Ski and Paddle Norway 2009

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Despite reasonably 2 reasonably long days in the recent past I was dissapointed when I heard the wind roaring outside. I had wanted to get to Haukeliseter today. There was no chance however of finding ones way in this blizzard. It was also snowing heavily and I think it had been all night.

So it was back to bed. I got up again at 0900 and decided I needed to find a way into the other cabin. I got dressed up for a wrestle with the blizzard and spindrift. I waded the 100 metres to the other cabin and started digging.

About half an hour later I had started to uncover the door and another half hour later had completely cleared it. It was lucky I carried a spade. Essentially to dig a snowhole if need be but also good to excavate cabin doors. I was white with spindrift. I went in an lit the stove.

I then went back to the small cabin, a hut really, packed up, tidied up and migrated up to the main cabin. It was already warming. I soon collected snow for melting and by midday was ensconsed. It was a wild day outside. I think it was snowing heavily in addition to the spindrift getting blown around, but there was no way to tell.

On relooking at the map I wil take a detour off the recommended winter route to Haukeliseter tomorrow. I would never have even considered this route had it not been marked on the map. This detour will go to the east acros some lakes.

The recommended route goes through rugged terain and a deep slot called Turistskardet. Last year a friend of mine, Ole, with whom later had the pleasure of skiing the length of Josterdalsbreen ice cap with, was also skiing the length of Norway this time last year. It was poor weather as he skiied through Turistskardet.

Suddenly and without warning Ole was bundled about and then came to rest. He was as if set in concrete. He dident know it but he had just been buried to a depth of 5 metres in an avalanche. That is the height of a house. Unable to move a finger and trapped with his skis, poles and rucksack still on Ole thought he was dead and passed out.

When he regained consciousness he found he had melted a small circumference around himself. Slowly by bashing his head and scratching with his fingers he managed to excavate some breathing room and free an arm. He then had to dig down compressing snow to get to minimize it to free his boots from the skis. He couldn’t so he undid the laces and bootless clawed and scratched his way to the surface. I can imagine the relief when some 9 hours later he emerged into the night.

He put then tent up and spent a couple of days recovering in it. When his strenght returned he had to dig down the 5 metres to retrieve his boots and skis. He then continued to Haukeliseter and after a short break continued north to reach Nordkapp as planned. It is only because Ole is so tough, even by Norwegian standards, that he did not panic too much and give up. Any lesser mortal would have been there until the spring melt.

Yes, so I think I will give Turistskardet a wide berth as a lot of snow has fallen in the last week and conditions are similar. This is one of the main problems with the lack of visibility in a blizzard, namely you cannot see what dangers you are flirting with. The wind, even gale force, is a minor irritation.

As I write about the wind I have just noticed that it had died off entirely this evening. There is hope yet for tomorrow. I am a bit concerned that I have taken so long with 6 weatherdays to traverse the Setersheiene mountains but they are one of the slower sections and I still have a very limited 7 hours daylight. In 2 months when it is flatter, I am fitter, and the weather is more stable I will have 13 hours daylight and increasing. So although my progress so far looks pawltry on the larger map of Norway, things will speed up.

Distance 14km | Time 7hrs | Ascent 510m | Descent 110m

When I woke in the morning there was still quite a strong wind and it was snowing heavily. My body was tired after yesterday and I decided to have a weather day. As the morning wore on however I was getting bored and the weather was improving. At 1030 the two trends crossed each other and I decided to make a break for it.

I eventually left at 1100. Much to late really but I thought I could make it. At least I could home in to the cabin with head torch and GPS as I did last night.

Crossing the open area by the summer farms I was saddened by the loss of this idyllic way of life. Soon though I was into the birch forest and any nostalgic thoughts of bygone times soon vanished in pushing my way through deep snow.

The journey up through the forest was only about 4 km yet it took nearly 3 hours. The snow was deep and the terrain steep and gnarly. Drifts were everywhere and bogged me down. I tried to follow a stream but it kept leading me into a dead end of a small frozen waterfall. After much sweat and effort I eventually climbed out of it onto the easier bare mountainside where the snow was firmer.

On reaching Sandvatnet lake the visibility was poor so I followed its frozen shore. Soon the sun came out however and lit up the mountains. I have seldom seen so much snow. The mountains were coated and dripping in it. It was a very easy pleasant ski across the lake.

Towards the north of the lake I crossed it and headed up Naustdalen. It was not long but quite steep and narrow. To make it worse there was a big open stream running at the bottom of the V shaped floor where I wanted to be.

After climbing up the lower half of the valley with some difficulty I reached a frozen tarn and gingerly crossed to the west side. This was less steep and avalanche prone. I went quite high to avoid the slot of the stream and for once it did lead into any difficulty, like steep corniced drifts. Soon I was at Holmavatnet lake, the home stretch.

On the other side of this lake there are remains of hunters camps which are 8000 years old. These wild stone age nomads must have come up here in the summer months to hunt reindeer and fish.

I just had to ski some 3 km along the frozen shoreline to the cabin. But it was already getting dark. Wth a km to go I got the headtourch out and using the GPS homed in on the cabin. It took a while but I got there at 1800.

There were 2 cabins. One small one without provisions but with wood and a large stove and a larger cabin which was half buried in snow. The latter looked much more comfortable and had a larder but I would have been digging a good hour to clear the snow, so opted for the smaller one.

Within an hour it was like a sauna. I had melted enough snow for water and basked in the warmth. Dinner was some dried food I had been carrying all the time in case I had to camp.

It had been a good descision to go when I did from Bleskestadmoen. Had I stayed I would have kicking myself when it brightened up in the afternoon. Despite the ardours of the forest I had a good day, especially the rare treat of skiing across the lake in the sun surrounded by mountains so heavily covered in snow.

Tomorrow weather permitting I reach Haukeliseter. This marks the end of the second section, the Setersheiene mountains. They are renouned for fickle weather and difficult terrain. The next section is Hardangervidda. A huge undulating plateau at around 1000 meters. It finishes at Finse and should take a week.

Distance 24km | Time 10.5hrs | Ascent 660m | Descent 1040m

I was up early at 0700 in the dark. I had to get ready by first light at 0830 as it was to be a long day. If I did no make the cabin at Bleskestadmoen I had to camp. The forecast said the fresh breeze would pick up to a gale in the evening. And it was just a fresh breeze as I set off at 0830.

The breeze was at my back as I went up 2 km of lakes to where a valley came down from the north east. The visibility was greyish and much of the snows features did not show.

There had been a huge dumping of snow while I was at Krossvatn cabin and even the vertical rock was plastered. I noticed that the streams was open in a few places. I suppose when you get half a metre with snow it must depress the ice on the lakes by a centimetre or two and this squeezes the water in the streams.

Going up this side valley was fantastic. The snow was new but already compacted by yesterdays wind which would have rolled the snowflakes until they turned into small balls of spindrift which when settled had little air trapped in then.

I skied quickly the 10 km across Kringlevatn, Midtvatn and Kaldevatn lakes which were each separated by a small gentle climb. As I skied across the uppermost lake, Kaldevatn, there was a flash of blue sky occasionally. I felt great. The wind, an easterly, had started to pick up now.

I then turned north west and headed up to a saddle. I was keen to get over this saddle before the gale arrived. At the pass the valley was squeezed beween 2 mountains and the wind was likewise squeezed. It was roaring through the pass. Luckily it was behind me. It swept a huge river of spindrift across the icy surface of the snow and I was carried along with it.

The descent was difficult because the snow surface fluctuated the whole time between soft accumulations of spindrift and a hard polished surface. Furthermore it was difficult to make out where they changed. In addition the wind bundled me along. It was probably a gale by now.

The sky was reasonably clear and down in the valley below I could make out Krokevatnet lake. There were some old summer farms here at 900 metres and well below the upper limit of the birch. I reached them quite quickly after skiing across the bare ice of Krokevatnet lake. A raven, acrobatic as ever, coped well with the gusts.

I was doing well. I just had a small valley to ski up and down again and I was home. I therefore took a rest amoungst the bare birch which offered no protection against the gale. I glanced at my watch and could not believe the time. It was 1530 already. I still had 6 km to go and looking at the map they did not look easy. In addition the gale was coming straight down this same valley.

I set of with urgency. The biscuilts and water providing some extra vigour. The gale was hurling spindrift into my face and buffeting me about. Still I made good time and climbed out of the trees and reached the pass in the dusk. The wind now was a good gale and must have been 20 metres/second.

I turned a slight corner and started to descend. The gale was now behind me which I thought would be an advantage. However it was so strong I had no control skiing. I got blown over twice so decided to take the skis off and walk. Even walking I got blown over once as I was propelled down the slope covered in hard snow.

I walked for a good half hour until I was out of the high side valley and had descended into the lower main valley and larger birch trees. Both these factors meant the wind was now greatly diminished. The problem was it was almost dark and I still had 2 km to go.

I put the skis on and dug out my headtorch. It dident punch very far into the spindrift. I got out the GPS and starting following it as exactly as I could. The trouble was the route the GPS was taking me was pretty much direct.

For a good hour I wandered through the birch forest going up and down steeply at times. Still the metres were counting down. I must have looked a sight wandering through the swaying forest in a strong wind with spindrift everywhere in the pitch black with nobody around for days. The metres kept ticking down steadily though.

Even the last 500 metres took about half an hour as there was a steep climb and drop, but at last with 50 metres to go I spotted a building. It was the one I wanted. The cabin at Bleskestadmoen

The cabin was a restored seter or stol, a summer farm where the farmers from the fjords and large valleys brought livestock each summer for hundreds of years. Sadly this practice is becoming rare now but the romane of it is still very much in peoples hearts.

It took 2 hours to warm the place up and get snow melted. I was too knackered to cook and wolfed down 2 tins of spam and 2 tins of fruit cocktail straight from the tin. These are found in the larder and paid for on an honesty basis. The system is seldom misused.

It had been a hard day. I knew it would be and with only 7 hours real daylight still I was bound to get caught out sooner or later. Still I could notch this experience to my bow and know I could handle it again. I was dog tired though.

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Sometimes when one makes a decision to have a weather day doubts creep in. I am sure I could ski in that or the visibility does not seem that bad now are typical thoughts. Today there would be no doubts. I looked out of the window into the darkness and could sense the vigour of the weather. Even the hut shook from time to time. I went back to bed knowing I would stay there.

I eventually got up at 0900 when day fully broke. It was a spectacular day outside. The wind screamed and spindrift hurled itself in the hut. I had to got out, so got fully dressed complete with goggles. I had a small wind meter. It was a steady 20 metres/second with one gust at 29 metre/second. Double these figures to get knots/hour. The spindrift was sandblasting my exposed nose and cheeks as it was whizzing across the plateau in search of a cornice to settle behind.

On the trip to the outhouse I was frequently buffeted by the storm winds. With a large rucksack on I would have got pushed around. The visibility was down to just 10 metres, and that was where there was a reference feature like a hut or boulder. On looking back to the main cabin, half vanished in the driving spindrift, it was plastered in snow.

Back in the main cabin with another sack of wood, I settled in for the day. I would not be going out again. I reread some of the books finding some new chapters and read another book on recent Norwegian mountaineers like Arne Randers Heen, the remarkable Arne Naess, and Hero of Telemark and Royal mountain guide Claus Helberg.

The weather forecast seemed to indicate the weather would ease over the next day, but today it seems the whole of southern Norway seems to be taking a battering. Certainly by the evening the wind had abated to a gale or kuling.

On reading one book and what I wrote previously on Day 11 it seems I was somewhat inaccurate about Heiberg and his hunting venture. Although Heiberg did create a huge hunting reserve and thereby help preserve the endangered Setersheiene wild reindeer herd he was ruthless at exterminating any other predator of reindeer and ptarmigan. Wolverine and fox were poisoned, snared or trapped mercilessly, and every owl, including snowy and eagle, and all eagles, falcons and hawks were also piosoned or snared. So perhaps I was wrong when I said a lot of his management practices were benevolent.

I settled down to another cosy candlelit evening in front of the fire. Without these cabins my trip would be totally different. In the cabins I could recuperate, dry out and stretch out, both mentally and physically. Without the cabins I would only have a tent or snow hole where clothing would get damp with condensation and contact with snow, and boots would freeze stiff with frost. Life would be cramped and spent in a sleeping bag waiting for the next break. Later in the trip I will have to rely more on the tent where cabins are more sparses. But now I can enjoy their peaceful, timber ambience.

As the evening drew on the wind abated more and more. The temperature thoughout the blizzard and then storm of the last 3 days was only about minus 5. I felt confident I could make a break for it tomorrow.

Distance 0km | Time 0hrs | Ascent 0m | Descent 0m

I woke at 0630. The wind which had showed promise of deminishing last night was back with a vengance. The sound of it was howling down the stove chimney. I looked out of the window but it was black so I went to the door to look out side. I got a face full of spindrift.

I went back to bed and got up at 0730. This time I needed to go out to the toilet. I dressed well and put on my head torch then braved the 20 metres between the cabin and outhouse. It was a maelstrom of spindrift. My head torch barely punched a couple of metres into it. On the way back I took a sack of wood and the filled the water pails with snow again in case I was staying another day. I went back to bed again.

For the third time I got up at 0830. It was just getting light. The view out of the windows was as I suspected. A good gale with spindrift flying everywhere. The visibility seemed to be only about 100 metres. Even if I could make it the 20 km to Bleskestadmoen cabin it would exhaust me. I might break something like a pole, ski or even leg stumbling over some cornice. It was to be another day at this cabin.

I slowly prepared to stay another day and cleaned out the stove, which was full of ash. I then lit the stove and became quite house proud about the cabin. I tidied up the books and kitchen utensils and swept the floors.

I found an old radio and fashioning and ariel from a whisk and changing batteries managed to get it going. Just in time to get a weather forecast and some news. The weather forecast was grim for the next few day with gale force (kuling) winds from the south to south east.

Indeed on the news it said the road I was heading for at Haukeliseter 3 day away was closed due to “uvaer”. Uvaer translated means “unweather” and is used to describe particularly nasty weather. It was not really uvaer but it was not pleasant.

I had another good read of some of the books in the bookshelf. Most of the books were old yearbooks of various mountain walking associations in Norway These books hold a wealth of information on nature, archaeology, cultural history especially the now vanishing summer farms, and suggested walks. Luckily I can read Norwegian so was able to explore them.

I had a lazy day reading in front of the fire. I saw in the larder a barely touched half bottle of famous grouse whisky. Some previous walker had left it behind. I actually saw it when I first arrived but after a year of abstience dident feel drawn to it. They few drams I had this evening tasted medicinal at best, but warmed me.

I spent the evening reading by candlelight in front of the fire with a dram The wind outside was getting stronger and I could here waves of spindrift lashing at the window. The radio playing easy listening golden oldies with the odd bit of news. It was a very cosy setting but I would soon start to get bored.

Unfortunately I have just heard the weather forecast and it is predicting servere gale to storm force winds for these mountains tomorrow. We will see. I could be here another day yet bored or not. Maybe I will have another dram after all.