Ski and Paddle Norway 2009

Distance 55km | Time 12hrs | Ascent 730m | Descent 430m

I did not sleep that long in the morning and was awake at 0600. Breakfast was at 0630 and an hour later I was ready to go. The hotel barracks had an old washing machine so I managed to wash all my cloths.

Andre and I were going different routes now and I had a long day to Sivertgarden. While he was faffing with packing the sledge I decided to go as there was little point me waiting. We said our goodbyes and off I went.

The were some prepared tracks which left the Rossvatnet lake road on the east side of town. I followed this road up for a km until I found them heading north. They were prepared ski tracks. They were a bit confusing to follow as there were so many, but by good luck I managed to thread through the maze and find the scooter tracks which apparently went to Hemavan in Sweden.

The ski tracks went up through the forest passing old farms, abandoned in winter, and crossing the occasional snowy forest glade. After some 5 km they met the scooter tracks which came from the barracks hotel, but were very undulating after the hotel and best avoided. These scooter tracks continued up the forest to a ridge. This ridge was open and I got some great views to Hatten, a curious block of a mountain which was probably a nunatak. It gave the region its name.

From here there was a fast and exciting run down through the spruce forest to Rossvatnet lake. This lake the sixth biggest in Norway is dammed and the level fluctuates some 10 metres. The question now was do I go round the east or west side of the large island. Dubious advice in Hattfjelldal said west but the sign for the scooter track said east. I choose east.

There were some magnificent mountains to the north west with one very prominent mountain called Kjerringtind jutting into the sky. The day was getting better and better and I was warm under a blue sky.

The scooter tracks to my concern started to follow the shoreline rather than cut across to the eastern tip of the island. I followed them as to leave them and start across the sometimes loose snow would have been madness. Soon I reached Grubben and could see cars on the road up from Hattfjelldal.

The tracks continued to follow the shoreline all the way into Krutaga rather than cut across the bay. This was a nuisance but they were fast to ski along. At Krutaga I met a local family who were ice fishing. They had caught about 20 roye and when I was chatting with them they caught the biggest, a half kilo specimen. I think roye are Arctic Char and prehaps a reader could confirm that. They told me the tracks did go all they way to Verntrask further up the lake but unfortunately followed the shore.

I left them and continued round the shore. There route now became difficult as there must have been strong winds here. Much of the snow had been blown off the ice leaving it bare and the remaining snow had been sculptured into ridges and shapes like a blacksmiths anvil. This hard wind shaped snow is called sastrugi and its larger versions in the poles are the nightmare of polar explorers.

Luckily this sastrugi was small but it lasted of a good 10 km until I reached the point at Brustad. It slowed me up considerably and I had to be careful not to break a ski. After the point I must have left the wind channel as the conditions improved again and the scooter tracks reappeared again.

It was getting on when I reached Sordalen and its collection of farms looking picturesque in the later afternoon sun. Unfortunately I still had yet another peninsular to go round to get to Varntrask which was a bit more than 5 km.

As I rounded this final peninsular the view to the north became very clear and the whole of the Okstind massif appeared. These mountains are 1900 metres and quite alpine in character. The evening light did them justice against the blue sky.

The scooter tracks at last reached Verntrask bay where there was a collection of some 20 houses. However, they did not go in but continued across the inlet and round a smaller peninsular before heading inland. It was now 1730 and I still had 10 km to go.

As I started through the spruce forest the weather changed abruptly as a snow shower arrived from the east. It was blowing into in my face. I considered camping but continued. The scooter tracks now started to climb up a valley out of the spruce and into the birch forest. Luckily the snow shower passed and the wind died as there was no protection from the bare birch trees.

On and on it climbed, most of it very gently for a good hour and a half, crossing open frozen marshes and sneaking up rivulet beds. I disturbed plenty of ptarmigan. Just as I thought about putting the head torch on I reached the top of the climb. I could just make out the Famnvatnet lake below me and see a smattering of lights on its north shore. One of these was Sivertgarden farm.

I was dreading the ski down in the dark but the scooter track provided a very gentle run down. I enjoyed it despite my tiredness once I was confident it was not going to plunge down. It snaked down with me barely able to see beyond 10 metres, for 2 km until it reached the road. Form here I only had an easy 2km to go.

I skied along the road as it was easy covered in old snow with the recent snow shower covering any gravel. I passed a couple of houses and then reached the farm at about 1930. The farmer, a young man, was in the barn with the 40 sheep he had. He was surprised to see me and amazed I had come from Hattfjelldal.

He was very kind and even carried my skis to the small cabin he rented out. He showed me his house for toilet and shower. He offered me bread his wife had just baked and spreads. I accepted them as I could not be bothered cooking, or indeed eating, the dried food in my pack.

The farmer and his wife were not from here but bought the farm at the turn of the century. It was dilapidated so they got it cheaply. Since then they had restored the 2 houses and various cabins, built a barn, raised 4 children and worked as a teacher at Verntresk and as a nurse.

He lost a few sheep every year, to wolverine mostly and the occasional bear. He had seen wolf prints around the farm but never seen them. His farm was one of about 5 on the north side of Famnvatnet lake. Behind them rose the birch forest which then petered out up the mountain. They were very hospitable as rural north Norway seems to be.

I returned to the cabin, now warm with the huge stove heating the small room and ate the bread. I tried to write but fell asleep in the chair at about 2200.

It had been a long day. My longest yet in distance but not in effort or time. I ended up exactly where I wanted to be after a spectacular day.

Distance 18km | Time 3.5hrs | Ascent 230m | Descent 320m

I was both physically and mentally tired when I dragged myself out of bed at 0730 this morning. It was a long day and late night. I felt pretty sore around my ankles and the soles of my feet. However I slept very well in the comfortable bed with cotton linen.

The lady who owned the cabin came over in the morning to settle things. She amazed us by saying we could stay for free. Not only was it a great cabin, house really, but completely free. I almost felt embarrassed by her generosity. She rented out a few cabins at Kvalpskarmo which seemed a pretty place tucked away at the end of the road.

We set off at 0900 under a blue sky. The forestry track which we were now to follow was an extension of the road but was not cleared from snow. However this uncleared 9 km was a scooter track in the winter which gave perfect skiing conditions.

I shot off as my skis were well waxed and enjoyed the fast undulating ski through the spruce forest. I nearly took my jacket off but the downhill sections were cold. After these pleasant 9 km the road was now cleared from the other direction up to a picturesque farm. This farm had a herd of sheep in the snow covered fields. Usually sheep are kept in the barns all winter in comfortable conditions before they go up to the summer pastures. I suspect these sheep were breed for their fleece as a specialist wool variety.

I was getting rather bored of skiing along roads, even deserted ones like this. The snow is packed like ice and the skis are very slippery despite copious waxing. This means my arms work hard. In addition on the downhill sections which are very fast there is a lot of gravel embedded in the snow which damages the skis and strips off the wax. There was just 4 km to the junction with the main road up Susendal which went on the east side of the valley.

I had skied or walked down the very quiet west side of Susendal for about 26 km now since coming down from Borgefjell last night. It was an interesting cultural landscape dominated by farming and small scale forest harvesting We now crossed a wooden bridge over to the east side for the last 3 km on the busier road.

This road had a sparse covering of ice and snow at the sides. To frustrating to ski so I took them off. Andre continued with his sledge scraping the base. We passed a few chatty pedestrians walking dogs before we reached Hattfjelldal.

It was a reasonably large village or small town, with a saw mill and perhaps 500 houses. It had a shop with a sports department, a bank, a post office, a café, and a cheap hotel with barrack style rooms. We checked into the barrack rooms and then each did various chores like repair ski bindings and shop.

Tomorrow we would split up. I would head onto Reesevatnet and then go halfway up it before leaving it to cross into Sweden to pick up the very southern end of the Kungsleden track by Hemavan. Andre will continue to the North of Reesevatnet and then go through Okstind and Saltfjellet before crossing to Sweden. His route will cost him a week but if the weather is good will be more scenic.

Kungsleden is a long hiking and ski route from Hemavan to Abisko. It is about 500 km in all. After a bit of zig-zagging at the southern end it heads north. It has a few stretches without cabins for up to 60 km in the southern end, but I feel confident I could do these in a tiring day. Halfway is Kvikkjokk where I have friends Bjorn and Helena. After that I skirt to the east of Sarek, probably the finest mountain wilderness in Europe. Finally Kungsleden passes through the Kebnekaise mountain area to arrive in Abisko and north Sweden.

It was an easy day. I had earnt it yesterday. The ski down the scooter tracks in the forest was great but the road section spoilt it a bit. The weather however was on my side and it was a beautiful day. It was just a pity that I was not in a mountain region to really appreciate it.

Distance 53km | Time 14hrs | Ascent 740m | Descent 920m

We got up at 0500. It still took some 2 hours to breakfast, pack, wash up and tidy up the cabin. So we didn’t leave until 0700. It was a wind still overcast day with mist obscuring everything but the valleys.

I set off with a mission to ski right over Borgefjellet to Susendalen on the north side of the park where there were some overnighting possibilities. Andre thought he would overnight in a shelter before the descent to Susendalen.

Luckily the snow was at last consolidating in the forest and with the recent mild weather which was sometimes even plus 1 or 2 when it later froze it provided a hard surface which supported my weight. The 6 km ski up through the forest was therefore quite easy.

The spruce disappeared quickly. There were no pines above the spruce in this valley and the birch dominated the higher forest. As I skied past one birch there was a white flash at my feet as a ptarmigan which had been partly buried under the snow took off.

As the end of the forest I stopped and waited for Andre who had a sledge of 45 kg and a rucksack of 15. It was far too much stuff and it slowed him up a bit.

We then climbed up into the higher valley east of Gaukavatnet. Here there were undulating moraine piles and small lakes to ski through. We made quick time and the sun was trying to break through. There was a bright luminous quality to the snow against the grey mist higher up.

We crossed Store Kjukkelvatnet and reached a locked cabin on the north side It was probably owned by a Lapp and used for reindeer herding. After lunch we continued north across a couple of smaller lakes and climbed a small rise.

After the rise we seemed to enter a different climate. There was blue sky to the north while to the west the Queen of Borgefjell, Kvigtind mountain, appeared. Some of the slopes were covered in mist but the general shape of the peaks and glaciers were obvious. It was a beautiful sight.

We then skied across a high plateau deep with snow and in full view of Kvigtind for the next 15 km. The sun was strong and despite the altitude it was very warm. I soon worked up a sweat. It took about 4 hours to ski these 15 km to reach the shelter at Legdvatnet. This shelter lay under the other big mountain of Borgefjellet called Golvertind, 1682m.

The shelter contrary to the map description turned out to be a substantial cabin which was locked. Andre decided to follow me down to Susendalen rather than camp here.

It was mostly down hill from this cabin to Susendalen. I went west to try and follow the ridge down. I wanted to avoid the knolly ravines near the rivers on each side of the ridge. Andres’ sledge was less manoeuvrable and we got separated. I thought I would blast down and get a cabin and warm it up rather than wait.

The ski down the ridge was initially enchanting. It was not too steep and the snow amongst the birch trees was firm. I weaved in and out for a good 3 km until I reached the first spruce. There were some scooter tracks here. I tried to follow them but they were too steep so I zig-zagged through the forest until it became difficult.

The scooter tracks were firm so I decided to remove my skis and walk down the steep bit. As I removed my skis Andre arrived. I was astonished to see him as I saw him heading into a difficult gnarly area half and hour before.

We soon reached the snow covered road and skied down to the farm the map said had accommodation. We reached it in 10 minutes. It was a beautiful old log farm called Sorgarden. There trouble was it was completely closed and there was no one there. We went to the next and asked the farmer there what he knew.

Andre and him made quick arrangements with a farm 3 km back up the valley at Furuheim. They had cabins and served food. A van was dispatched from there to pick us up. By the time the van had arrived I caught the drift of what was happening.

I will walk the whole of Norway. Motors are not part of my agenda. So I declined the van. In addition I was not going to walk 3 km south back up the valley to return tomorrow. So I declined the accommodation at Furuheim.

There was accommodation another 11 km down the valley in a north direction at Kvalpskarmo and a phone called arranged this. It was nearly 1900 however and I would not get there until after 2100. Still it was a very quiet lane and a nice evening. Andre had had enough and asked the van driver from Furuheim, who had already driven 3 km to find his business evaporating, to drive him and the sledge the 11 km to Kvalpskarmo.

It was a very nice walk for me. There was not enough light for me to ski and the head torch didn’t really show the roads surface and potential gravel so I walked it with skis on the pack. Some stars were out but it was too overcast to see the northern lights. I still have not seen them on this trip but am sure I will soon at the Abisko area.

It was a long walk for my tired feet but eventually just after 2100 I reached the supposed cabin. It was actually a house and extremely comfortable. The stove was lit and the place was already warm. It even had a bathroom with a shower.

I ate a oil rich supper Andre cooked. Had a shower and then started the blog. I didn’t finish until 0100. However I knew if I left it until tomorrow it would be worse. The next destination was Hatfjelldal and it was now just 18 km down this lane. I wanted to get there early enough to buy a few things.

It had been a long day, equalling my distance record. I felt I could have gone further if needed such was the level of my fitness and stamina now. It had also been a very very good day. The skiing was excellent and it was nice to be back in proper mountains again after the farms and forests of North Trondelag, nice as they were.

Distance 29km | Time 7hrs | Ascent 200m | Descent 190m

The advantage of staying in a guest house is it very quick to get going after breakfast. This guest house also served breakfast at 0700 after we and the other two guests requested it. We were therefore ready to go at 0800.

It was a mild overcast grey day just below zero degrees. Snow was sliding of the roofs in Royrvik in metre thick avalanches. A car or human would be damaged by these cascades.

Andre was back on the Norge Paa Langs trip again and caught up the last two days with the help of a van. We set off up a snow covered road for a couple of km to the north and then took a smaller road for 14 km to Namsvatnet. Here there was a parking place for hikers going into Borgefjell National Park.

The ski up the road was fast. The snow was hard packed and my skis flew over the surface. On the few uphill sections they wanted to slide back so I had to work hard with my arms. Andre with his ski skins on and sledge was soon far behind.

I passed a few farms en route. Some were very well kept and others looked like the parents had passed on and the kids didn’t want to farm so mothballed the place. The latter farms could have done with a coat of paint to protect the wooden buildings.

The forest along this road stretch was mostly spruce with some birch. Frozen tarns dotted the forest. I passed one old farm where there was and old couple cutting wood with a saw and splitting device on the back of a tractor. They had cut a vast pile and were obviously going to sell it.

At Namsvatnet parking place there was a small information room attached to the side of a cabin to rent owned by Royrvik mountain committee. This committee looked after the mountainous region in the area, issued hunting and fishing licenses, made sure no one infringed regulations and also rented out some cabins, of which Viermahytta was one.

I waited for Andre here and chatted with the committee employee who policed the area. Some Lapps appeared and were going to Viermahytta vicinity to clear his cabin roof from snow. They would make tracks for us now which was great as the hydro power snow depth measures had to change plans.

When Andre came we set off soon after. The route was well used by various scooters across to an area with a a few cabins called Sandvika. It then followed the north shore of Namsvatnet lake occasionally in spruce forest and occasionally on the lake itself. The scooter tracks stopped a few km from Viermahytta at Bustadslatten.

We followed some ski tracks for another km until we came to a lonely ice fisher. He had spent the last 9 days staying in a nearby cabin and coming down to the lake to sit on his stool and hoist small roye fish out of the small hole. He liked the peace and quiet to unwind from his job as a psychologist.

Just beyond him we picked up the Lapps scooter tracks again. The Lapps have permission to drive scooters in National Parks in connection with their reindeer herding. His reindeer were down on the coast near Steinskjer but would return in the spring to their summer pastures. Occasionally they misuse this permission to go illegal hunting but generally they are responsible.

We chatted with them for a good half hour when they returned from clearing their cabin roofs. They claimed March was the most snow rich month and it was better to clear it now as if it got too deep and then rained the snow would act as a sponge and the weight would be enormous on the roof timbers.

Soon after them we arrived at the small simple Viermahytta. It had a stove, gas and 6 beds. It would be easy to heat it up. I got the stove going while Andre collected snow. It was about 1600 now and we could look forward to a warm cosy hut for the evening.

I wrote the blog and then cooked a dried meal and mash potato for supper. Andre had some cognac and we polished that off in the evening as we chatted in front of the fire. Tomorrow we would go into Borgefjell for a day or 2 before going our own ways again.

It had been a pretty easy day. Although I covered a good distance it was largely flat so quite fast. The weather was not unkind but being grey and overcast cut out and view of the mountains in Borgefjell. The cabin was a nice finish to an easy and somewhat uninteresting day.

Scotten James Baxter (49) har tenkt å gå Norge på langs på ski. Deretter skal han dadle tilbake. Godt da, å få hviledag på Otta. Av Truis Gjefsen.

Copy of an article appearing in this month’s copy of the Norwegian magazine Norddalen.