The bearded journey

Some of you probably remember Matt Harding, the guy who danced his way around the planet and somehow turned questionable choreography into a global travel phenomenon. But you may have missed German traveler Christoph Rehage.

Rehage chose a rather more demanding approach to seeing the world: walking across China. In his short documentary The Longest Way, he photographs himself throughout a year on the road. He walks, he travels, he gets tired, and most importantly: he doesn’t shave.

The result is a wonderful time-lapse transformation from a reasonably respectable young German to a man who looks increasingly capable of cosplaying as Chewbacca from Star Wars.

It’s strangely hypnotic. The landscapes change. The seasons change. Rehage changes. The beard, meanwhile, simply conquers new territory.

For something closer to home, Henrik Wallgren recently set out from Gothenburg on foot, heading south with a beautifully simple mission: keep walking until he finds spring. Given Swedish weather, this could either be a pleasant little adventure or the beginning of a very long documentary. Hopefully he finds it before the beard takes over.