How to climb Esjan.

I finally got the chance to climb Esjan this year! After being immersed in cosplay hell for a few months it's now time to take back everything I missed because of it, starting with one of my favourite places in Iceland: the mountain Esja that dominates the view from Reykjavík.

I can easily recommend the place to anyone interested, as long as you've got good knees and back. There are several routes up and around the mountain ranging from easy to challenging, marked on the map above. I climbed the easy route because that's my favourite for both the scenery and the varying terrain, marked with light blue and turning to the right at Brú.

Between stages 1 and 2, nice and tidy path, some steep-ish parts, small trees.

Stage 2, easy climb part. After a small "forest" of dwarf birch and other little trees you get meadows on both sides. From 1-3 there are some steep parts with stones set in for stairs so although the path is well-kept it's not recommendable if you have bad knees or back.

Path between 2 and 3, mostly gravel.

Stage 3, or Brú, up ahead at the two signs! The path you see snaking up the mountain is the more difficult one, for the easy one you go right and cross a bridge. Difficult one is a short-cut and the views are amazing, easy is less trouble and still amazing views but notably longer.

From here on the path turns less kept with occasional steep parts but I wouldn't say it's anything too bad. If you climb earlier in the summer you get more water in the brooks running down the mountain, by August the snow on top has melted so the route is dryer.

Here's my least favourite parts of the climb: steep parts covered in gravel. Loose, tiny rocks, somewhat slippery. The meadows are left behind and in their stead comes a low, mossy part.

One of the many brooks.

Stage 4, this is the end of the easy climb.

People who climb with children in tow often turn back here because the easy to walk path disappears once you cross the brook, and instead you get -

- a steep, rocky climb. Moss area is left behind, it's just rocks from here on. The little path almost disappears here but you should try to stay on it to your best attempt to avoid damaging the mountain.

Uugh all that loose, slippery gravel, the picture does no credit to the steepness either. It was only worse on the way back down as you can imagine, I went up tapping to the power of mild annoyance and came back down on the power of VITTUPERKELE...

Once you get over the steepest part the view is pretty amazing! Straight ahead is Mosfellsbær, Reykjavík in the distance to the right.

Up here it's just... rocks. That have fallen from on top of the mountain, most likely. Good to keep in mind that it's a thing that happens here, rocks falling that is.

A view to Reykjavík again... those white patches on the mountain are clumps of tiny, white flowers!

Last part before stage 5 and Steinn - sand and rocks and little else. Good place for raven-spotting, I saw two.

I am arriving! That's Steinn up there, once you reach it you can say you've climbed Esjan. Since this was my first time this year my legs were protesting the climb higher, so I wrote my name in the book here, ate lunch and turned back.

A closer look at Steinn.

If you go further you're entering the hardest part of the climb. The book can be found in this box below the sign.

The view from Steinn. It's a lot colder after stage 4, which you probably won't notice until you get here, take a break and suddenly all the sweat you worked up turns chilly. :D Best to keep a sweater with you unless you plan on turning back right after you get here, if you want to either stop here for a bit or go further I suggest warm clothes and gloves. My usual attire up the mountain is a light shirt and coat, topped here with a wool sweater.

By the way, it turned out that even trying to climb to the top would have been a bit useless anyway - this is the cloud that flopped on top of the mountain some minutes after I had dug out my sandwiches. Photo taken on the way down between 5 and 4.

A panorama view of that cloud because as a Finn I'm not used to having clouds so close I could walk into them! Floppy cloud most exotic, but a bit of a killjoy if you actually go all the way up.

On the way down I had plenty more chances at cursing all that sand and gravel. I somehow even managed to get some in my shoes, no idea how...

That said, I have two favourite parts of the climb: every time I turn to look back or at the view on the way up, and greeting people on my way down the mountain. Both feel like huge accomplishments! :D

After I got back home and taking a shower I accidentally slept for hours. Might be I'm a liiittle bit out of shape (but naturally I'm not admitting to it so shoo), but all in all it was a great day and I'm already planning my next trip.

The very favourite pair of tights.

Disclaimer: I have more tights than just these. Honest.

I've a weird habit of picking favourites in my tights-drawer. When I moved to Iceland it was a patterned off-white pair, a bit after that thick, black leggings that bunch at the ankles (which I loved so dearly that I was smart enough to get two pairs of the same). At some point I moved to brown knit ones, then a simple, thick, dark gray pair and after them... these. 

The favourite pair tends to get worn to literal shreds, but before that happens I work like mad for their life, darning them, then darning the already darned parts, then darning some new holes, maybe adding nail polish to stop any advancing tears, at some point the areas that are fixed start to feel uncomfortable and eventually they wear away. At that point the damage is usually already severe and the tights are ready to be dumped.

BUT GUESS IF I ACTUALLY WILL THROW THEM AWAY HAHAHA NO

Instead I start fighting the inevitable by hiding the damage. Yeah it's uncomfortable to wear tights with toes poking through but hey, anything for that one favourite pair. I can wear socks over them. Or shoes. Or bunny slippers. It may occasionally land me in an embarrassing situation where I suddenly realize that I'm required to take off my shoes and parade around with my toes proudly on display (the bane of living in a Nordic country where shoes indoors tends to be massively frowned upon)(so frowned upon that walking in broken tights is preferable) buuuuuuut that pair's my favourite... the holes may sometimes start even strangling my toes by cutting the blood flow to them but what's a few toes less when it's my favourite pair. Right?

To make matters more difficult, this time the tights are bought in Finland so I have no way of replacing them with a new pair. Maybe I should ask if my mum's Shopping Service could locate another pair of these...

(I'm a sad, sad person augh.)

Let it snow, let it sn- oh fuk.

Today the weather got so bad that apparently people were advised to stay at home and not venture outside at all. Many roads are still closed, luckily ours was not but I'll not forget in a hurry how the bus swayed and shuddered in the wind! 

A bus stop iced with, well, ice and snow coming at you horizontally. The bus driver seemed a bit worried for us and asked if someone would be picking us up from our stop. After getting a tastie of the weather outside I'd say his worry had a good reason.

Marty tries to deal with it. :D That's the inside of the bus stop, they're supposed to give you shelter from the weather but I guess in Keflavík that's a futile attempt. Btw guess if it was any use to wear make-up or do your hair? HAH.

Nothing to it, so we started on our way. Emi and Lea soon came to meet us and all of a sudden a car pulled off and the driver asked if we needed a ride. We all hopped in the car full of gratitude and thankyous and got a bit easier rest of the travel than walking would have been. Helpful stranger, if you happen by this post one day, know that I'll be eternally grateful.

[insert hanging out with cookies, coffee, Mori and Ume (cats) and Nero (doge)]

Fun times happened but of that I of course have no photos so have more snow storm instead: here we're waiting for the bus back Reykjavík. The wall of snow is the bus stop and hole is simply carved into it so we could both stay in cover and still see the bus coming.

Emi and Lea...

...and the doge in a sweater! Cutest dog in the world, easy to friend with if you're eating a ham sandwich. :3

All in all great times were had, at least for the part that was spent indoors! A+++ would do again although next time it's probably a good idea to check the weather first. :D

(Photo by Marty.)

That pretty much does describe this blog.

I really do love checking what search terms have lead people to my blog. Here's the ones for today.

...thanks, I guess. Sorry for the lack of Pamela Andersson, I will make up for it right away:

The day's good deed is done.

And then for something completely different, we just had bolludagur yesterday, a day when you're supposed to eat the above delicious bun things until you triple your weight. They're like giant choux filled with whipped cream, jam, berries, fruit etc. and covered with powdered sugar, chocolate, caramel or royal icing. Or you know, whatever floats your boat. Then you eateateateateat them all day long, which makes Bolludagur a supreme holiday in my opinion. :3

Magic dough.

Fresh from the oven. The holes collapsed a little while baking...

I randomly came across an old friend while looking for something entirely different: taikataikina, magic dough. This stuff is what a large part of my childhood was made of. It's easy to make, the ingredients are cheap, definitely non-toxic, fun to work and the dough dries/bakes completely hard. It can then be painted, glued, filed etc. whatever you feel like doing with it - or you can mix some food dye into the dough before working it.

Recipe:

0,5 dl salt
1 dl wheat flour
0,5 dl water
1 tsp oil

Mix salt and flour together well. Add water, mix, add oil, mix. If you want to use food dye, add it now. The dough is ready for working! If it still feels sticky add a bit of flour, if it starts to crack add a little water. It's quite soft when ready, a bit like gingerbread dough.

Nipnops in the making? :D

Tips: it's good to rub a bit of cooking oil into your hands before working to avoid extra stickiness. The best tools I found were made of metal or wood, such as knitting needles and sewing needles. The dough dries if you don't keep it covered but it won't do it too fast, you'll notice when it's time to put the lid on. If you're making imitation food you can coat the pieces with egg just as if you were baking normally, it'll create a yellowish, warm glaze.

Once done let the items dry in 125°C oven for about an hour. If your items are on the larger side keep them in for a bit longer. Ready for paint/whatevers!

Gleðileg jól!

Alas, we don't have enough light as it is so my camera refused to behave. I'll try to put this coord together some other day with better photography settings! :D

Well, snow at least we have aplenty...

Here's something cute though - a real Christmas Cat.

Ooops I was seen...

This cat does not like the paparazzi!

~A Very Merry Bobmas to you all!~

Lolita Signs

Sssooo... we were Skypeing and one bad idea lead to another and this is what happened. Note that none of us is an astrologer and that these horoscopes should not be trusted OR taken seriously. Proceed with caution!

Lolita Signs

Aries

Buy first ask questions later. Every sellers dream impulse buyer, will wreck your dreams by BIN just when you thought you'd win the auction. Will end up with a really hard-to-coord wardrobe because planning anything is seriously not among their best skills.

Taurus

The one most likely to pine after that One Dress That Got Away for years to come or until they eventually track it down and buy it. Pray you're not standing in their way when that day comes. Will arrange meet-ups with super amazing menus.

Gemini

Buys a dream dress. Sells dream dress two weeks later to buy a new dream dress. Sells the whole wardrobe to quit lolita, buys a new dream dress the very next day. Gets rich in process.

Cancer

Do not even breathe on mah burando. In fact why are you in my room, get out. The sign least likely to lend you one of their dresses, most likely to help you find your dream dress, also most likely to troll you for shits and giggles.

Leo

The sign most likely to lend you their dresses and somehow you'll feel awesome if you can lend them a dress right back. The sign most likely to host meet-ups and/or gather a community around themselves.

Virgo

No replicas pls and there's no exceptions, it's either burando all the way or something original that's tailored to perfection. The sign most likely to arrange their wardrobe by colour or brand.

Libra

Can add anything from small rocks to tea kettles to their coord and still look pristine. Most likely to give up in a bidding war just so the other one won't feel bad about losing.

Scorpio

Your worst enemy at bidding wars, stops at nothing after sighting their dream dress. Knows everything about everyone in the comm, including things they should by any reason not know.

Sagittarius

Need to plan something huge for a large group of people? Include a Sagittarius and let them handle the actual planning. The one most likely to come up with a good coord with less than 5 min and 5$.

Capricorn

Then also include a Capricorn and let them handle the practical work or arranging things. The sign most likely to surprise-hop between styles at as short notice as given (bet you didn't know they had so much MMM hidden under all that AP).

Aquarius

Third meet-up dream team member, let them handle finances. The sign most likely to have all YOUR dream dresses that they somehow never wear and will definitely never sell. The best at sniffing out which dress is going to become insanely popular.

Pisces

What you mean a hoarder? Surely every single rose and ribbon can at some point be useful! In fact let's see how many I can stick into one hairdo at one go, this is now a challenge! Hey look I can wear a rose on a rose!