Ski and Paddle Norway 2009

Distance 15km | Time 5.5hrs | Ascent 180m | Descent 100m

I got up at 0700 and checked the weather. It was very mild and overcast, but the wind was slight. I had breakfast, filled the wood basket and generally tidied the lodge and set off in the very early dawn at 0830. It was difficult to see where I was going.

I felt my way west across the frozen lake and then turned north west. The snow was very damp and heavy. However, my short skins seemed to be coping well and I was only sinking in some 10 cm.

Heading north west I started up a series of interconnected lakes. At one stage I looked back and the whole sky to the south was ablaze with the sunrise. Its’ orange colours were even reflected in the snow.

I soon reached Sora Monsvatnet lake and skied up it. I crossed the stream which connected these lakes many times. In some places it was open but shallow. As I reached the north end of the lake the mist came down.

I could only see about 50 metres. I soon became disorientated and had to concentrate hard to find my way with the 1:100000 scale map. I even had to get the GPS out to confirm a position once.

Turning north now up Nordre Monsvatnet lake I continued to feel my way north. The mist playing tricks with my vision. I passed some reindeer tracks at the end of this lake.

These reindeer must be part of the wild herd which still roams the Setersheiene, as these mountains are called. This wild herd of a few thousand are remnants of the original herds which migrated here from the Germanic Plains some 10000 years ago as the ice retreated.

I did not take long to cross another two lakes, Sandvatnet and Oyuvsvatnet to reach the cabin. By the time I arrived the weather was much improved again.

This was a cabin rather than a lodge. None the less it had an oven, wood store and self service larder. All this is paid for on a honesty system. It could only work in Norway, and possibly New Zealand’s South Island

The cabin was cold but I soon got the oven fired up and within 2 hours I could take my duvet jacket off. Tinned meatballs, mashed potatoes and a tin of fruit salad rounded of yet another god day.

The snow conditions are very wet at the moment. A good freeze will speed up travel. One is forecast but so is another mild spell. Still I am making quite good progress in the snow so should not complain.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 9th, 2009 at 12:04 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.