Why we tried this carbon-conscious trip
Actually started planning after seeing glaciers melting during last year’s Himalayas trek. Felt like punching nature in the face while calling myself an adventurer. Decided next trip must leave zero trace except footprints.
Step 1: Picking the route
Ditched the Bali surfing idea immediately – that flight alone could power my house for months. Found this sick fjord kayaking spot just 200km north. Took out paper maps (no Google Earth battery waste) and marked routes accessible only by:
- Overnight train
- Local biodiesel buses
- My crusty bicycle from college
The gear nightmare
Realized my synthetic quick-dry gear was basically plastic soup. Hunted secondhand stores for 3 weekends straight – scored wool base layers that smelled like grandpa but worked magic. Built solar charger from old power bank parts that juiced up my GPS with 4hrs of Icelandic sun.
On the ground madness
Train ride was fine till seatmate’s kid puked on my recycled hiking boots. Biked 40km to base camp with gear strapped like a pack mule – thighs screamed for days. Local guide showed us secret waterfalls but warned not to share locations online ’cause Instagrammers trample everything.
The carbon math hustle
Weighed every piece of trash carried out – even apple cores. Calculated trip emissions later: total CO2 was less than my neighbor’s Escalate uses driving to Walmart. Offset remainder by:
- Planting 20 mangroves via verified community project
- Patching potholes on biking trails back home
Epic fail moments
Tried catching rainwater in my cook pot – slipped and dunked half our lentils. Solar charger died when fog rolled in for 3 days straight, had to navigate fjords using tide charts like a 18th-century pirate.
Why this changed everything
Returned home stinking like seaweed with salt-crusted hair. Friends called me extreme but realized adventure ain’t about passport stamps – it’s about leaving places better than you found ’em. That cheap train/bike combo trip gave me more stoke than any all-inclusive resort junket ever did.
