, one stroke after the other. The waves make us rise and fall like a cork but despite the bad conditions, the SUP’s fully packed are handling the ocean swell with conviction and our bodies feel at one with the board. Our average speed on the GPS drops down to 2 km/h and the coast never seems to draw closer. We are now paddling side by side for more than 2 hours. The effort is intense and for the first time on the journey doubt is crossing our minds; Can we win this fight against the wind? The rain whips our face and a group of arctic terns pass over our head before speeding upwards. We pull energetically on the shaft of the paddle, staring at the dark horizon. 3 km/h. We are almost there. The closer we get to shore, the more the cliffs offer us shelter from the wind. We can now clearly distinguish the little beach in front of us as we use our last strength entering the cove surrounded by steep mountain walls. We look at each other as we land. We are exhausted but happy to finally be safe. And now, its time to go fishing!
With great friends comes great photography
We enjoy the creative challenge of capturing nature’s essence on film and find it nice to be part of a team instead of the singular world of freelancing back home. To illustrate and document our journey we use both photography and a drone for aerial stills and video footage. The fact of being behind and in front of the camera is unfamiliar and exciting at the same time. We always love seeing how the photos turned out.
The drone offers us a new and thrilling perspective – We think of it as a flying tripod taking a camera high in the air and revealing a bird’s eye view of the landscape. To get the right shot while on the water we have to take into account the risk of ‘on-board’ photography. One slight tilt and everything can end up in the water. We recharge our photo equipment and the drone batteries on a regular basis using 2 solar panels and a power pack.
Working as outdoor photographers in northern Norway is a gratifying and inspiring experience. The photo studio and the flashlights turn into a huge photography playground lit by the giant spotlight of the midnight sun. With 24 hours of daylight, surrounded by these incredible sceneries it is easy to forget the time. Every evening, after a long and intensive day, as our cameras return to their safe haven inside our pelican cases, we say to ourselves; ‘We love our job, this is what we live for.’
King Kong Island
The mystic island of Sørfugløya becomes a sort of friend accompanying us on the way for several days. Over this time period we come up with many nick names for this island but the one it reminds us of the most is that of King Kong’s island. With its spectacular pyramid shape standing out in the Norwegian Sea it feels like something from a dream. The island is one of the most important bird sanctuaries in Scandinavia. In the early summer months, tens of thousands of puffins, razorbills and guillemots gather here to nest and rear their young ones, enjoying the warmth of the arctic sun.
Norway is home to the world’s greatest explorers
While paddling, our thoughts often go to the illustrious Norwegian polar explorers. Roald Amundsen made history and became a national hero in Norway when accompanied by four men, reaching the South Pole on 14 December 1911. As if this wasn’t enough of an achievement, he was also the first man to navigate the Northwest Passage, and the first to fly across the Arctic Ocean.
The Fram, a 39 meter wooden vessel specially built in Norway for polar research, was used by Fridtjof Nansen on a drift over the Arctic Ocean from 1893 to 1996 and the same ship transported Otto Sverdrup to the arctic archipelago west of Greenland, now called the Nunavut region of Canada. Roald Amundsen also navigated to Antarctica with the Fram for his South Pole expedition.
To follow us please like our Facebook page www.facebook.com/planetvisible
And if you want to find out more information on exactly where we paddled and what made our journey so special then go to our present project page www.planetvisible.com/present-project
Brilliant adventure!!! Get very envious, 😉 Very well shot and presented!
Thank you Stefan!
What amazing photos. I wish the page would scroll on forever. Looks like a beautiful adventure!
Thanks Megan for passing by and leaving a comment! There is something powerful about having all what you need for living on your board and setting camp day after day.
Dear Jean-Luc. This is really great – happy to see such beautiful things instead of news in television 😉 Please send your blog to the G20 bosses to keep the earth like we still have it. All the best for you, Sebastian.
Thanks Sebastian! How true. We all need to take care of mother nature.
Fantastic photos and text – it must have been a great experience!
Thank you Thomas!
Great content! Super high-quality! Keep it up! 🙂