Ski and Paddle Norway 2009

Distance 26km | Time 7.5hrs | Ascent 170m | Descent 240m

It was a slow start and after the breakfast that the campsite owner had prepared for me the evening before I eventually got going around 1030. The weather was not what I expected, and it was snowing quite heavily.

I thought I would take the scooter track down to Lakselv. It was longer but more scenic perhaps than the 26 km road. The scooter track crossed over to a series of lakes, the most southerly of which was Gaggajarvri. It then followed these lakes northwards and went down Brennadalen valley to Lakselv town.

As usual I was skeptical as to where the scooter path started. The place which was pointed out on the map had no sign of one. So I carried on down the road in the snow showers. Eventually some 2 km south of where I thought, was the start of the scooter track. This perpetual confusion arises because the scooter tracks are not marked on any map just on the brochures, signposts and websites produced by the council. The signpost here said “Lakselv 38 km”. It was now only 24 along the road so I opted for the shorter but more tedious way.

The road was not very busy, with a car every 10 minutes, however I had to walk rather than ski which was slower. The road followed the famed Lakselv river for down through a series of small lakes. The river was open in many places as it flowed down from one small lake to the next. This river was famed for its salmon. Of the top 10 salmon caught here last year the smallest was 17 kg and the largest 24 kg. Indeed Lakselv means Salmom River.

The weather improved considerably as I approached Porsangermoen and I got a great view across the large valley to the high mountains I noticed yesterday on the west side. I also noticed how gnarlly the landscape had now become. The glacial ice had played havoc with the flat plateau of Finnmarksvidda here.

Just before Porsangermoen another snow shower arrived. This one was accompanied by strong wind. It grew in intensity quite quickly so I had to find shelter among some trees and put on windproof cloths and gloves. I also had to lower the skis on my rucksack as they were catching the wind. It was just in time really.

Porsangermoen was not a village but a military camp. Fences surrounded the place. It was home to the Finnmark Jeger Regiment and the Royal Marines also trained here for winter exercises. As I passed it the snow showers increased to a blizzard. Two different military personnel took pity on me as I walked down the road and offered me a lift in their jeeps. I had to decline.

For the next 3 hours all the way to Lakselv the blizzard varied in intensity. I was walking directly into it and had to look down the whole time. My front half was plastered in snow and my eyebrows covered in ice. The birch trees at the side of the road were roaring and twisting in the strong wind, if not gale.

If I had been on Finnmarksvidda at this time it would probably have been a minor storm. I would have had to have dug a snowhole to escape its wrath as a tent would have been difficult to set up. It seemed winter had returned with a vengeance. It was impressive. A few more kind people stopped to offer a lift which I had to decline. I am glad I did not take the longer scooter tracks as these would be very exposed across the lakes.

As I approached Lakselv there was a lull in the snow but not wind. The visibility improved and I could see beyond the verge and down to the valley. I was a large deep valley with the now mature river Lakselv meandering through lazy bends on its floor. What really struck me was the huge terraces of sand, gravel and small boulders on each side of the valley. These were some 100 metres high and many hundreds of metres wide in some places. The river had worn through these deposits. Occasionally a meander would erode the base of the terrace and a whole section of birch clad platform would landslide down into the river and slowly be carried down stream to extend the alluvial delta at the fjord.

I was tired when I reach Lakselv. Road walking is much harder and with a strong headwind I felt quite sapped. There was just one hotel. Like most places I have encountered up here it was poor value for money. The blizzard had returned and was full thrust again outside so I took it.

Lakselv seemed quite a suburban town with a small centre and many houses in spatial gardens. However through all this ripped the blizzard which would have clouded anyones opinions. We shall see more tomorrow. I was also by the sea at the end of a fjord on the north coast. It was the first time I was beside the sea since leaving Lindesnes on January the first on the south coast.

I had a meal at the hotel and then hand washed all my clothes. I tried to write the blog but there was no urgency as I was free tomorrow. I watched some news instead. It seemed the north of Norway, especially the coast, was indeed battered by a “Storm”, which had closed many roads.

It had been an interesting day but not one I would want to repeat too often. I am sure spending a day at Lakselv will be more useful than a day with the vodka-pickled Finnish white trash at Skoganvarre campsite. Here I could prepare for the next leg which was the 4 days over the wildest part of Finnmarksvidda to Ifjord.

This entry was posted on Sunday, April 19th, 2009 at 4:00 pm and is filed under Update. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.