Volkovo to Kuckovo, poor man's day hike

   Before I start, winter is finished and summer has arrived, express delivery.
 Yeah, that's the way it goes in the Balkans. Rapid, but nice change after a long winter.


 When I went to live in Volkovo (a village, part of Skopje, just about the last village north west of the city center), I was aware that I wasn't far from Kuckovo and it's surroundings, which I did not know very well but had greatly appreciated from my few visits there, it was pretty, varied and in particular, close to Skopje.
  Every day I could see all those hills, mountains and the big cross above Kuckovo from my room, and I often wondered what it was like in the vicinity.
  But of course, that didn't last long.
  So, one day I just had a look at Google Earth and off I went.


  I have to say that I was surprised by what I found, a very varied landscape, coupled with some fantastic views. A great place to explore and chill out. And explore I did.


  I have been almost everywhere around Kuckovo, even went to Gracani , which is the last village before getting into Kosovo. It's a place where nobody is supposed to go to, the border police doesn't want anyone hanging around there.
  But you know me, I don't comprendo ...so I went.
  Amazing place, the village itself seems to have suffered from the war a few years back, but a few houses have been refurbished, even saw a few new ones and a new Mosque, and all this in the middle of absolutely nowhere! The only people I came across were a trio of freezing sheep farmers in an old barn who were  wondering what the hell I was doing there! 
  Ok, so it was on a very cold winter day, and the only dirt road that goes there was iced up. 
  Below is a pic I took of the place the first time I saw it, I was just coming out of the woods after a long hike and wasn't expecting anything like this.  To me it looked like one those future colonies on far away planets that you used to see in the original Star Trek series from the 60's. 
  The hills behind are in Kosovo.

Gracani, on a cold, arctic  febuary day in 2011.

    There are many things to see around Kuckovo, and you can just spend a nice day there or hike, camp, ski, whatever...you can do it all up there.
  Now the good thing about the place is that it is easy to get to. I just walk because I don't live far, but otherwise here is a suggestion on how to get there if you don't have a car or live nearby.
  Take the number 22 or 22A bus and get off at Volkovo center. It's the last stop in the village before the bus turns right and continues to the Lepenec bus depot, the last stop. If you're not sure, ask someone or the driver for the road to Kuckovo.
There is a bus that goes from here to Kuckovo, but it is too infrequent to be of any use, and anyway, walking a bit never killed anyone.
  Once in the village center (which consists of a Hedi's supermarket, a couple of vegetable stalls outside, Toni's restaurant and that's about it)  take the road going up to Kuckovo, it is on your left when you get there, and clearly marked. That is, if the signpost is there. Sometimes it mysteriously disappears LOL.
  Then start walking up till you get next to the cemetery. There is a dirt road going up on the right, it is the last  one before going under the highway, follow it  until you get to the highway , turn right and follow the highway.

The dirt road with the church on the left and the cemetery on the right. Go to the top, and turn right along the highway.

The top of the dirt road, turn right, walk about 100 meters, then turn left and follow the path going uphill.

Another view.

Once you pass under the highway, just follow this dirt path up, it zig-zags for a while and then brutally stops.

View from the path. You can see the cemetery and Volkovo in the background.  

   From here, there is no path to speak of, you have to go in the north-west direction from here till you get to the top of the hill, where you will find a path after a while.

The end of the path. Go right, up, and in the north -west direction.

  Okay, so you don't have a compass. They are rather hard to come by in Skopje. 
Well, if you can see the sun and you have a watch with traditional hour and minute hands, you can find the north, here is how;
Hold the watch horizontal. Point the hour hand at the sun; then, bisect the angle between the hour hand and the 12 o'clock mark, this will give you a north-south line.
It isn't the most accurate method in the world, especially due to daylight savings time and the "true" time, but is sufficient in this case. And of course, don't forget that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west. 
And, uh, don't do this in the southern hemisphere, or you'll end up where you came from!

Easy system for finding North-South with a watch.

You will have to find your way through the shrubs and bush, until you eventually get to the top of the hill and can see the cross in the background and the houses along the road to Kuckovo on the keft.  It gets easier after, and you will stumble upon bits of what look like paths, but forget them and keep in the same direction until you get on the proper path shown below.

The top, with the road to Kuckovo on the left and the cross in the background. You can see what look like paths, but they won't lead you in the right direction.

The vegetation gets less dense and you stumble upon the path that leads you into the right direction. Yeah! At this point, you are basically following the path that is parallel to the road to Kuckovo. Still going North-west.

After a while, you get to an intersection, go right. The path is larger. 

The second intersection, go right again. If you go left, you will end up in Kuckovo. You will  go past a garbage dump unfortunately (it happens). After that, you will find a private proprety on your left (not sure what it is) and then, you are entering what I call the "good" part. 

On your right, the village of Nikistane.And in the background, Skopska Crna Gora mountains (literally the Black mountains of Skopje), culminating at Ramno at 1561metres . Below, a little music from the area...to get you in the mood.

The trail then takes a left, going downhill, then back up on the opposite ridge. Very peaceful around here. Good place to have a break.

On the way up to the ridge, there is a hunting cabin on your right (Lovecki dom  No.1). I have encountered some of the hunters on several occasions, nice dudes, they usually ask if I would like to go there to have some coffee or possibly something stronger. They don't seem to catch much around here, just a few rabbit and fox.
And the occasional indigestion and hangover.

At the top, you get to another larger path, go right. 

At the end of this path, you arrive at the Kuckovo to Gracani road. Gracani is on the right, about 2.5 KM away.

  There is a path going through the woods in front, but that will be the subject of another entry in the near future.  Just follow the road on your left until you get to a water spring. There you can fill up your water bottles and have a chat with the local dudes, if there, who are always friendly. From there, you can follow the road that will lead you past Sv. Gorgija monastery, and to a crossroads; left you go to Kuckovo village center, right you go to another crossroads-left goes to the cross, and if you go straight on, you end up near the last houses of upper Kuckovo, most are week-end houses and are empty during the week. I usually skip the asphalt road bit, and take a short cut;  Across the road from the water fountain, there is a dirt trail going up (you can see it by the marks left by the local sheep)  follow it and you get on the flat part in the picture below. At the end is a path with a fence along it, follow it to the end, and you get to the last houses of Kuckovo.

The flat part, with the monastery on the left. Follow the red line till you see the path going up with a fence along it.

The end of the path; left will get you to either the cross or Kuckovo. On the right, it takes you on dirt roads that  are scenic, but the one going up leads you to a telecom tower and a dead end, and the bottom one leads you to the border with Kosovo. It is regularly patrolled by the border police, who do not want to see anyone close to the border. I do not know why, but that's just the way it is. On the Kosovo side, they don't give a hoot.Very pretty though. Just be careful in the winter, lots of hunters in the area, and they shoot a lot (at what, I have never seen).
By the way, my best friend, the stray dog, joined me at this point.
And he never left me after that. 

Right goes towards the telecom tower, left goes down towards the Kosovo border.  I go left, and  you will see a couple of week-end houses there. There is a trail there, just take it and follow it. 

The path after the two week-end houses. Keep on following it..

The view on the right, you think that you are anywhere except a few kilometres away from Skopje city center.

In the background are the "Sar mountains "(about 80km long and 10-20km wide ), that share the border with Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania. The highest peak is "Titov Vrv" at 2748m. You can also see the dirt road leading to the Kosovo border on the right.

Below is a video I made after lunch, it was quite warm and sunny. I was preparing desert, which consisted of Touareg tea and Iranian dates.

Of course, my friend the dog had a little something also.

  After a good lunch, it was time to move on.
  The thing that blew my mind was the difference in weather. Last time I was here a couple of weeks ago, it was snowing as much as it could, real badass winter stuff, and the kind of cold that makes it difficult to do your pee-pee because you can't find your Mr. Muscolo, who has retreated to warmer places. Son of a bitch.
  And now I was sweating in a t-shirt!  
  Spring doesn't last long here, it's straight to hot, brother. You have to get used to it.
  I then went back on the path, and followed it through a pine forest until it gets to another intersection; go left, east.

After a while and a couple of bends, you get to this intersection, go left. It will take you past Sv. Ilija monastery (on your right), then to another larger path.

Sv. Ilija monastery, empty most of the year, like many small monasteries.

At the end of the path, through a nice pine forest, you get to a main north-south path that goes from the cross to Kuckovo. It continues in other directions after, but for now, we find ourselves on this path, which has a house of some sort on your left in front of you. If you go straight, you will find a path that will take to Kuckovo directly. Otherwise, turn right, the ride ain't over yet...

The main path going from the cross to Kuckovo. This is the house on the left, I have never seen anyone in it, but we want to go right, as in the pic below

The path on the right, just follow it through another beautiful pine forest.

A bit more of the Sar mountains.

Here, turn right. The idea is to get to the top of the hill in front of you, but there are cultivated fields there, so you have to avoid them to get to the top. Never walk through a cultivated field, it is imperative to respect others work and nature. Talking about that, it is amazing how fast nature develops here in Macedonia.; a couple of weeks ago, the fields in the pic were covered in thick snow, today they were green and growing fast. I am not sure what the dudes have sown, nor if they have used fertilizers of any sort, if anything maybe natural fertilizer such as cow/horse poo, which is common here, but I am amazed nonetheless.

I had lost track of the dog for a while, who knows, maybe he found a nice, pretty girl dog somewhere and decided to abandon me.

Nope, he came back running, his tongue almost to the ground!!!

From the top, you have a great panoramic view of the area, you can see Kuckovo and the cross above it, Skopska Crna Gora mountains, Skopje, Vodno and the Millenium cross, Matka canyon, Solunska Glava mountain (2540m) behind, Osoj (or Rasa, 1354m) and Zeden (1260m) mountains to the south west, and the Sar mountains.

  From here you have to continue east across the plateau, until you get to a rocky part. 

                             You are heading towards the rocky part at the top of the pic.

  Enjoy the nice views of Vodno and Solunska Glava mountains on your right. On a clear day, it is said that from the Solunska Glava summit, you can see Skopje, Thessaloniki (Solun in various Slavic languages) and the Aegean sea.

  Once at the rocky part, you have to go towards the left, you go through a bit of shrub  and bush and you will eventually find a path going down in the eastern direction.

Go past the rocks, turn left and then the idea is to go at the bottom of the hill. There is a path going down, you will find it near a pile of garbage (I do not know how this garbage got there, but it did, so if you see it, the path going downhill starts next to it).

  The path going downhill, go down until you reach a larger path, go left .

Here is the larger path, go left and follow it for about 140m until you see the water spring on your right. Then get off the path and cut through the hill to the other side on the north east. You will see some cultivated fields, next to them is a path going up (left takes you to Kuckovo right to Skopje). Be careful, there is another path going downhill. This one goes in the direction of Novo Selo-Kisela Jabuka (There is a small path that leaves from it and that goes to where we are going, but in a twisted way). 

The water spring. I have drunken from it a couple of times, with no apparent problems but I must stress that like all springs, this can change for whatever reasons. So, be warned; if not sure, boil it first or  don't drink it at all.

 The path going uphill - follow it for about  1.5 km, it is uphill a bit at first, then flat, and finally downhill.

  You will eventually see a building on your right, it is part of an abandoned mine or quarry of some sort. Very interesting, check it out if you have the time. There is even an old bulldozer you can play with...
  The idea is to go in the direction of that that building, as you will then find the path that goes down towards Skopje. There are two, take the one on the left. The one on the right goes to the same final destination, but is longer and difficult to walk through in some parts.

You will go through another small pine forest, then you will be face to face with Skopje; keep on following the path, it zig-zags a lot. You will see the highway (and it's two underpasses), some houses and a few commercial buildings; continue and go past the houses and buildings and take the path to your left, just before getting to the  first highway underpass. This will take you to the other highway underpass and to Volkovo  center directly.

The path leading to the second underpass (on the left when looking from the top of the hill), with of course my friend the dog showing me the way.

However, if you mess up and go under the first underpass, it's ok, just take the first path on the left,it will lead you to the same multi-sports field. It is just longer.

  Once you pass under the highway, just continue and you'll eventually get into Volkovo. You pass a multi-sport court and turn right, continue downhill and you get to the same place you left from, Volkovo village center.


  This was the first time that I hiked without any snow since december, and it was real easy, no snow to slow you down and make each step harder, nope, just easy trekking in the sun.
  This hike is about 15km long, nothing too difficult, and as you can see, you get to see some nice and varied sights along the way.
  You will rarely meet other people, apart from sheep herders and the occasional dude on a donkey, but that's it. So if you wish to see loads of people, better to go some place else. Here, it's peace, quiet and nobody.


  There are quite a few variations to this trek as there are many different paths along the way. I'll show you some.
   But the rest is for you to figure out and explore, more fun that way. Use Google Earth, it is very useful and the only map of the area, with Bing maps also). 
  Just as long as you know where this trek is, you're ok, anyway you can't get lost, at the worst you will just add a few kilometres to your hike.  
  Good for the health.
  If not, wait for the dog, he knows the way to Volkovo . 

  But after a few times there, you will figure things out and you will undoubtedly know the landmarks, so it will make exploring the area much easier. And interesting.
  

  Here is the GPS map of the hike. If you wish to have it (or any other information) please contact me by going in the "comments" section at the bottom, I shall be happy to oblige.


  Well, there you go, a good days hiking in Skopje for just the price of a bus fare. Not bad.


  Hope to see you one day there, you can't miss me, I'm the guy with the dog following him....

What end to the cold spell? A dog day afternoon

  Seems like winter doesn't want to go home this year.
  In my last entry, I mentioned how the cold spell was supposedly coming to an end, according to the local meteorologists. 
  And for a couple of days, it seemed so...but it didn't last.
  What? The meteorologist dudes got their predictions wrong? no way...


  Yes, way. 


  I went out hiking yesterday, just to move a bit and get some fresh air, and fresh air I got.


  When I left, it was a grey, dull day, no sign of any precipitation or snow as far as I could make out. As I was heading to higher grounds, I had the usual foul weather clothing in my backpack, since the weather can change very rapidly in the mountains.


  And it did.


  At the beginning of my hike, It actually got too warm, I had to take off my pullover. 
  No sooner had I done that, it started to snow. 
  And it never stopped.
  So I put my foul weather clothing on (rain and windproof top and bottom)  and I kept  them on after that. 
  It even got quite cold. Camera froze up again.
  It snowed big time, it was beautiful, a little bonus for an otherwise unexceptionable hike. 

  Along the way, I encountered my best friend up there, a stray dog that has taken a liking to me.
 I took a liking to him too, naturally.
 I always find him in the same area, I don't know where he comes out from but for some unknown reason, when he senses my presence, he comes to greet me, albeit in a cautious way. 
  He then proceeds to follow me everywhere I go. 
  For every metre I walk, he does 10. He apparently seems quite happy around me and loves the snow.
   
  I do, however, appreciate his company.
  In the video below, it was the first time that I actually got to touch him. He doesn't seem too sure about all this, but he let me do it. And we both appreciated it.

  He has a great memory because he knows all the trails I take.  I could follow him if I ever got lost. 
  He usually accompanies me all the way home.
  Then he goes back to his mountain dwellings, wherever they may be.  
  I suppose he's just looking for company, and maybe something to put in his stomach...   
( aren't we all? )
  I shared some of my lunch with him.
  We are of course best of friends.
  Normal.
  

The dog keeping a watch out in the fog. I am not sure what he is looking, smelling or listening to, but it is more than I can do for sure...

  Around 3.30 pm, the snow ceased somewhat and was replaced by freezing fog. 
  Man, I couldn't see anything! Hardcore mountain stuff. The way I like it. Yeah.
  Visibility down to 30 metres at best.

  It was time to start my way back home and in some parts, I actually had to use my compass to confirm the direction I was heading in. 


  The dog didn't seem to mind the fog, nor the cold. He doesn't need a compass either, his nose and  memory are sufficient.


  That's a lot more then I can say about myself.

   

I eventually got home, accompanied by the dog of course, we then parted company as gentlemen and both went our separate ways.


No doubt I shall see him again.


And snow.


It is in the weather forecast for the next few days.                Believe it or not.


Welcome to winter in the Balkans.






  

Skopje looks like the Himalayas ! - solo camping trip in the snow

  For those who enjoy snow, this winter has been particularly generous. There has been snow on the ground since december, and considering that 2011 was rather dry, this is a good predicament.
  The cold spell is coming to an end apparently, and with it goes the snow. So I thought I would take one of these last opportunities to have fun with winter.


  Or is winter having fun with me?
  
  I could not go very far, as the roads leading out of Skopje to the places I usually go to are not very good, and I presumed (correctly as it turned out) that there was a LOT of snow, and without snowshoes or skis, it makes moving forward a lot more physical.


  I love winter, especially in these conditions, the more snow the better. 


  Since I couldn't walk very far because of the conditions, I decided to go camping for the night. It's a rip camping in the winter.


  So I decided to head west, near Kuckovo. There are many great places around there, and I know the area well. 
  Which is important, because in these conditions, you never know exactly what you're going to find...
  A Yak, the abominable snowman, Angelina Jolie ( you never know, she's in the area these days )????


  I packed my bag, and off I went. The weather called  for snow and cold.
 This was thursday, the 16th of febuary.


Solid.


  Once I left the asphalt jungle and got on trails, I quickly got the impression that I was in for some serious hardcore hiking. Just my kind of thing.

  I started going up, and there was all the snow I wanted.  

The beginning of  the trail. Peace on earth.

  I had some luck at first; some dude with a horse or donkey had  traced a path in the snow with a sled of some sort, presumably for fire wood. Made my life easier.


  But it didn't last long...


  I kept on walking to the top of my hill so that I could have a better view of the conditions awaiting me. I had a vague idea of where I wanted to pitch my tent, but I still had to get there. No gain without pain, pal.
  Things got more difficult as the snow increased. It is quite difficult to walk through snow up to your knees for very long, and the weather was shifting, 
  I got a few snow showers interlaced with sunny spells.

More snow near the top of the hill.

No more human treks, just rabbit and bird, and maybe alien.

     When I got to the top of the hill, I evaluated the situation and figured that it would take me too long to get to my final destination the usual way, so I "cheated" a bit and took another path towards the road to Kuckovo. Once there, a couple hundred meters away was another path going up to the hills, closer to my destination.
  The higher I went, the more snow I found. I was really in luck.


  The barometer on my watch indicated a serious deterioration in weather conditions. Things change fast in the mountains, particularly in winter. As long as you know that,  have the proper gear and know what to do, you're ok.


  As I was going up towards my bivouac, I got hit by a violent snow storm that came out of nowhere, like they always seem to in the mountains; one minute you have nice sunny weather, the next a storm.
  So I had to find some shelter, I couldn't see very far and the wind slowed my progression.
  It was actually exhilarating, I love this kind of freaky situation! 
  I found a little tiny church to hide from the wind, and waited for things to calm down.  
  No, I did not pray ( yet ), for those wondering.
  The daylight was quickly coming to an end and pitching a tent in the dark and in a snow storm is not  usually very easy.
 There, I scared the hell out of an enormous rabbit, who once seeing me proceeded to jump over a fence and into the storm. This was one of the biggest ones I'd seen in a long time, and I thought to myself that if he got this big, he must be a wise rabbit. 
  Then I imagined what he'd look like with carrots and potatoes around him.
Never mind.
It was cold.

  I went a bit further, and since the storm didn't feel like taking a break, I decided to find a suitable place for the night.
 I started clearing the snow and took out my tent and set it up.


  Now, I don't like tents so much, I much prefer spending the night in a hammock, but in these conditions a tent is nice, at least it gets you out of the wind.
  By the time I finished, it was dark outside. I got my gear organized inside the tent, and proceeded to melt some snow in view of a delicious dinner.

  That's one of the great things about winter and snow, water is not a problem, it's all around you. 
  I will  give tips, for those who do not know, on how to camp in winter. It has it's rules and the equipment is obviously not the same, it is however great fun and has advantages, like the food stays fresh and NO insects or mosquitoes !


  I would like to point out that this is the way I do things, but there are other ways of course, such as Ultralight backpacking, where everything is as light as possible and you just bring along the bare essentials. I like the principle, and use some of the ideas. However a lot of the specific equipment is not available everywhere and usually fairly expensive. Some of these ultralight dudes get all their gear into 35 litre backpacks, pretty amazing. I guess I am a bit old school when it comes to the rugged outdoors, I want my gear to be tough and strong, but that of course makes it weigh more. You can't have everything! And I also want quality gear that will last long, because if I break or wear it out, it can be difficult to find over here.
  And I ain't rich either, so... 


  - To start, clothing. The basic rule of thumb here is layers and no cotton. Mountain people have always known about the layering principle. The modern manufacturers have invented nothing. It traps air in between different layers of clothing, and since air is the best insulator, it's this that keeps you warm. 
  Also, you can add or remove layers according to the weather or your physical activity. It is usually best to start with not too much clothing, and add some  if you get cold. 
  Most people leave home with too much clothing on, and end up sweating, thus getting cold the minute they stop walking.  Even in the winter we sweat, and the thing you want to avoid is getting wet, which is why cotton undergarments are no good in the winter, they absorb water, stay wet and take forever to dry. 
  Now, I realize that many people here do not have access to modern sport undergarments, which keep you warm and dry fast. They are mostly synthetic, (the best are made from fine wool) and they're nice, but expensive and hard to find in Macedonia. Pro-Sport in the Trgovski center and Elipsa TCS in front of Ramstore have them. 
  But, you can find  affordable 100% wool or wool-acrylic undergarments in Macedonia. In Skopje, I find them at the Bit Pazar. My freind Dime explained to me that when he used to go up in the mountains, he wore only old wool underpants that he'd had for years and synthetic waterproof pants on top, he had been doing this for a long time and with great results. 
  So, to resume, some wool or synthetic garments next to the skin but definitely no cotton, then layers on top, such as polar fleece or again wool, even thick cotton shirts if that's all you have, and then an outer garment that will protect you from the wind/rain/snow. 
  The modern technical garments are manufactured with weatherproof "breathable" membranes such as Gore-Tex, which are supposed to keep you dry from the rain and snow, while evacuating the humidity from your perspiration. 
  These garments can be expensive, however they don't work as good as they say. They will keep the heavy rain out, but after so many hours, you will be humid, and the other problem is that they don't breath as well as they suggest; you will get wet inside from your own perspiration.  
  There are few alternatives though. But garments made from "Ventile" cotton, waxed cotton and good old wool are good. Or you can use the classic waterproof ponchos in milder conditions; they keep the rain and some wind out, they breath fairly well as they have a generous shape, but they are big and cumbersome, and suffer in the wind and bush. Good thing is that they're fairly inexpensive, pretty strong and are easy to find.  You can try putting a belt around your waist to help with the wind problem.

My Zajo Dakota  jacket, from Pro Sport Skopje. Lightweight, good quality, well designed, works  great and not too expensive for this kind of  jacket. Several different models are available.

  - Same thing for socks. No cotton! Wool and synthetic, or at least a majority of wool. If your feet are cold, you will feel cold all over. When you go camping in cold weather, remember to bring along a second pair for sleeping in.  Dry socks are a must. 
  Always bring along some plastic bags, because they can be worn directly next to your skin if it gets too cold, or if your boots get wet. This will keep you warm and dry.


  - Gloves are important too. If wet snow or ice is involved, you may get your hands wet, and that is no fun in the winter. Many outdoor and ski gloves are good for winter, but difficult to find here. A technique I learned from the French mountain special forces is to use dish washing gloves; you have one pair on the outside (or some other type of rubber glove), on the inside you have some wool, fleece or synthetic glove, and in extreme cold, another pair of dish washing gloves next to your skin. This works great in cold, humid and icy conditions, and is cheap.


  - For boots, the idea is to keep your feet dry and warm, and to offer adequate support for your ankles. Hiking/mountain boots are great, but again can be expensive. Lots of choice on the market, try different models and brands and if possible get the best you can afford. Very important piece of gear.

Salomon Discovery GTX  trekking boots, with Gore-Tex membrane, keeps you dry. Available from the Salomon shop in Skopje.

   An alternative used in northern countries is rubber boots; they won't get wet, and should keep you warm providing you have the right socks. Here, you can find Tigar boots from Serbia, they have a model with laces that is pretty good


  - I also use gaiters regularly in the winter and summer, they keep the bottom of your legs dry, protect your pants from brush, thorns and rocks and keep snow and junk out of your boots. I use a French military mountain model made out of a special cotton canvas fabric that breathes very well; when they get wet on the outside, the fabric absorbs the water and expands, thus blocking penetration of water on the inside.  

   Most other gaiters on the market are some sort of waterproofed nylon that condensate inside, which actually wet your pants (unless you are wearing waterproof pants) rain or not rain. You can find gaiters made with breathable Gore-Tex type design, but they are more expensive and can be fragile in certain conditions. 

French military mountain gaiters

Ferrino Zermatt gaiters, top quality design and protection, but they condensate a bit depending on the situation.

  - Don't forget accesories, like a hat, and things like scarves and sunglasses.


  After clothing, you need some camping equipment.
  As I have mentioned in a previous entry, you will have to carry this equipment on your back, so you better make sure that you take the right things and as light as possible. In winter, you need more gear, so here is an idea of what to take with you.

  - A backpack. They come in many shapes, sizes and prices. You will need a fairly large one. As an example, I camp solo most of the time, so I have to carry everything with me. My backpack has a volume of 80 litres. You can find larger ones, 100 litres and more, but then going up a rocky hill or down an icy slope becomes difficult, so I purposely limit the bag to 80 L.
However, if you camp with other people, you can distribute the gear more evenly, so a smaller backpack could be sufficient, such as 60 L. It depends on if you're a woman or a man, what kind of gear you have, also how long you intend to camp for, etc... One person can take the tent, or part of the tent, the other food, etc...you have to figure it out.  Or better, have an experienced person show you. And, you have the pack the bag correctly, but I will explain this in a future entry.

How to pack your bag correctly.

 - Next is the sleeping bag. There are two basic types, synthetic filled and down (goose or duck feathers) filled.  Down is warm and lightweight , but not to be used in humid conditions, and they're fairly expensive. Not available in Macedonia. Synthetic is heavier, cheaper, less fragile and doesn't suffer from humidity. These bags are also bulkier, so for winter conditions you have to be careful not to take one that is so big as to not fit in your backpack!
 Then you have to choose a bag according to the temperature ratings ( European norm EN 13537). You have three ratings listed; comfort, comfort limit and extreme. You have three or four temperatures listed. The comfort rating sometimes has two temperatures, the warmest one indicating the maximum comfort limit without sweating too much.
Official description, followed by my translation.

Lestra winter sleeping bag.

 - Upper limit is the temperature at which a standard man can sleep without excessive perspiration, bag zippers open and with arms out.
translation; if it gets too hot, just get out of the bag, fool! or use it as a blanket
 - Comfort is the rating where a woman will  sleep comfortably in a relaxed position.
translation; everybody should catch some happy zzz's at this rating 
 - Comfort limit is the rating where a man will sleep in a curled position for eight hours without waking. 
translation; if you're a tough dude, you'll sleep fine, for the others you may be a bit cold
 - Extreme is the survival rating; the minimum temperature at which a standard woman can remain for six hours without risk of death from hypothermia
translation; if you're a really tough dude with thick skin and alien blood, you'll be ok, otherwise all the others will freeze their @#&+£*% off!


  This is the general idea. I look at the comfort rating when buying a bag, and work around that.  Some people sleep warm, like me, but some are always cold, so you have to take that into account when buying a sleeping bag.  For example, if you're a normal sleeper and going to sleep in -5° C, then the bag above would be a good choice. If you're a cold sleeper, then maybe a -10° C comfort  would be good for you. There are many variables, such as did you eat before going to sleep, are your clothes dry, are you protected from the wind and humidity, is your sleeping pad good enough, etc...
As an example again, the bag below would not be good at all for anyone sleeping at -5° C

Lestra three season sleeping bag.

  However, there are ways to sleep at -10° C with a bag like the one above. 
  My main sleeping bag is rated at 1° C comfort. So, to make it go lower, I simply stick this bag into another sleeping bag, rated at 7° C comfort, it's the same layering principle as the clothes. I keep my synthetic and wool under garments and a fleece sweater on, and I make sure my clothes are dry. I change socks of course, and since feet are always cold in sleeping bags in the winter, I added some "Kalchunki" hand-knitted wool low cut socks, made by my "baba" here in Macedonia. I also put all these bags in a bivy bag, which doesn't really add much warmth, but keeps the wind, humidity and ice off my sleeping bag. It went down to -15° C on my night out, but I was warm in my sleeping bag system. And since it is a modular system, I can use it year round in all types of weather. I do have a very lightweight sleeping bag for those HOT summer night here, but more on this in another entry.


  -You will need a sleeping pad also. They can be found at Pro-Sport Skopje. These are very important, as you have to isolate yourself from the cold ground, so thick pads are better. I don't like self-inflatable pads, as they are expensive, fragile and can be punctured rather easily, so I only use foam pads.  They are quite comfortable though. A cheaper way of getting a pad is buying those foam exercise mats that you find in Vero or Jumbo type shops. The minimum thickness for camping is usually 1cm, so in the winter you need more, and the average size of pads are 180X50cm. But remember that without a pad, your sleeping bag is going to be useless in the winter.

Ferrino NAP foam sleeping pad.

   - Now to the tent. There are many kinds and sizes available, it is good not to buy a very cheap tent because these never last long and when it rains outside, well it will eventually rain inside. Only place where I have seen a good selection of tents is again in Pro-Sport Skopje. So best thing to do is ask them to show you what they have, and then select the appropriate one for your needs.
  Tents come in two basic types, single wall and double wall. The first type is just a synthetic fabric stretched between poles, and the other has a lining inside to prevent coming in contact with the condensation which invariably happens in a tent. In general, single wall tents are not too popular because of the condensation issues, but they are lighter and cheaper, and if you know how to pitch a tent correctly and in the right place, you can minimize this problem. I have both kinds, but when I go solo, I take the single wall tent because it weighs 1.3kgs as compared to 3kgs for the double wall tent. All you have to do is occasionally wipe the condensation inside with a towel ( I use a microfibre towel used for cleaning furniture from Vileda, works great!).


  Here is my tent, it is a very classic and proven design made by a company in Scotland, so you know that it will withstand rain, wind and whisky. 
  And goddamn insects!

Force ten Vitesse tent from Scotland.

The Vitesse tent in action last summer.

    Considering the storm I was in and the crazy wind gusts all night long, it stood up perfectly to the elements. I've been in other tents in storms that have miserably failed, but not the Vitesse! It has plenty of room, you can sit inside which is very important if you have to spend some time in it, it is easy to set up and it just uses two straight poles to hold the tent up; if lost or broken, I could use my trekking poles or pieces of wood instead. This is important, as you cannot find replacement poles over here, and even less in the middle of the woods. And it packs quite small and is light. What more do you want, huh?
  The fact that it is a single wall tent is not a problem, because the condensation inside quickly froze up on my night out. It is for this reason that some mountaineering expedition tents are single walled. 
  

Ice on the walls of my tent. When the wind gusts were very strong, some of the ice fell off on to my face in the sleeping bag, but I later fixed the problem.

 The rest of the gear.


  - For lighting, I use a Petzl headlamp (available from the Petzl distributor here in Skopje), a Black Diamond led light inside the tent and a old favourite, a candle. The candle does two things; it lights up the tent, and gives you the impression that it is warming you up. It is cheap and if you get the right one, lasts very long. It probably adds a couple of degrees inside the tent, so it's not much. 
  Be careful though, most tents are not fireproof, and nor are you, so put it in a safe place. 
  I also use Eneloop rechargeable batteries that are by far the best I have ever found. Found them at Technomarket in the city. I am trying to limit my impact on this planet, it's not always easy, but every little bit helps.

Petzl MYO XP headlamp, a cheap 27 denari church candle that burns forever, and a Black Diamond  Orbit led light for the tent.

   In a small pouch I always carry a first aid kit (winter version), a Petzl E-Lite headlamp and some spare batteries, various lengths of paracord, a customized BCB Combat survival kit , and a fire lighting kit (only in winter; the rest of the year it is easy to light a fire ). The word "survival" sounds a bit over the top, but I don't use it as such, (in the worst case scenario I wouldn't expect to spend more then a night out if I got my ass into trouble). It is designed to have spares should I loose some of my tools or break something, and to get me out of a tough spot. Items like a sewing kit, commando saw, tape or even a razor blade come in handy sometimes. Who hasn't popped a button on a pair of pants in the woods? well, I can fix it with this kit. Pretty cool, huh?

First aid kit, BCB survival kit, fire lighting kit, paracord, Petzl E-Lite  headlamp, and spare batteries.

  I also carry a multi-tool, a knife, and a Garmin GPS. The GPS is used to trace routes, to find a waymark or to establish the elevation, to find my way if I get off course and in case of a problem in the middle of nowhere, I can give my gps coordinates to whoever would come looking for me.
 In another pouch, I always carry a Silva Expedition 15 compass, it is quite useful sometimes, since detailed maps are not readily available here.
  And a safety whistle, standard equipment in the outdoors.

SOG Paratool multi-tool, French DOUK-DOUK knife and GARMIN Foretrex 301 GPS

SILVA Expedition 15 compass and  LIFESYSTEMS emergency whistle.

   For hygiene, I brought a mini toothbrush with mini toothpaste, some mini hand sanitizer, some mini lip balm and mini hand cream. All I need is a mini me to make things easier.

Lip balm, hand cream, hand sanitizer, toothpaste and mini toothbrush.

  - For water, I always have my old French aluminium military canteen with it's cup and bivouac stove. Why aluminium and not plastic like all modern canteens? Several reasons, first of all the water stays cooler in the summer, and in the winter I can put the canteen next to a heat source if the water freezes up, which happens. I can also put boiling water in the canteen and put it in my sleeping bag to keep me warm. Or boil water in it over a fire to drink in case I don't have anything else. I can tie a piece of paracord to it to get some water from a hard to reach place, such as a well, and it is easy to clean, I just put sand in it, shake the hell out of it, then rinse it out with water. If the joint in the cap starts leaking, I can fix it by cutting a piece of rubber in anything I find. All these things you can't do with plastic canteens. The cup is used for everything from cooking, making tea or coffee to shaving LOL. It's in stainless steel, because the aluminium cups are nice and light, but you'll burn your lips each time you drink something hot. The bivouac stove I use with a small alcohol stove all year round. It's safe, light and easy to carry. I also carry water purification tablets, which are impossible to find here unfortunately.
  Another useful tip learned from the French mountain special forces; if you don't want your water bottle or canteen to freeze at night, simply bury it upside down in the snow, the deeper the better. The snow actually insulates the water from the cold. And being upside down prevents the cap from freezing over. This technique is used in very cold conditions, -20°,-30°C, with great results.

French military aluminium canteen, with the stainless steel cup on the the top, the custom made stove for the cup, a fire starter, some water purification tablets and can opener, sharpening steel, and the crucial and essential corkscrew. 

   I also have a 2 litre and a 5 litre water collapsible water containers. However, with snow, they're not necessary, I just melt what I need when I need it. Simple.

   - For a kitchen, I have a mini Trangia cookset, it is small, light, sturdy and easy to maintain and very simply designed. The alcohol stove works in every type of weather and temperature, and it is easy to find the alcohol in pharmacies here. Not the alcohol stove unfortunately, but I will show you how to easily make one from a tuna fish can in another entry.
   In very cold conditions, you just have to keep some alcohol in a small container close to your warm body, otherwise it won't be warm enough to ignite and vaporize.
  There is a special winter kit for the stove that works great, and not to forget a aluminium plate to put the stove in, otherwise it will eventually melt through the snow.
  And I have a Trangia 0,9 litre kettle, used to boil water, make my Touareg tea, or for sterilizing water before drinking it. It is very light and boils water very fast. 

Mini Trangia cookset and kettle. It consists of a special fuel bottle, an alcohol stove, a wind shield, a 0,8 Litre  pan, a non-stick frying pan and a pan grip.  The optional winter kit (pictured below) consists of an aluminium plate, and a pre-heating cup that attaches under the alcohol stove; you add some alcohol in it, light it up and it then heats up the alcohol in the stove so that it can ignite and burn. 

 - In sub zero temperatures, most gas stoves stop working properly. Butane gas doesn't vaporize properly under 5°C and not at all under 0°C. The cartridges found here, such as the CV470 plus below, are a mix of 80% butane-20% propane (propane works till -40°C, but you need too much pressure to stock it in a regular gas cartridge)  to help the stove work normally in colder temperatures, however it is very limited in practise. In sub-zero temperatures, you get a small flame (if one at all) and you're actually burning up the propane first. When that runs out, the stove might stop altogether. Even if you keep the cartridge warm, it will quickly get cold, so I would suggest to use these gas stoves over 0°C only.
   I do use the Campingaz Bleuet micro plus in warmer conditions and when not alone. You can find them in Vero supermarkets and a few other places. The CV470 plus  gas cartridge lasts a long time, about 5 hours, and is safe and practical to use to use for camping, especially with the new "Easy Clic" system, makes it easy to carry around. 
  Great for making Turkish coffee at home too!
  

Campingaz Bleuet Micro Plus

  - I also use a thermos in the winter, because it is important to stay well hydrated in cold weather. We drink less because we don't feel thirsty, but you're still sweating and you need fluids to replenish yourself. So I drink hot often, it keeps me hydrated and warm. They're a bit heavy and bulky, but you can't stop every five minutes to make some tea or coffee in the cold, now can you? And if you drink cold beverages, you will  quench your thirst but lose valuable energy re-heating yourself.

Ferrino extreme 0,5 Litre thermos, very strong construction, and keeps the contents warm even in freezing cold. This size suits a solo hiker as it's not too big. Remember that it can also be used to keep liquids cold in the summer.

  -I carry and eat my food in various plastic containers and bags. And I ALWAYS keep ALL my garbage. I only leave in nature biodegradable stuff, such as bread or fruit. Some insect or animal will be happy to find it. I love watching ants picking up my bread crumbs and taking them back to their holes in the ground. Amazing.

Light My Fire meal kit from Sweden. Two plates, a spill  free cup, a  combined colander/cutting board, a  small  waterproof  box and a Spork ( combination fork-spoon-knife). Very light and practical, makes eating and cooking easy in the mountains.

  - I  use trekking poles all year round. This is not an obligation of course, some people don't like them, but they make my life a lot easier and comfortable. And in the snow, it would be very difficult to move forward without them, just remember to fix the snow baskets on them.
  I used to use a wood stick for a long time, then I bought some trekking poles and  used just one pole, like the Sherpas in Nepal do, but now I use both, it makes everything easier and saves your knees, not too mention that it's good exercise for your arms and shoulders.

Ferrino Diorite trekking poles, and the snow basket.

  So, I proceeded to melt some snow for dinner. Now, to melt snow in a pot, you always have to add some water to the snow first, otherwise you will probably burn the pot and you're wasting energy for nothing. With water, it melts fast and easy.
  For dinner, I had my usual Korean ramen as an entrée, just because I love the stuff.
Then I cooked some mussels with a spicy tomato based sauce, and boiled some rice.      Damn that was good! 
  Followed by some cheese and some Vitalia Muesli cranberry bars for desert. 
Love them, as a matter of fact I love all the Vitalia products.
  No wine. Too cold. Too bad.
  There had to be a downside to winter camping.
  But some Mastika instead. 

  Since I knew that I would spend some time in the tent, I brought along a little portable radio. Its funny how when in the middle of nowhere camping, the little things make such a difference.
  I couldn't take pictures or make videos, as even in spite of my efforts, it was too cold for the camera, and except for a couple of times, it just wouldn't work, Too bad, there were some beautiful pics to take.


  So I boiled some more water to put in the thermos for the morning, washed my teeth and the dishes, went outside a bit to see the stars and scenery, but not too long as the storm was still blowing, then I went inside, made my bed for the night, and went to sleep. 
  I was awoken a few times with the noise of the storm, and went outside around 4 am to relieve my bladder, but I quickly went back in the warm sleeping bag.
  Ah, the simple pleasures in life!
  I woke up around 6 to a sunny morning, but still lots of wind. The snow had stopped falling, but there was loads of it around the tent. 

   I had a nice and hearty breakfast, figs, Vitalia muesli bars, cheese and bread. You need some serious calories to stay warm and trek through the snow.

Vitalia Muesli Cranberry bars. I always take some with me when I  go outdoors, they're full of nutritious and healthy ingredients, and I  just love'em. Gives me energy when I feel a bit low on power. 

   The camera was still frozen, so very difficult to take pictures. It was -14° C.
   I started to put all my gear away and fold up the tent, and planned my trip back home. I had two options; chicken out and take the road back to Skopje, or try the usual way and sweat a bit. 
  I never chicken out.

  Before I left, I made sure that I didn't forget anything, including garbage, and I also made sure that I left as little a trace of my passage as possible. I always do this, because I respect nature and others. 
  This is common practise with real adventurers and nature lovers everywhere. 
  Check out www.Lnt.org for some interesting information.

  The good thing was that the trek back was downhill most of the way, so it made it slightly easier. But in some parts, I had snow above my knees, and much more in snowdrifts.

Somewhere under the snow (over a meter) there is a small path.

  It was a rip!  the weather got better and the sun was shining, I even stopped for a while to catch some rays.
  The trip back took me three hours, instead of the usual one. 
  I am happy I did all this, because, the snow started melting from that day on. 


  Well, there you go. 


  Not too many pictures unfortunately, but hopefully some useful information for those who are interested in winter camping.
  


  never saw Angelina Jolie by the way, just a rabbit.  


  next time...