Ski and Paddle Norway 2009

Distance 14km | Time 6hrs | Ascent 360m | Descent 390m

I was up early and away by 0830. It was a hellish day. The same as yesterday but just below freezing. Spindrift swirled around the cabin as I put my skis on. Visibility was just about 300 metres. Reluctantly I set off to the highest point at 1150 metres at Vardebrotet.

Mercifully the force 5 was at my back as I climbed the first hill and then entered the shallow valley which would take me all the way to Vardebrotet. In this shallow valley visibility got much worse, sometimes down to just 50 metres. I was forced to ski from one boulder to the next using the compass. The boulders were the only defining points in the white.

After a good hour I was finally climbing the final slopes to the cairn which marks the pass at Vardebrotet.  Despite the heavy snows the ascent was reasonably smooth except for the visibility.

The descent was quite different. The southerly winds of the last days had blown the snow off the south facing slopes and onto the north facing slopes. So the slope I was going down was absolutely plastered in snow. Even the boulders, so vital for judging the lie of the land, were gone.

I very gingerly stepped down the featureless white slopes. I was throwing snow in front to feel my way down. I moved very slowly with great caution yet 4 times I plummeted over an invisible drift I could not see until I was half way down it. Luckily none were more that 3 metres and they all had a very soft landing. None the less the first seconds of each fall were frightening.

After a good hour of this cautious descent the weather at last broke sufficiently to give me a longer view of about 100 metres. I was still cautious however, and only just avoided going over a few more cornices.

At last I was down to a flatter area where the land levelled out across some frozen lakes. I checked my GPS and confirmed I was at Savatn which marked the end of the descent from Vardebrotet. It had been an interesting and taxing crossing.

From here I skirted the end of the huge Svartevatn lake and then headed up through sparse upper limit of the birch forest and then followed a stream up some 3 km to Kringlevatn lake. Again during these 3 km the blizzard continued to fluctuate from gentle to almost violent.

At last the cabin appeared out of the whiteness. It was very welcome as I had not stopped all day. When I got to the cabin I had to shovel a metre high drift away from the door to get in.

Within an hour of arriving the cabin was warming, my damp cloths were drying over the fire, buckets of snow were melting and I soon forgot about the blizzard outside.

It had been a hard day. The visibility and wind had tested my navigation to the limit. Most disconcerting was the inability to see the ground in front of me. Luckily I was just following valley floors most of the time and the unforeseen drops not as serious as they might be on a mountain ridge.

I had an early night hoping this weather system would blow itself out in the night.

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

The forecast was as predicted. When I got up at 0600 there was a blizzard of sleet. The temperature was just above freezing and the new wet snow was melting the old. Even in the dark I could tell visibility was poor. Just to emphasize the point there was a huge roar as at least 50 cm of snow slid of the hut roof in an avalanche.

I went back to bed, getting up occasionally to make sure things had not improved, but they did not. I eventually surfaced at 1000 and lit the stove knowing I would be here all day. The weather outside was quite poor, especially the visibility.

With the fire going I settled down to a pile of books on this area which the organization who owned the cabin produced each year. These yearbooks of the Stavanger turistforenging made fascinating reading. I also poured over the maps again fearful my progress was slowing.

These mountains were renowned for their changeable weather. It was greatly effected by the Atlantic weather systems with a lot of freeze and a bit of thaw in the winter months.

The harshness of the climate here was such that the winter snows often had a layer of ice in them and the vegetation at the bottom was often covered in harder icy snow. This made it much more difficult for the reindeer here to find food in the winter than their cousins further north and east. As a result the reindeer of Setersheiene are considerably smaller than other wild herds in Norway.

I went to bed early at 2000 hoping for and early start. Over 50 centimetres had fallen, much of it wet, in the last 2 days and I had no idea how it would be tomorrow. A freeze would be no bad thing otherwise I will be up to my knees, even with skis on!

Distance 6km | Time 3.5hrs | Ascent 270m | Descent 60m

It was snowing heavily when I got up at 0800. It would just have to be half a day to Storevatn, as Kringlevatn involved an exposed pass and the visibility would be terrible and the wind quite strong.

I had a relaxing breakfast with the two others and we all set off about 1000. It was still snowing heavily when I left and the temperature was just above zero. There was apparently a queue of low pressures waiting to hit southern Norway over the next few days.

The wind was less than forecast and the snow was settling everywhere. As I skied up through the birch forest it was a very wintery scene with the bare twisted branches thick with new snow.

I slowly weaved my way through the birch trees as I made for a pass at the south end of Storevatn. The going was slow as the snow was 20 cm deep and it kept clumping up under my skins and even freezing to the rest of the ski. The great clods which formed had to be beaten off regularly. Still the winter’s postcard scene more than made up for it.

By the time I climbed the pass to the south end of the Storevatn lake the wind had increased significantly and visibility was down to about 100 metres At least the weather, which was almost a blizzard, was directly behind me

I gingerly made my way over the lake for 2 km until out of the whiteness the cabin emerged. It was a very unusual cabin and was covered in galvanized plates. It was freezing inside literally, and I soon had the stove going. Within 2 hours it had warmed up.

I was glad I did not attempt the pass as the visibility was dreadful. Once on the north side of this pass it was open country to the next cabin and navigation would have been extreme. Indeed I would not have been able to see the snow in front of me without throwing snowballs ahead as markers.

The cabin at Storevatn was once part of a huge estate. A Mr Heiberg bought a lot of this mountain plateau some 100 years ago. On it he build some 30 hunting cabins. Then he charged rich Europeans to come and hunt wild reindeer on it.  Storevatn is one such cabin.

The intention was not just carnage for the gentry, but Heilberg also introduced a benevolent system of wildlife management and preservation. However with the outbreak of the second world war the clients dried up and Heiberg was forced to sell to the state who maintain it to this day.

The state has not been a good a custodian as I am sure Heiberg would have liked and allowed the building of 3 huge hydro electric reservoirs in this midst of this land. These reservoirs are very important economically but completely messed up the wild reindeer’s migration routes and calving areas. None the less as long as there is no further encroachment this Heiberg legacy is a very important one to the preservation of the Setersheiene mountains and plateau where I now find myself.

It was a short but quite difficult day. The blizzard gave a taster of what I can expect from time to time on this trip. As least the area here is well peppered with outdoor cabins and if the days are hard, I can just do a half day.

Distance 20km | Time 7hrs | Ascent 370m | Descent 470m

I managed to get up at 0700 and set off by 0830. It was just below freezing in the dawn light. By the time I reached the west end of Oyuvsvatnet lake I could make out the snow clearly.

I climbed the saddle leading over to the next lake called Hohellervatnet. I made heavy work of skiing down to the lake. I was not used to skiing with these skins on and I often broke through the crust.

While crossing the lake I met two very experienced Norwegians. They were preparing for a trip to ski the length of Spitsburgen in a couple of months. One had also skiied Norge po langs 2 years ago. We had a good 10 minute chat.

After Hohellerenvatnet lake the route I chose took me up Ramsdalen valley and down Anlaugdalen valley for a good 10 km. The route followed a string of lakes and ascended to 1050 metres.

These valleys were very barren and thick with snow. The lakes were all frozen.for a good metre. I made slow time along the valley which was misty much of the time. Navigation was difficult as occasionally I could only see 50 metres.

The descents were again tricky now compounded by my tiredness and the lack of definition in the snow.I fell about 5 times and walked one section to save damaging anything in the inevitable fall.

As I descended past some massive craggy buttresses the visibility returned. To the west were lower mountains which were also covered in snow and locked barren. A couple of ravens, always acrobatic, put on a show for me.

Rounding a corner, under a craggy knoll the hut appeared. It was a short ski through the upper birch trees again. The were two others at the cabin. We enjoyed a very sociable evening.

The forecast for the next 3 days was apparently grim however with masses of sleet or snow. There was a hut halfway between here and Kringlevatn called Storevatn. It might be more realistic especially as I was tired.

Yet another good day. Some of the visibility was testing though, and in wintery conditions. The downhill skiing sections frustrated me a bit. All is all it was a good day and this was topped of by good company at the cabin.

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.