Ski and Paddle Norway 2009

Distance 37km | Time 7hrs | Ascent 680m | Descent 650m

After a comfortable stay with the Reitan family I was completely refreshed and ready to finish the North Trondelag section with a ski to Royrvik. Like all my stays in North Trondelag the hospitality was fantastic and even the kids made me welcome here.

Leif and his brother owned a fair bit of land between here and Limingen. A lot of it was forested and they used scooters to transport the wood. I should be able to ski from one farm to the other on these old tracks. This would replace 8 km of hard road snow with 8 km of interesting forest.

I found the tracks easily enough and followed them through the spruce forest and then up the hillside to the birch forest. It was quite steep in places and my skis were not waxed well, making them slippery and hard work. It was a nice ski however and I got a slight view down Tunnsjo lake.

At the top the weather changed and a blizzard arrived from the east. It was a strong wind, driving snow and poor visibility. Luckily like most quick changes in the weather it did not last long and by the time I had descended into the spruce on the Limingen side it had blown over.

The descent to Limingen through the spruce was steep. Too steep to ski directly so I left the tracks and made large traverses in the forest using the deep snow to slow me up. Eventually the forest spilt me onto the fields of Fjellvang farm which was Leifs brothers farm.

I decided to ski across a narrow section of Limingen lake here to avoid a detour on the road. There was a large patch of open water just east of the farm which was caused by currents in the hydro scheme. I went north west on a scooter track made by ice fishermen.

The fishermen were fishing for roye which is a very red trout type fish. They bored a hole in the ice with a large auger and then fished through this whole. The 3 fishermen had mad about 20 holes in all. I took a picture of one then carried on acros the lake to the north shore. There were no tracks here and the going was difficult with deep wet snow on top of the ice. Luckily it was only a km but it let me know the lake was no option.

I reached the road by Limingen island. From here my task was simple – follow the road north west for 26 km to Royrvik. The road was well covered in snow and the wind had deposited spindrift onto its surface. As such it was fast but my skis were still slippery. The weather however had improved a lot and the sun broke through in many places.

The uphill sections were testing and my arms were working hard to stop me slipping back even with a lot of wax. The downhill sections were fast and generally OK but there was the occasional area with gravel on the surface. I was making good progress.

I passed the old rickety farm at Deviktangen and soon reached Devik itself Devik was a couple of farms and a collection of simple leisure cabins. Below me on the west was the vast white expanse of the frozen surface of Limingen lake. It looked difficult to ski across even from here.

The final 10 km to Royrvik were tedious. The road surface was covered in ice and packed snow. It offered my skis very little grip and was tiring to ski along except for the downhill sections. On these I went like a rocket. There were almost no cars on this road.

At last I reached Royrvik. It was not before time. It seemed a friendly town with about 2 to 300 houses and a school, shop, petrol station and a simple hotel. The shop was still open so I bought some treats and then checked into the hotel.

Andre who had a couple of days with friends in Sweden arrived by car. He checked into the same hotel. Inevitably we will go together for a couple of days through Borgefjell. Also at the hotel were a couple of hydropower employees. They were measuring the snow depth to calculate how much water they would have in the reseviour later in the season. They were going the same way on snow scooters tomorrow so would make great tracks for us to ski on to Viermahytta cabin.

It had been a good morning but the long ski along the road was dull. It was the third day in a row with a lot of road work and it was getting tedious. Luckily it was now finished for a while. Mercifully todays road stretch of 26 km had gone relatively quickly. Tomorrow I could look forward to the mountains of Borgefjell. It was Norways second National Park and one of the biggest.

Distance 30km | Time 6.5hrs | Ascent 730m | Descent 730m

I got up early at 0600 as I had had my fill of rest. I had a breakfast of bread and spreads then set about packing. It is also customary to clean the cabin upon departure including mopping the floor. I seldom did as I kept places clean anyway but I did brush the floor. I said goodbye to the kind Mrs Monsen and set off.

It was only 10 km to Kvelia along the road but there was a ski trail which was 12 km. This trail was part of the Flytningsrennet race in a weeks time. I think it is a 43 km race which goes from Nordli in Norway to Gaddede in Sweden. It is one of the trails people used to flee Norway in the war. This trail went near Kvelia.

It started just by the Monsens house. After a few 100 metres I met another of Nordli’s friendly folk and he confirmed the route as we chatted. I must say again just what a friendly place Nordli is.

The wind was quite strong, up to a force 6. However, it barely troubled me in the spruce forest. The wide ski track would see quite a few contestants next weekend as they snaked through the trees and crossed exposed frozen marshes. On these marshes the wind had a bitter bite today.

After 3 km the track split. One route continued to Holand downhill ski centre while the other headed north to Kvelia. I followed this ski trail for another 7 km from this junction through undulating forest. It climbed a couple of times out of the spruce and into the sparse pines where the wind blew again. I saw a few ptarmigan here.

Eventually this ski trail reached Harrbekkvollen. I left it here as it continued east. I skied along a farm track to the quiet main road and then followed this down for a couple of km to Kvelia.

There was a magnificent old farm, Oppgard, above the road. I think it was a museum. The buildings looked very substantial and old. Soon after there was Kvelia shop. Unfortunately being Sunday it was closed. Otherwise I would have gone in to sign the Norge Paa Langs book they kept and to receive a free pair of handmade woollen inner soles which they traditionally gave all these walkers and occasional skiers. Another nice touch from North Trondelag.

From Kvelia there was a 16 km road which went up a valley over a forested pass and then down to Tunnsjo. I did not look forward to it but started off on foot with my skis on my rucksack as I suspected it would be a snow and gravel mix. To my surprise the road was pretty much covered in snow so I put the skis back on.

It was a very quiet road with a car every half hour. As I reached the top of the valley I crossed into Sweden. Then on the fast hard descent on the other side I crossed back into Norway. In the Swedish bit of some 8 km there was a lot of logging happening.

I reached Tunnsjo very quickly and passed straight through it. It had a school but the shop/petrol station had been closed for a year apparently. It was only another 2 km up the Royrvik road to where the lady in the petrol station yesterday had arranged some accommodation for me so I pushed on.

I got to Nynes before 1500. It was a family home with a granny flat attached to it. The young family were extremely nice and I was made to feel very comfortable in the granny flat.

I had a shower, cooked some nice mandel potatoes they gave me, wrote the blog and then went through to the main house as they invited me. Here they let me use the PC so I could send another batch of photos by post to Scotland They had three young sons.

They told me the ice on Limingen was not that secure and I would be best avoiding it as I skied north to Royrvik tomorrow. However they said the road was covered in snow and very quiet so I should be able to ski most of the 37 km along it.

It seemed a very short day but I had done 30 km quite easily. The ski along the ski trail was great but the road was not. Like all road skis or walks it was just to reach a better place. I could avoid the roads and go through the trailess forest but this would be very slow and even less enjoyable.

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

It seemed ages since my last rest day in Stugudalen some 2 weeks ago at least. I had covered a few km since then so thought I deserved a rest.

In addition I had a few nagging problems to sort out. I needed a shower and a cloths wash. My phone was not sending emails and I needed to update the dairy. My Berghaus yeti gaiters, one of their flagship products, needed sewing. In addition I needed to look at the maps to plan a bit what to do after Borgefjellet in a weeks time.

Nordli was a small friendly place where people had time to chat and ask questions. At the shop and petrol station everybody was interested in chatting, giving advice and generally being helpful. It was a charming small community and a great place to wander around.

I got some advice at the petrol station. The owners and customers said take the “Flyktningsloype” or escape route used in the war to flee to Sweden as far as Kvelia. Then follow the small lane to Tunnsjo senter where a lady customer arranged a cabin on a farm some 2 km to the north west at Nynes Farm. The next day ski down the lake to Royrvik.

This all made sense and fitted in with my plans. I could have continued up through Sweden but it seemed a tad dull just north of here compared to Borgefjell just north of Royrvik on the Norwegian side.

I returned to the cabin where Mrs Monsen had washed my clothes and gave them to me to dry. I then sent emails and reset my phone settings before having a siesta.

I went through to the Monsens in the evening to pay and chatted with them. They told me spring comes late here as the frozen lake acts as a deep freeze. Once the ice has gone the leaves unfold very quickly and the place erupts into a lush green paradise around mid May.

I paid for the cabin and wash and returned to repair my gaiters. The sewing was a challenge and I could have done with a thimble to force the needle through the rubber rand. Just when I had completed it without injury I broke the needle. We will see how good my domestic skills are in the next weeks.

I wrote the dairy which was quite a struggle and then crashed out at 2230. As I pulled the curtains 3 saw 6 Roedeer in the Monsens garden.

It had been a restful day. Almost dull and boring had it not been for the chores. I now felt keen to continue.

Distance 35km | Time 10hrs | Ascent 320m | Descent 470m

After a very blustery and noisy night I woke to find the inner tent covered in spindrift on the outside and frost on the inside. To reduce condensation I had sewn storm flaps round the circumference of the tent except the end panels, one of which was the door. The spindrift was blown by the gale through this gap. A mistake some 10 weeks ago.

Still the tent held up well despite this although the sleeping bag foot was damp as usual due to contact with the frosty inner tent. I boiled water and put it in the plastic bottles which I popped inside my boots to thaw them It was relatively warm however at minus 5.

Given the wind and the amount of spindrift in the air and also the mist on the mountains, both Andre and I were sceptical of going onto the rugged plateau of Hykkelfjettlet to the north, as a route to Nordli. This area could be very rugged with many corniced knolls and ravines and without good sight could present major problems and slow tentative progress.

We decided instead to head into the teeth of the gale and descend Fossdal for some 15 km to the 765 road. This descent down the valley was both forested and covered in frozen swamps. We would have to go from swamp to swamp. The swamps being treeless were open plains where the wind could blow and help pack the snow. The forest however would harbour deep snow.

We set off around 0830 having wrestled the tents down and packed everything in the driving spindrift. The gentle descent was quick and within an hour we were into the first of the conifers. These gave great protection from the wind but unfortunately we had to avoid them and seek the clear exposed swamps.

We managed to link up the swamps with minimal forest by heading down the north side of the valley and then about halfway down, by the knoll of Litlklokklumpen, cross to the south side. After about 3 hours we reached Holden lake where the wind reappeared in force.

It was a slow tedious 4 km east across the lake into the wind and with difficult snow. The views were very limited to the lake and surrounding forest. Eventually we reached the road. This was busier than anticipated and sparsely covered in snow.

Andre with his heavy sledge had no option but to ski hoping the gravel embedded in the ice and snow and occasional tarmac strectch would not scrape a hole in the sledge. I opted to put my skis on my backpack and walk.

Like this we passed the next 20 km. I cannot pretend that it was anything but dull and tedious. We phoned the shop at Nordli to enquire about a cabin there someone had told me about. This cheered us up. The cabin was arranged and the shop had a tradition of providing free coffee, cake and baked items from the Lierne Bakkery to all who did Norge Paa Langs. The hospitality in this area and Trondheim as a whole was hard to beat.

As we trudged along the road the free nourishment at the shop was something to look forwad to. We reached the top of a long climb and then on the descent Andre shot off with skis on and sledge bouncing along behind him. I continued to walk and eventually got to Nordli half and hour after him as it was getting dark.

Our hosts, Astrid and Ragnar Monsen, had a few cabins to rent and had a long and distinguished service to long distant walkers and skiiers. They had been passing through here for decades and the Monsens had looked after them. Their visitor book contained glowing reports.

On the way to the shop for the coffee, Andre arranged to dip out of the trip for a day or two and visit a friend who would come and pick him up in a couple of hours. I had a stricter regime to follow so bought food for the 2 to 3 days to Royrvik. We enjoyed our coffee and cake and then returned to the Monsens.

Astrid Monsen invited me to the main house in as Andre left and plied me with waffles, home made strawberry jam and more coffee. I suppose rural people the world over show much more generosity and hospitality than urban people and the Monsens were prime examples.

I eventually returned to my cabin at 2200 to have my supper and write the blog which I finished at midnight.

It had been a memorable day due to the windy exposed camp and then the hospitality in Nordli. The ski and trudge along the road will quickly be forgotten and rightly so. I have not really had time to plan tomorrow so it remains a blank canvas. It will have a late start however.

Distance 29km | Time 8.5hrs | Ascent 760m | Descent 680m

Mrs Gjevsjo prepared a super breakfast at 0700 for us. It was quite a spread which included a large plate of waffles, fresh bread, eggs and good Swedish coffee. We then said goodbye to them and set off around 0800 on a snowy, slightly overcast morning.

I was skiing with Andre Spica today who was also doing Norge Paa Langs. We had been overtaking each other for the last 3 weeks since Folldal after Rondane. It made a welcome change to have company and we chatted as we went up through the spruce trees to Livsjoen lake. We crossed this and then entered the pine forest as the sun came out.

I find the pine forests especially beautiful but with the sun and Nordic light the trees stood proud against the white snow, itself almost luminious white. We passed the small tarn of Setertjonna and then started to climb up onto the bare hillside.

The sun was out now and the snow showers had stopped. However there was a slight breeze as we climbed up the east side of Seterlifjellet. Once up there was some residual mist still lingering over the small mountains and filling this high valley.

Andre had a fancy GPS and set a course for the first of a string of lakes which went north for about 12 km. They were the perfect line to follow. The soft snow of the forest was soon forgotten as we sped from lake to lake. The snow was firm and fast. The mist was also lifting as the breeze increased.

It didn’t seem to take long to ski across all the lakes and pass between the saddle of Gauptjonnaksla and Finnhuva. It was a very nice ski and the snow was firm enough to ski side by side and chat. Andre took many photographs. The breeze however had now become a wind and rivers of spindrift were flowing across the snows surface.

After we passed this saddle we turned north east and crossed a wide open valley dominated by a sharks fin of a mountain called Lurusneisa. The wind had now become a small gale and was buffeting me about.

We fought into the wind as we rounded the north side of Lurusneisa and its dull northern neighbour and reached the southern slopes of Urdadalsfjellet. Because of the time and increasing gale we decided not to go over it but to pass to the south of it and find a camp spot hopefully in the trees of upper Fossdal.

This meant a final hour battling into the wind over a shallow watershed and then a quick descent down into what we hoped would be forested shelter. However the forest was just some sparse birch which offered very little as a windbreak.

It was only a strong wind here and we thought we could put the tents up in it. Within half an hour we were both in our respective tents sorting ourselves out with the outer flysheet noisily rippling and beating in th wind. It was not that cold, possibily only minus 5 so the tent did not get cold despite the wind.

I heated water on my small gas stove for the dehydrated meal I had for camping. Once this was finished it was dark and I thought I better do the blog before I fell asleep. I think I will probably put earplugs in so the wind does not irritate me.

It had been a good day. Progress was great and the views were OK. The wind rather spoilt things. However it could have been a lot worse and at least we could see. Tomorrow hopefully will see us to Nordli where the is a shop.