Ski and Paddle Norway 2009

Distance 33km | Time 9.5hrs | Ascent 870m | Descent 1080m

I was up as 0600 and ready to go after a breakfast of canned stew by 0715. However it was still pitch dark. It was minus 18 with a bitterly cold south wind which chilled me quickly. Eventually by 0730 I could just see into the new dawn and set off. I knew it would be a long day.

The run down to Breidstolen was very pleasant except for the bitter wind. Within an hour I had already gone 4 km when the sun rose turning the surrounding hills pink and then yellow. Soon the wind vanished and the warmth of the sun made me feel much more comfortable.

The final descent to Breidstolen was down a wide snow filled gully. It was a beautiful descent swinging from one side to the other for a good half hour before I had dropped some 400 vertical metres and reached the icy valley floor, covered in willow scrub poking through the snow.

The lodge at Breidstolen was as I thought closed. It looked rather inhospitable anyway. I was prepared for this which is why I left so early. I still had 19 km to do today but it was only 1030. At Breidstolen there was mobile cover so I successfully sent the prepared emails and blog and received a lot of emails which I would read later. It was too cold to take my mitts of to manipulate the phone.

I started the climb up to Sulebu at 1100. It was a gentle ascent through the upper limits of the birch forest and then onto the wide expansive white mountain plateau. To the west there was a deep slot, some 1000 metres deep, which I could not see into. This was the valley at the end of a fjord. The whole time on this trip so far I have never been far from the heads of fjords which cut numerous deep slots into these mountains.

The ascent eventually took me to a narrow saddle. On the other side of which is a wonderful descent into a south facing bowl. This bowl was hot and I soon had to shed clothes. It was like a giant parabola which concentrated the suns rays in the middle, where I was.

I then rounded a significant craggy mountain called Masseringsnosi and turned north. I was on the home straight climbing up a gentle valley to a shallow pass. At the top of the valley I got a surprise. There ahead of me in a perfect view some 40 km to the north was the Hurrungane massif. I had no idea I would be able to see these mountains from here.

The Hurrungane massif are perhaps the most alpine of all the mountains in Scandinavia. One of the mountains, Store Skagastolstind, the Matterhorn of Jotunheimen, was the birthplace for Norwegian mountaineering. This mountain was looking especially grand and across the massif from it was the equally imposing Austanbotntind, perhaps my favorite 2000 metre plus mountain in Scandinavia. The Hurrungane mountains are very dear to me and I have spent several summers scrambling in them and written a book on them. See www.scanndinavianmountains.com for details.

Some 6 km in front of me was my final hurdle for the day which was a long but easy climb up to a obvious saddle between two mountains. I was tiring as I slowly clawed my way up. I was expecting another wonderful view on the other side. This view would be of the two massifs just to the north of lake Bygdin which were also in the Jotunheimen.

As I neared the saddle the sun was setting so I blasted up the last 2 km to catch the view before the sun vanished. I just made it. It was worth the hurry. The whole of the southern parts of the Gjendealpene, the craggy mountains between the lakes Bygdin and Gjende, were coated in a pink alpenglow of the setting sun. I paused here basking in one of the finest sunsets I have seen and over my cherished Jotunheimen in addition.

After many photos the chill set in and I made the quick descent down the other side, crossed a lake and reached Sulebu cabin just before I felt the need to dig out the headtorch. It was a lovely small cabin and I soon had it warmed up and cosy. There were some old visitors books in the cabin and I found an entry I made on 20/03/84. The first night of my first ski trip, when I did Skarvheimen north to south.

It had been another magnificent day. I am running out of complementary superlatives to describe the weather. This is effectively the end of the fourth section, the Skarvheimen, and tomorrow I start the fifth section, Jotunheimen, the Home of the Giants. To have come across Hardangervidda and through Skarvheimen with one misty day in otherwise excellent weather is exceptional. I have been a lucky man indeed.

Distance 16km | Time 7hrs | Ascent 650m | Descent 120m

It was yet another beautiful day in stock as announced by the crimson and orange flash on the underside of the very few clouds in the southern sky. After a leisurely breakfast I set of at 0900. Within 100 yards of leaving I had a amusing crash. Luckily there was no one to see the wipe out.

I skiied east across Djupsvatnet lake for 3 km. Where I was to turn north. I had some mobile cover here so sent the last 3 days with pictures. I also ordered my lightweight rucksack just before the batteries went dead. I am having problems with my phone. Firstly it seldom wants to send emails, and if at all with much fussing. I have written many emails which I simply could not send. So please excuse the lack of replies to your emails and comments Secondly, my batteries always seem to be running out. The priority is getting the daily blog out and this seems to exhaust my batteries in the cold. I find the erratic sending of emails very frustrating.

The climb north up Mjolgedalen valley was just beautiful. With the sun at my back the whole valley ahead of me was bathed in sunlight. Huge cornices hung from distant crags waiting to extend further in the next gale until the weight gets too much and they brake off.

There were some old ski tracks to follow which made ploughing through 10 cm much easier, although generally the snow over the last days has begun to consolidate and freeze since the big falls some 2 weeks ago. The few clouds of the morning had now vanished to leave a dark blue sky over the white, untouched mountain wilderness.

As I entered a narrow part of the valley I came across some wolverine tracks. Wolverine are amazing animals. They belong to the Mustelid family, like stoats or pine martins, so they are predators first and foremost. Wolverine are the biggest members of this family weighing up to 20 kg so they are a formidable beast. Pound for pound there is nothing which could surpass them

These predators will easily kill a reindeer. Their large fearsome paws support their weight well on snow and they can out run reindeer on soft deep snow. Once they catch a reindeer they hang on until they have brought it down and killed it with their vice like jaws.

It is often thought wolverine kill for fun as they kill more than is necessary. However a wolverine will kill more than it can eat sometimes but it will cache carcasses in crevices and bury them snowdrifts for the future. This ensures a food supply when times are lean.

Unfortunately wolverine will also take sheep in the summer. For them a ridiculously easy prey. So farmers and herders of domestic reindeer, mainly Lapps, hate the wolverine and persecute them mercilessly and have done for centuries. Although protected by law now, some illegal persecution continues. However the wolverine is a very cunning animal and can often avoid hunters even on snow scooters. Consequently they are very elusive and I have only seen one in 25 years and that was in north Sweden.

I passed a couple of lakes before reaching the crest of a shallow pass at 1620 metres, perhaps the highest I will be on this tour. From the pass there was a barely discernible descent past a couple of tarns to Ovre Bjordalsvatn lake. The sun was occasionally hidden by surrounding mountains and in the shade it was bitterly cold. Cold enough to freeze my eyebrows.

The cabin was just at the end of the lake already in the shade. It was a beautiful cabin, better than I remembered from 25 years ago. Within half an hour I had lit the fire and melted enough snow for the stay. It took a while to warm the cabin up though as it was minus 8 inside when I arrived.

By early evening, when I went outside, the crystal clear night was a bitter minus 21. The constellations were plentiful. Cassiopia, the W, pointed the way to the north star around which everything revolved. The moon was becoming fuller again. Returning to the warmth of the cabin room was a delight.

It had been yet another fantastic day. Like yesterday I had time to enjoy it. Tomorrow is a very long day to Sulebu cabin, some 33 km. There is a half way point at Briestolen lodge, but I think it is closed, so will continue.

Distance 15km | Time 3.5hrs | Ascent 110m | Descent 460m

I woke late at 0700 and treated myself to a lie in until 0800; the time I should usually be leaving. Today was an easy day though. After a breakfast of tinned ham and a large tin of peaches (which beats porridge any day) I did my domestic chores in the cabin and was ready to go at 1000. I was sorry to leave Kongshelleren as it was so homely.

It was yet another cracking day. Just a few half hearted clouds in the south east. Otherwise deep blue sky throughout. There was a very small breeze which chilled the ears until the hat went on.

I had a lovely easy ski across West then East Volavatnet lakes. The snow was fast, the sun was warming the right side of my face and my rucksack did not feel too heavy. At the end of the lakes was a small saddle where I stopped to take some photos and dress up a bit for a long downhill run in the shade.

The descent down into Lungsdalen was quite interesting. While most of it was big open bowls there were some areas where there were snow filled gullies between the bowls. The snow was soft and deep here. I don’t think the low on the horizon sun had shone on these slopes since November. It was a lovely descent.

At the bottom of the slope I was in Lungsdalen proper. I passed a small stone shelter which I later found out was inhabited by an outlaw, Eivind, some 200 years ago. He sought refuge from his enemies in these harsh mountains summer and winter for 20 years.

From this stone hovel there was a flat 3 km in the blazing sun again to Lungsdalshytta cabin. The main lodge was closed but there was a small self service cabin nearby. After the usual tasks of melting water and getting the fire going I was ensconced. Again the cabin was small and cosy and took no time to heat. It was only 1400 and I was delighted to have leisure time.

A local couple with a team of 12 huskies dropped in on a days excursion from a village across the large Djupvatnet lake. Their dogs were quivering with excitement to get going again and were straining at the sledges snow anchor while we chatted.

I have been thinking a lot about equipment while I ski. I have a choice to ditch the rucksack now as things are flatter and go for a sledge. In theory this sounds a great idea. However they are cumbersome things and a nightmare in difficult terain like woods. Alternatively I could go even lighter. Change my rucksack to one half its weight and go with a lighter thermarest mattress will alone save nearly 3 kg. Another 2 kg can be shed from first aid and repair kits and I would be down to 16 kg. I think I will go for the latter option as I could manage that for many hours each day.

It had been yet another top day. That is 4 in a row now. The atmospheric pressure is 1024 Mb so I am confident tomorrow will be good for the short day up to Bjordalsbu cabin.