February 27, 2026

Day 20. Finse to Kjeldebu. 28 km. 7 hours. 480m up. 640 m down. Breakfast was even more of a bun fight at Finsehyttya as there were so many people staying. However the hosts had perfected the system and there were two streams. It started at 0730 and by 0900 we had eaten well, made our sandwiches for the day and packed. We then said goodbye to the witty Wilhelm who had been great company for the last 5 days. I also said goodbye to Cat Burford, the Molar Explorer. When we set off there was a slight wind and it was overcast, but the forecast was great for the day. As we headed south and skied over Finsevatnet lake to the south there were many groups of people heading off on small expeditions and day trips. Finse was a busy place and there was quite a vibe here but it was also a little noisy and even stressful. The further we skied from the lodge, hotel and railway station the quieter it got until in the end it was in the past.

We skied across the lake and then started up the shallow slopes to the south. The cloud was breaking up and there were more and more bright patches across the surface of the snow. To the SW the lofty icecap of Hardangerjokull was emerging from the mists shrouding it. Hardangerjokull was an ice cap, perhaps 15 kilometres in diameter, which sat on a plinth on mountains whose steep ramparts rose out of the Hardangervidda plain. Here and there there were some chinks in the ramparts and down these flowed glaciers from the ice cap above. It was a tremendous sight which was slowly being revealed. By the time we climbed up to the top of the shallow pass by Brattefonnvatnet the whole ice cap was clear and the sky was almost pure blue.

The trouble was as the temperature was rising the surface of the snow was getting less predictable and a few times when we went off the main trail, formed by hundreds of skiers, the frozen surface collapsed and our skis cut through to the sugar snow underneath. It was fine here but I thought the descent down the south side of Helvetes nutane would be too erratic for an easy ski down. We considered the options and decided to give this more adventurous route a miss and continue down to Finnsbergvatnet lake and then head west from here. It was two cautious easy sides of a triangle rather than an adventurous, exciting but potentially difficult one side of the triangle.

As we continued down the valley it got warmer and warmer with the sun fierce in the clear sky. I stopped to put sunblock on my lips and nose. There were groups of Norwegians sitting everywhere having their lunch on rocks here and there. We passed one group and I heard someone shout “James?”. It was a blonde lady on a rock with 3 others and they were surrounded by 4 pulks. I skied over and suddenly realized it was Hannah McKeand. When I said yesterday that Louis Rudd was arguably the UK’s most prominent polar explorer, I had completely forgotten about Hannah, probably on account that she now lives in the States. Hannah is a prolific polar guide and trainer and has been some 6 times to the south pole and plenty of guiding in the Arctic also. She is the polar queen with a huge character to match it. She is very well known and highly respected. It was again such a coincidence to meet her here. We chatted for a good 15 minutes, mostly with Hannah holding court with great stories and insights.

After Hannah we continued down to Finnsbergvatnet and stopped there for lunch. It was very hot in the intense sun and we could just sit there in our shirts without gloves on. After our lunch we continued west down the lake passing a narrow point on the lake where two peninsulas protruded in on opposite sides. Throughout the millennia this has been a place where Stone Age Norwegians have been trapping reindeer and spearing them as they tried to swim across the lake between the peninsulas. There are archaeological finds here going back some 8000 years.

We passed the narrows and then continued west, and then south down the valley following a line of lakes. It was such an easy ski with great snow on firm tracks. There had been many skiers down here in the last week but only one today and he seemed to have a pulk. We passed the place where the unmarked route from Helvetes nutane came down from the mountains to join the marked track we were on. In all it was about 9-10 kilometres down this valley and due to all the downhill sections it took less than 2 hours. There was a last trick in the trail as we had to climb 100 vertical metres up and over a spur to reach the valley to the south called Kjeldedalen. It was an immensely hot climb and I could feel my head beginning to burn in the intense sun. From the top of this spurt there was a fantastic run down the south side of the valley side into the valley. In places it was quite steep but it was possible to snowplough down the wider solid track left by all the skiers. We occasionally zig-zagged into the virgin snow on each side of the track but it could be fraught as the icy surface frequently crumbled and you sank down to your shins and fell forwards. At the bottom of the slope the 4 cabins of Kjeldebu came into view just a few hundred metres away.

There were two main cabins and we went into one along with 2 Norwegians and 3 English who came down the slope with us. However it seemed many beds in this cabin were booked and we might be turfed out of our beds if the people turned up. Rather than risk it we all moved into the other cabin which did not have any bookable beds. In the end there were 9 of us in the cabin and it got very warm with the fire on. After dinner I wrote the blog while Stuart chatted with a few of the other guests until suddenly it was 2200 and time for bed. It had been a great day with the best skiing and best weather of the whole trip so far.

Day 21. Kjeldebu to Sandhaug. 31 km. 7 hours. 630m up. 430 m down. The 8 of us in the self service cabin had a quiet night and everyone was up for breakfast by 0700. We had porridge, fruit salad, chocolate pudding and coffee which we needed to set us up for the 31 km day. It sounded a lot but it was an easy 31 km. After doing some hut chores like refilling the water buckets with snow and sweeping the floor we were ready to go at 0900. The tremendous weather of yesterday was now a distant memory and outside it was overcast but windstill. There was little definition to the snow and the Hardangerjokull icecap was lost in the low cloud.

We left the cabin and started to climb SE out of Kjeldedalen valley. It was not a steep climb but it was quite sustained and it took the best part of an hour to reach the plateau where we headed south. There was a bitter wind but the temperatures were near zero. On the plateau there was an easy 5-6 kilometre undulating ski south towards Dyranut and the main road. Apart from the large cornice clad knoll of Dyranutane itself the area was very flat and many kiters had driven up and were flying across the plain with their huge kites dragging them. Occasionally they accelerated to go at about 30-40 kilometres an hour and some put it in large jumps. It looked like an exhilarating sport. All the kiters wore helmets. We rounded the knoll and then started the small descent to the tiny hamlet of Dyranut which just consisted of two tourist huts. One was closed and the other did not look inviting. We decided to skip a visit and instead carry on south and find somewhere to stop in the shallow valley we were just about to ski into.

We left the tourist lodges, skied across the small Vetle Skiftessjøen lake and started the long gentle descent into Bjoreidalen valley. The descent was shallow and long at nearly 3 km. On the way down the snow was very thin and in many places the willow bushes poked through. Snow scooters had driven this way and battered a path through the vegetation which was covered with a smattering of sugar snow as we dropped down to 1000 metres. The descent was relatively quick and at the bottom we intended to have a snack and a drink. However  there was a police and department of nature scooter here making sure the frequent scooter drivers to and from the private cabins on Hardangervidda around here. There are strict rules for scooter drivers and heavy fines for any breaches. Despite this there is a gradual proliferation of snow scooters as more and more of the private cabins are allowed to use them for maintenance and transport of goods. We stopped and chatted to the police for a good 10 minutes before finding somewhere for a break. After the break we started the long shallow climb up Bjoreidalen to the south.

The climb was about 6-7 kilometres but it was gentle. The sun frequently broke through the veil of clouds and it warmed us despite the bitter wind. I was quite slow and Stuart forged ahead. I told him we could stop at Langavatnet lake in about 10 km. He surged up the valley skiing well with a good glide while I caught up with some older Norwegians and chatted with them. It was a pleasant easy stroll up the slope for a good hour until we reached the very rounded top of the ridge at Gunnarshaug. Here I left the Norwegians and took long easy strides down the very shallow incline until the smattering of cabins appeared at Hellehalsen and I could see Stuart at the outflow of Langavatnet lake, crouched down beside some upturned dinghies, lashed down with rope and covered in snow.

There was only some 9 km to go now. We both set off at the same time and found the going easy. There was a gentle uphill ski of some 6 km where we just gained 100 metres in all. The slope was so shallow you could ski up most of it and still get a glide. There were many kiters here with most of them dragging a smaller pulk. I guess they were practicing for a longer trip in Norway or even Greenland. I have frequently come across them in cabins on Hardandervidda which is the ideal place for them to play. The sun was shining across large areas of the hillside, especially on the other side of the large Nordmannslågen lake in a slightly hillier country where we would be going tomorrow. After at least one and a half hours of climbing we reached the barely perceptible crest of the ridge and then started down the shallow slope on the other side. Hardangervidda is termed a Peneplain in geography where a previously undulating and lumpy  plateau has been planed flat by recently vanished ice sheets. We smelt the wood smoke from the stove at Sandhaug Lodge and then soon afterwards it came into view just a few hundred metres away on the edge of the vast Nordmannslågen lake.

The lodge was open and the small self service cabin I usually stay at when the lodge is closed was locked and out of use. We checked into the lodge and got a bed each in a 24 bed dormitory. There was only one other person in the dormitory at the moment and it was not likely to get busier while the smaller rooms were. We emptied out rucksacks near our beds, hung up our damp clothes and then Stuart had a shower while I wrote the blog, finishing just before dinner at 1900. The lodge was quite busy with at least 40 people staying and there seemed to be a few larger groups of Norwegians. Usually they are in the minority but certainly not tonight.

The meal was not impressive and well below the usual standard. They could take a leaf out of Fondsbu or Iungsdalhytta’s book. It had all the panache of army catering. After the meal I went and chatted with 3 clever and witty Dutchmen who were all around 60. They were kiters and had come from Dyranut. Indeed we had passed them en route as they played in the wind a few kilometres before the hut. Like most Dutch they were great conversationalists and very informed.

Day 22. Sandhaug to Litlos. 24 km. 6.5 hours. 490m up. 540 m down. We had a great breakfast in the morning, Sandhaug had redeemed itself from the poor dinner with a sumptuous spread, including waffles and scrambled eggs. After that we lingered a little in the morning chatting to the 3 Dutch kiters, who were also sharing our dormitory. In the end we did not leave until 0930. The weather was much better than the forecast with large bright patches and a SW force 4 wind. It was also about minus 5 so all the damp snow from yesterday was now frozen solid and the surface was very hard. Had we been going in the opposite direction we would have been blown along on the flat. However we were going to have to battle into it. We skied down to the large Nordmannslågen lake where the Dutch were just setting up and the policeman from yesterday came by on a scooter with a wave.

We now headed west into the wind with our skis clattering on the frozen surface. It was hard to ski where there were ski or scooter tracks and we both found it easier to make our own tracks beside them on the virgin snow. After crossing the lake due west we crossed a barely perceptible rise of frozen marshes and very shallow ridges until we were south of Besso Turisthytte, which I think is only open in the summer. We then made our way SW in the bitter wind to the small Bessevatnet lake. The sticks and marked route carried on from here but I remember taking this way previously and it involved a lot of unnecessary up and down as it followed the summer route. In these icy conditions it would have been hard work climbing with slippery skis and descending on the fast surface with little control. Instead we decided to go a way I have been a few times previously which was up the gorge like Dimmedalen valley. It was a narrow cleft in the rounded hills and was a good kilometre long. It would take us to a series of lakes we could follow including Bismarvatnet. It would be much easier.

So we left the sticks and headed up Dimmedalen valley. It was small and narrow with a stream, sometimes open running along the floor of the U shaped gorge. It was a lovely and interesting ski but occasionally there would be some potential from avalanches after a good storm when overhanging cornices might collapse. That, and the 4-5 sections of open stream which needed negotiating, were probably the reason DNT doesn’t mark this route. Today however it was safe. We skied up the floor of the valley and had to climb around 2 areas of open stream and saw another 2-4. However it was easy and with half an hour we had reached Dimmedalstørnet tarn. We carried on over the tarn, crossed a tiny saddle and then more west to reach the larger Bismarvatnet lake. We followed the hard frozen surface to this lake for 3 km until the west end. To my surprise the winter route had been changed and now also came over a low saddle and onto this lake. So half way down Bismarvatnet lake we merged with the sticks. We followed them to the west end and then climbed slightly to Engelstjørn tarn, which was off course frozen over.

We had gone half way now and it seemed a good place to stop for lunch. Two bearded Norwegians from Narvik whom we had overtaken on our easier, more level detour joined us just as we were leaving. The bright sunny patches of the morning were now being replaced by a dull flat light as the forecast weather moved in. The surface was now dull and low clouds were starting to cover the mountain tops. Hårteigen, a familiar nunatak on the plateau, was easily visible as we started to climb the 3 km long gentle slope from our lunch stop at Engelstjørn tarn to a small pass just south of Flautenuten. On the way up this slope we passed the footprints of a large herd of reindeer who were going backwards and forwards. There were perhaps 100 animals. However previously I have seen a herd of about 500 animals here. It is probably the same here which got struck by lightning some 5 years ago and which left 165 dead.

At the top there was a quite easy run down a shallow valley. It was almost like a very gentle version of the Cresta Run. The wind was now up to a force 6 and it helped brake us as we went down the ice surface. We whizzed down to Ambjørnsvatnet lake and crossed it. Ahead I saw a group all pulling pulks. I guessed it was a Ousland Explorers group as I know they went this way about now and wondered if I knew the guide. We soon caught them up and it was indeed an Ousland Explorers group. The guide was Angus, from Dorset, whom I had not heard of before. We chatted for a good 15 minutes as we climbed up the shallow slope to the pass on the east side of Holken. However as we chatted the weather started to turn for the worse and suddenly we were engulfed by a force 8 wind and increasing snowfall. Angus had to attend to his group of 6 who were suddenly struggling in the onslaught.

We carried on up in intensifying weather and I am sure the wind had increased to Force 11 near the top with an insane amount of snow and spindrift. It was nearly impossible to ski forwards and even at the level saddle of the pass I had to herring bone forwards and Stuart even more so as he struggled to stay on his feet. It was an absolute mayhem and nearly impossible to see as the glasses were covered in snow. If you took the glasses off your eyeballs were peppered with snow like shot from a cartridge and it stung. I was very thankful for the sticks and it gave me some reference to the whiteout. At times I could not see the next stick and just clawed my way forwards leaning heavily into the wind until the stick appeared. The descent was full of difficulties and we crept from one stick to the next for a good kilometre. The sticks are about 30 metres apart so it took well over 30 sticks to reach Litlos cabin. It was one of the most intensive snow storms I can remember being in and we were both a bit shocked and in awe of its ferocity. When the lodge appeared it was a welcome relief.

The main lodge opened in two days time for the Easter season. However there was a staff member, Bridget, warming the place up. The self-service cabin was open but there was already a group of 10 Norwegians staying there and they commandeered the whole small cabin for 2 nights. We could have pushed our way in and slept on the sofa in the main room but they told us the lodge was accepting guests just to stay and we could stay in the lodge and return to the cabin to cook. We met Bridget at the lodge and she was incredibly helpful and cheerful and showed us a room we could sleep in. The drying room was already warm so we unpacked in there and then Stuart brought a chair in and read his book while I found a table in the empty lodge and wrote the blog until 1930 when we went over to the cabin to cook and meet the Norwegians.

There were 10 beds in the self service cabin in 3 bedrooms. All were taken by students and teachers from Sogndals Folkehøgskole, an alternative school to a university or technical college where students study sports or more artisanal trades like traditional boat building. In this case they were studying outdoor sports. They had tried to go up Hårtiegen today but the instructor decided to turn back when he saw the weather coming in. There was also an older German couple there who were sleeping in the main room. The whole place was too busy although the students were very chatty and friendly. We ate our dehydrated meal and a tin of peaches and then withdrew across the 50 metres of blizzard back to our room in the main lodge which had better facilities and was quiet.

Day 23. Litlos to Hellevassbu. 19 km. 5.5 hours. 440m up. 470 m down. It was wild in the night and I heard the wind roaring as it buffeted the lodge. I spared a thought for Angus and his team of clients on the Ousland Explorers trip who were crossing Hardangervidda using tents rather than staying in cabins and lodges. After such a trip one would be ready for a crossing of Greenland or Spitsbergen and many used it as training for such a trip. In the morning we went back to the self service cabin to cook breakfast of porridge and peaches. It was a little chaotic in the cabin with the 8 youth and the 2 instructors and they had taken over the whole place. However we muscled into a corner of the single table as they went to pack. Some of them seemed just 16 years old and it was admirable they were on such a trip. I spoke to one of the instructors, Jacob, who himself only seemed in his early 20’s but remarkably strong and capable. As we ate the sun appeared and the wind seemed to diminish.

By the time we were ready to go it was very bright with virtually the whole landscape bathed in sunshine despite large areas of cloud. However the wind was strong, up to a force 7, and there was a sea of spindrift flowing across the surface. The team of youths from Sogndal had already gone and we followed in their footsteps. However it did us little good as they were filled in nearly as soon as they stepped out of them such was the quantity of spindrift. Luckily it all stayed below waist height so our vision was not impeded. As we glided across first Litlosvatnet, and then Kvennsjøen, lakes we caught the youth up and I chatted again to Jacob. I thought what they were doing was great. They even intended to camp that night. It was such a far cry from what 99.9% of the rest of today’s youth were doing. The ski across the lakes was a delight and there was a great glide in the new snow which was not too deep and evenly spaced.

At the south end of the lakes were caught the two Norwegians from Narvik whom we met in Sandhaug. They had pulks with their “Arctic Bedding” bags poorly strapped on so they dragged on the snow. Here we all started to climb together up about 100 metres of vertical ascent straight up the steep valley side. The athletic Jacob stormed up with two pulks and then at the top descended the slope doing graceful telemark turns to go and help more of his clients. I am sure he will end up on polar expeditions. Most of the youth managed fine but the Norwegians had problems with their pulks blowing over and had to walk the icier sections. It was a good half hour climb and it was quite strenuous, especially where it was icy and polished by the wind. We tried to stay in the areas where the spindrift was lying as it offered more grip to our ski skins.

At the top of the climb we reached a wide shelf above Kvennsjøen lake to the north and the higher mountains to the south. As we headed east on this undulating shelf the wind was at our backs and we flew along with the sun in our face. Huge amounts of spindrift were blowing off the ridges which came down from the small mountains and it looked like there was thick smoke in places. Cornices were forming all along the lee sides and frequently became so big they collapsed and then another would form above the debris of snow blocks below. After a pleasant hour we crossed the most westerly of the two Tuevatni Lakes and found a sheltered spot on the shallow ridge connecting the two where we could stop and have a snack. The two Narvik Norwegians passed us and chose to stop a little further in a bit of a wind tunnel on the lake.

After our snack we continued across the easterly Tuevatni lake and up a shallow small valley to the pass. I had come this way on my Norge På Langs trip and remember getting into a terrible navigational muddle here some 16 years ago using map and compass in the mist as it was before GPS navigation was readily available. It is so much more precise and easier with GPS today but I always carry a map and compass in case of a gadget failure.

The descent down the south side of this small pass was great fun. The snow was either icy and very fast or settled spindrift lying on the ice in patches. It was easy to see the difference between the two in this light and you could accelerate across the ice and slow down in the powder at will across the hillside. It only took some 20 minutes to descend the entire 3 km to reach the Bjørno valley at the head of the Ovsta Bjørnavatnet lake and all of it was fun. It made such a difference with good visibility and sun illuminating all the nuances of the snow. Had it been flat light or even a snow storm this descent would have been much harder and we would have been much more cautious.

Once in Bjørna valley we continued SW up to a pass between the craggy Buanuten and Sandvikenuten. The sun beat down on the white polished domes on these hills and shone as if covered in mirrors. Yet there were streams of spindrift flying off the cornices like a giant Himalayan mountain. With the bright sun and the constant flow of spindrift towards me it reminded me of Antarctica. Occasionally there were steeper bits to the climb but generally it was easy and we reached the second pass of the day after some 45 minutes of climbing.

The descent down the other side was again great fun. We could traverse the icy hillside with the strong wind keeping us from accelerating down out of control.  Eventually the descending traverse ended and it was more steeply straight down to the cabin which had just appeared less than a kilometre away. Again all we had to do to manage the descent comfortably was to go from a patch of softer snow to a patch of softer snow. It slowed our descent and meant we could turn at will. Most of the softer snow was on the lee of the ridge we were coming down the crest of.  So if we strayed onto the icier windward side and shot off down the slope we knew we could just veer left or east onto the lee side and slow down in a drift.

Just as we neared the cabin we caught up with the team from Ousland Explorers. They were in good spirits after their nights out and were not stopping at the hut but going on for another hour or two. It must have been very tempting for them to be seduced by the fleshpots in the cabin and the smell of birchwood smoke, but they resisted. We on the other hand relished it and were soon taking our boots off and putting slippers on on the dry varnished floor. There were already three others in the cabin: a very, gentle, nice older Norwegian, called Espen, who had just retired as a psychiatric nurse, and two other Norwegians on inappropriate racing skis who got lost on the way here from Haukeliseter and found the icy surfaces extremely difficult. We took a 4 man room in the immaculate cabin which was extremely well maintained and I wrote before dinner while Stuart read more of his book in the cosy warm comfortable dining room. The weather closed in as the late afternoon unfolded and the sky clouded over and joy went from the landscape, however the wind dropped off. The rumour was it would pick up later and tomorrow would be a difficult day weatherwise. That evening we had mashed potatoes and bacalao again. Probably for the last time this trip as we hope to finish tomorrow at Haukeliseter.

Day 24. Hellevassbu Rest and Weather Day. 0 km. 0 hours. 0m up. 0 m down. Stuart and myself were up early at 0600 to make the final push to Haukeliseter some 25 kilometres away. We could hear the wind whistling and roaring outside the cabin but both ignored it as we ate breakfast and packed up. Stuart had to go outside to the wood and toilet shed and came back 10 minutes later. He was covered in spindrift and unusually quiet and pensive. I followed soon after. Getting to the wood shed was quite spectacular with the wind at my back but the return to the main cabin with its 20 metres into the strong gale in blizzard conditions was more than spectacular. It was a maelstrom of ice crystals and snow rushing headlong into my face like being pelted with a firehose of frozen water. When I returned we both agreed simultaneously that it would be foolhardy and unpleasant to set off for Haukeliseter in these conditions – especially as the forecast was for it to get slightly worse. We still had a spare day and this seemed the perfect opportunity to cash it in. Espen was also up and he was in no doubt he was staying put. The other two Norwegians from Drøbak were full of bluster about how they were going to go to Litlos but it was slowly emerging they were quite incompetent and clueless.

Once we made the decision to stay it was easy to settle down for a restful day of reading, eating, keeping the stove going and melting water. The Drøbak Duo kept looking out of the window and making plans to go to Litlos but Espen was determined to stop them. It later emerged on the way to Hellevassbu 2 days ago they had misread the GPS gadget and got lost. After some 12 hours, with darkness approaching, they pressed the SOS button on the GPS gadget. This sent a SOS signal to Garmin in the USA who in turn contacted the search and rescue authorities in Stavanger in Norway. Stavanger search and rescue dispatched a Sea King helicopter to find them. However at the same time they finally figured out where they were and skied the last 2 km to the Hellevassbu cabin. At the cabin they asked for help from 2 Polish skiers as to how to cancel the SOS as it was beyond them. As the Poles were sending the signal the whole cabin started to shudder and vibrate as the Sea King hovered overhead. However when they received the request to cancel the rescue the helicopter flew off back to Stavanger leaving the Drøbak Duo still at the cabin. The whole thing was a farce. Unembarrassed by their escapade they were now contemplating skiing in a blizzard to Litlos on their inappropriate skis without metal edges, in inappropriate footwear, which were like sports training shoes, without a spade or windsack or emergency shelter.

During the mid morning the 8 youth and the 2 instructors arrived after having spent the night in a tent. They were wet as the temperature had risen and the snow was now falling as sleet. However they were cheerful and the teachers were well organized and experienced. We quickly helped unpack their pulks and moved all their bags upstairs into the two dormitories. We then put on the two other stoves and collected 5 full buckets of water by heating the stainless buckets on the stove and then taking them outside to fill with snow which melted at once allowing the bucket to fill with water after 5-7 shovelfuls of snow. This Sogndals Folkehøgskole team soon settled down and became the main centre of conversation. The instructors found a quiz book and soon we were all involved except the Drøbak Duo who had given up stressing and returned to their room for a siesta.

In the evening the instructors and Espen tried to persuade the Drøbak duo to return with us to Haukeliseter tomorrow morning, but they were having none of it. Tomorrow they naively thought were going to ski to Litlos for lunch and then on to Sandhaug for the night. Stuart and myself kept out of it but it was painfully obvious the Drøbak duo were out of their depth but too stubborn to admit it. Norwegians are very practical, cautious and humble but not these two. Stuart and myself went to bed just after dinner, which was the leftovers from the Sogndal team. It was their self made dehydrated chili con carne and it was delicious. Making it on a dehydrator at the school was all part of their outdoor education course. We set the alarm for 0400.

Day 25. Hellevassbu to Haukeliseter. 25 km. 6.5 hours. 490m up. 680 m down. The wind did not abate in the evening but by the time the alarm went at 0400 it seemed a strong breeze, but there was still spindrift flying off the edges of the drifts outside in the torchlight. However I could also see that there were a few stars so the sky was at least partially clear. It was essential we had an early start as I wanted to catch the 1315 bus from Haukeliseter to Oslo and we had to ski 25 km to get there. As we were having breakfast the Drøbak duo got up and started spouting how they were going to ski 45 km that day. I was finding them quite irritating and ignored them. We had our breakfast and were packed and ready to go at 0500. It was still dark but the next 2 km were either flat or up and by then the first light would have arrived. As we set off a snow flurry arrived and there was a mesmerizing stream of snowflakes flashing sideways across the beam of the headlights. It was short lived and passed soon and with it the last wind of what must have been a squall.

We reached the bottom of the climb after a kilometre and started up. All the hard icy frozen surface of the snow from 2 days ago was now submerged under a layer of compacted spindrift which was firm and easy to ski across. It offered a great glide and even on the steeper climb gave enough grip so we hardly had to zig-zag at all. By the time we reached the top of the slope it was approaching 0600 and dawn had broken and we could turn the torches off. It was mostly overcast but there were enough areas of blue sky to let the sun shine onto a few of the higher slopes and bathe them in a golden orange light. It was all going well.

It got even better when we passed the watershed at Skudskar at Simletind mountain and started to ski down the upper reaches of Borddalen. The snow was beautifully firm and it offered a fantastic glide. With each stride we flew forwards down the very shallow incline from one frozen lake to the next. The kilometres were starting to pass quickly and we soared past the small locked cabin at Kuntsbu on Midnutsvatnet lake. At the far end of the lake we spotted the red tent of the Narvik Norwegians and saw they were already up. We skied over to them for a chat and to find out how yesterday had gone. The first thing they said was what were the “crazy guys in the cabin doing”. We told them they were going to ski to Sandhaug 45 km away and they laughed. They said yesterday they had gone about 6 km but it was just too difficult to see so they stopped and put the tent up at the height of the blizzard. The reason they found it difficult, and indeed why the Drøbak duo got lost was because this section of the skiing route was not marked at all. Out of the entire 25 km only the first 3 km and last 3 km were marked. This was due to a dispute with a difficult landowner and the DNT. Without the twigs in the snow in a whiteout and blizzard all visual references disappear and it is like scuba diving in milk. After an all too short chat we carried on. It was a shame our paths did not cross more with the Norwegians from Narvik as they were fun and lively guys.

Pretty soon we reached Åmotsvatnet lake and skied down the lake to the small locked hydropower cabin at the south end by the small dam. By now the sky was opening up even more and there were large areas of blue sky and the mountains on each side were all visible. There was hardly any wind at all – in total contrast to yesterday. We passed the cabin and then skied down the narrower valley which was plastered in deep drifts for another couple of easy kilometres until we reached the start of the last climb. We had been skiing for a little under 3 hours and had already done 14 km. As it was not yet 0900 and we now had good time, we stopped here for a snack and drink for a few minutes in the cold, under a still low-angled sun.

I had to change my ski skins here to wider nylon ones which would afford me a better grip for the near 300 meter climb to the last saddle just to the west of Vesle Nup. The new skins were perfect and I managed to keep up with Stuart who was at a slight disadvantage with his narrower skins offering less traction. He had to zig-zag more while I could go straight up the slope. We passed to the south of Mannevatnet Lake and then traversed up the slope to the saddle itself which was covered in huge drifts and cornices as it was on the lee side of the prevailing winds and also yesterday’s blizzard. It was in these drifts that the Sogndals Folkehøgskule team intended to snowhole tonight before finishing tomorrow. Stuart and myself were very impressed by their ethos. We skirted the drifts and cornices and then found ourselves skiing up the final slope to the saddle itself. From here we could see the way down the otherside all the way to Slåvatn Lake which was our final destination some 400 metres below us. The descent was not marked by sticks and quite how the team from Ousland Explorers made it down here yesterday with the gales force winds, white out and snow driving into their face I don’t know. It must have been a very difficult descent and Angus very skilled with an intuitive knowledge to lead them down. For us now it was a delight as there was a very shallow ravine with softer deep snow on the west flank and floor of the ravine. We could simply come down in a series of turns in the easy, predictable, forgiving snow. It only took half an hour for us to make it. The “Heroes of Telemark” namely Terje, Anders and Erik from 2 weeks ago in Breheimen would have done it in 5 minutes through such was their skiing prowess. At the bottom by Loftsdokktjønn tarn the terrain became a bit more tricky with many small knolls most of which had small cornices on them. Again this would have been immensely difficult for Angus and his team yesterday.

When we reached the tarn the sticks reappeared in the snow as there was a marked circular route from Hauleliseter up here. Rather than go the usual way to the south which led to an impossibly steep descent we decided to go to the west over a nearly imperceptible saddle, called Ulveåskaret, and then down a wonderful fun descent for 2 km until we reached the main road. It was the first time I have made this descent as opposed to about 3 times the other way and this is by far the preferable. We crossed the main road and skied the last remaining metres to Gråvatn Lake which was bathed in sunshine and nearly windstill. We had now still 2 hours before the bus went and just 3 km to ski across the problem-free lake to reach Haukeliseter. It was a pleasant ski, almost a stroll, and we soon rounded a spur and there just a few hundred metres away was Haukeliseter with its beautiful old buildings on the edge of the frozen lake. The most impressive of these buildings was the old Nansenstue where polar explorers from the early romantic age over 100 years ago used to come and stay before heading out across Hardangervidda for polar training. We arrived and congratulated each other on what had been a great and memorable trip despite the poor conditions caused by 3 weeks of unseasonably warm weather. I would say on average it was at least 10 degrees warmer than it should have been.

We had an hour to go into the lodge’s bathrooms, clean ourselves up a bit, and put on less dirty clothes for the bus ride. Angus came down to meet us as we changed and told us about the difficulty they faced yesterday. We were in awe of his skills and I must take my hat off to them for seeing it through. The bus came at 1315 and both Angus’s team and Stuart and myself got on. I was nervous the bus would be full but it was still not quite the Easter rush so there were many seats available.

Some 4 hours later we got off at Hovik and were met by Roland, a friend from the past 10 years. He drove us to Hartmut’s near Sandvika, a friend for the last 43 years. Hartmut is an exceptional cook and there was a large and delicious curry waiting for us after a quick shower. It was a great welcome back into the world away from the winter wonderland we had immersed ourselves into for the last three and a half weeks.

 

Total Statistics. 25 Days (1 March 2026  –  25 March 2026). 423 km. 131 skiing hours. 10730m ascent 10750m descent.

 

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February 27, 2026

Day 13. Tyinkrysset to Sulebu. 10 km. 4 hours. 660m up. 180 m down. The small apartment had everything we needed, including a washing machine to clean nearly 2 weeks worth of grime. It was a great rest and a superb location beside the supermarket. I also managed to catch up with all my writing late in the previous evening. We had a short day today so we lingered a bit before setting off well after 1000. It was windstill in the valley but the forecast snow had already started to drift down in small flakes. Right beside the apartment was a ski poma to drag people up the piste. It was not operating and the line of the poma was a perfect way to access the mountains above. We skinned up the slope which was quite steep in places, where we had to herringbone. After just 30 minutes we had climbed nearly 250 metres to the end and were now above the trees on the hillside. I had come up just in a shirt, working hard, but now we needed to stop and put on more clothes as the snow was falling heavily and the wind was getting up. As expected the visibility was terrible and the light was very flat, meaning there was no definition to the snow at all, but it was not quite a white out.

It seemed there was a prepared track which was also marked by bamboo poles leading south from the top of the poma to a small tarn called Vesletjørnet and then further south to a larger lake called Tenlefjorden, where there was a small leisure cabin. We followed the bamboo which led up to the cabin climbing gradually all the time. The wind was certainly picking up now and it was already a force 5. Mist, snow and spindrift made every step a step into the unknown as apart from the bamboo 30 metres apart there was no reference point on the ground. Some 2.5 km from the top of the ski poma we reached Tenlefjordhytta. It was plastered in spindrift and looked grey against the featureless background.

Here the marked route veered right, which was counter intuitive to both of us and we checked the maps. However it seemed it was correct and there was even a signpost saying “Sulebu 6 km”. As we went across the undulating knolls on the north side of Tenlefjorden the weather got even worse with strong winds driving the snow into our faces. Stuart had a good glide on his skis but mine were totally balled up with ice and compacted snow. All I could do was shuffle forwards as if on sandpaper. These ski skins were great for climbing, but not gliding and I had to stop and change. Just then a maelstrom of vicious weather hit with storm force winds and huge amounts of spindrift and snow. I had to change skins but was also wary about losing a glove or even a skin in the total whiteout. I managed to do it but my hands were getting cold. Once on the new skins the glide was perfect and I soon caught Stuart up, who was standing with his back to the wind waiting for me. The maelstrom died down as quickly as it started and soon it was just a gale again.

To my great surprise it seemed we were on groomed cross country skiing tracks again, and had been for much of the day. There must be a network of groomed tracks up here. They were largely buried under new snow but occasionally they reappeared. It looked like they were going all the way up to the Sulebu cabin. We followed them as the snow showers came and went climbing in dreadful visibility beside the bamboo poles on the south east side of Gamlestogo Fjellet hill. It made for a relatively easy climb despite the conditions and with the bamboo poles every 30 metres or so you could read the lie of the land in what otherwise would have been a white out. On and on the route climbed with the sun trying to break through on occasion to no avail. Near the top we reached a gentle corner and there just 6-700 metres in front of us were the 3 huts of Sulebu.

However before we could get there another violent squall hit and it was very spectacular. I was being buffeted about but that was irrelevant compared to the huge amount of spindrift and new snow that was lashing me. It was impossible to see anything, not even the next bamboo say 10 metres away, and I just had to carry on with the snow peppering my face hoping I was going in the right direction. Eventually the cabins reappeared out of the maelstrom now just 100 yards away and soon we were there.

I have stayed here some 5 times since 1984 but could not remember which cabin was which. We checked all 3, and it was the last which was the best. One was just the warden’s store, toilets and wood shed. We immediately made a fire and started to heat the water so we could put snow into the boiled quarter pan and get a full pan of cold water. It was initially cold and miserable in the cabin and 3 degrees but within an hour it was 14 degrees and then after two hours 26 degrees and very cosy. Outside the wind was intense and it whistled round the cabin and sometimes obscured the other two. It was delightful to be in the cabin looking out and seeing the ferocity of the gale. I wrote the blog while Stuart had a siesta in the warm room before he woke to cook dinner from the provisions in the cabin. Tonight it was Spanish Bacalao and mashed potato followed by chocolate pudding. Thereafter we chatted in the fireside seats before going to bed early at 2100 hrs with the gale still raging just outside the well insulated walls.

Day 14. Sulebu to Skarvheim. 22 km. 6 hours. 260m up. 570 m down. The vicious wind from last night dropped through the night and the stars appeared. When the alarm went off in the morning it was a completely different day and in the first light I could see it was clear and cold with a shallow river of spindrift slowly flowing across the snow’s surface. The snow was well defined and every small drift and formation was visible. It had all the making of a good day at last. There was a notice in the cabin saying the usual winter route to Skarvheimen cabin over Suleskardet, about 1500m, was not recommended on account of little snow and there was a marked alternative via Sulevatnet lake that actually suited us better.

We set off at 0800 after tidying the hut. Initially we skied across wonderful snow. It was hard with a dusting of new snow and spindrift on top. The ski stick tips creaked when twisted in the snow meaning it was a bit like neve. I still had the narrow skins on and they gave me the perfect glide in these near perfect conditions. There was a chilly force 3 wind but it was just enough to keep you cool as we strode out up the slight valley towards Tysketjornet tarn on the east side of the craggy Sulefjellet mountain at 1812 metres. There were many avalanches on this side of the mountain where the snow from the last week had blown over and settled in the lee. Eventually this drift got too big and broke off sliding down the face. The valley was very wide and there was never a chance any would reach us. It was a wonderful ski in full sunlight.

At the end of Tskyetjornet we climbed a small rise and then started a superb descent down a gentle bowl to Sulevatnet lake. The snow was sparkling and you could see every ridge and ripple and you could also see the different textures of the surface, like where it was hard and icy and where it was soft and powdery, and react accordingly. This level of visibility made life much easier and it had been missing for nearly a week. With the confidence to see where we were going it was a wonderful descent and we could turn at will and enjoy it. The descent lasted for 10 minutes until we reached the lake itself. We kept to the shore where the twigs marked the route until we reached the dam which we passed on the north side.

From the dam there was a wonderful marginally downhill run for about 3 kilometres. The sun was still out as we strode out with a long forward glide on the leading ski. At last the skiing was excellent and we were really enjoying ourselves. In fact I felt euphoric. We passed a few old cabins which were probably there due to the hydro power but they could also have been some old historic hunting cabins from the local community. It was too high for sheep in the summer who prefer the lusher grasses near the treeline. After 3 km we crossed the frozen river and then climbed south over a watershed for a few kilometres to reach Masseringstjornet under some large cliffs. It was about here at the lake that the morning detour met the original route again. I much preferred the detour and will use it in the future.

It got slightly overcast as we started the main descent from Messeringstjornet down to the main valley of Mørkedalen. In total this descent was perhaps 5 kilometres and it was fantastic. You could just stand on your skis and plan your route down, swinging from bowl to ridge so it was a continual gentle gradient with no up. The snow was easy to read and we had some fun as we glided down. It was exactly what we needed after the last week.  Towards the bottom the gradient slacked off a bit. There were a few skiers coming up and we stopped for a chat with most of them. There was an Easter ambience to the mountains. At the bottom before the road we stopped for a snack and considered our options as I could now get a weather forecast again.

It seemed like it was about to snow, but tomorrow was good. Previously I crossed the road here and went up barren hillsides and across small tarns to reach Startjornet to gain the trail to Bjordalsbu cabin. In all it was about 14 km and about 5 hours. After yesterday’s white maelstrom when the wind picked up I was reluctant to embark on this unmarked route as route finding would be difficult in a blizzard. I had done it twice before in good weather and it was a great route but in poor weather and visibility it had its hazards. Instead we opted to go to the nearby Skarvheim cabin and then take the marked trail tomorrow. That meant skiing down to the road and then skiing down beside it on the snow banks which snow ploughs had piled up. It took an hour to reach the cabin but the skiing was not that pleasant.

The Skarvheim cabin was beside the road and I had never been here before. I was worried it had a special key but when I got there I was relieved to see it was the traditional DNT key. We let ourselves into the cabin and we were quite shocked by what we saw inside. It was like a house with electricity, a well equipped kitchen, a bathroom with a shower, 3 bedrooms with bunk beds and a wonderful cosy living room with a huge stove and open fire. It even had running water so there was no melting snow. Just after we arrived, so did Eric, a Belgian skier who had just arrived by bus and was spending the next 4-5 days heading to Finse – as we were.  I lit the fire and we settled in. I wrote, Stuart snoozed and Eric looked at his phone. By 1830 we were all active again to cook. That evening we had a stew and mashed potatoes from the provisions larder which was quite bare. Tomorrow we will go up to Bjordalsbu cabin and if the weather is as predicted we might even continue down the other side to Iungsdalshytta lodge. It had been a great day’s skiing – perhaps the best yet.

Day 15. Skarvheim to Bjordalsbu. 13 km. 4 hours. 660m up. 120 m down. Stuart was keen to get up and leave early. He got up even before the alarm went at 0530. I got coffee in bed by way of compensation. On the plus side it was a beautiful cold morning and by the time we were ready to go at 0700 it had been light for the best part of an hour. William, a late arrival last night, and Eric the Belgium were also up and preparing to go. We all left the cabin just after 0700 and headed down the side of the road to Briestølen lodge, which is always closed. The reason for the morning hurry was the weather forecast which predicted a strong gale or even storm from the mid afternoon onwards for 24 hours and we off course wanted to beat it. At Briestølen we could pick up an icy track which took us down to the frozen river and through a gate in a fence. The fence seemed to be erected to contain an animal disease called “Chronic Wasting Disease”. Once through the gate we were onto the mountainside and could follow the twigs poked into the snow.

Initially the path was very icy but as we climbed slowly up the alluvial fan where the river in Stardalen above disgorged centuries of silt and stones the snow got firmer. Soon we climbed the fan and entered a narrow valley which in places was a gorge. I had been up here once before 42 years ago but could barely remember it. It was a snow filled slot in the hillside. There was never an avalanche risk here with the exception of collapsing cornices after stronger winds. The branches stuck into the snow gave us a degree of confidence and you knew there was a route up this slot to the higher plateau above. There were the tracks of many other skiers also from the last week or two. Occasionally it was steep enough to herring bone up the slope but most of the time the ski skins provided enough grip. We climbed continually and efficiently, gaining 100 metres every 20 minutes or so.

Stuart was ahead and I suddenly saw him contending with a dog which was jumping up. There was someone running down the gorge to control him. I soon caught up and saw there were two campers in a tent on a shelf in the gorge and it was their frisky 9 month Samoyed dog who was wanting to play. He saw me and came bounding down the slope and was about to leap up when I brandished a ski stick. When that failed a quick delivery of the stick handle across the snout did the trick and he walked to heel back up the slope. It was a very playful but large dog. The owner was most apologetic and turned out to be an Englishman living in Norway, Tony Parker.

After a long chat we continued up the Stardalen valley which was opening out and becoming less gorge like. Soon it unfolded onto a sloping open plateau with  long easy slopes on lovely firm soft snow. It was about minus 5 and the snow squeaked when you twisted the ski stick. There were large patches of sun on the surrounding mountains and it looked plastered in snow. It was exactly as I hoped. Stuart was forging ahead but my ski skins did not offer the same glide and I lagged behind. On and on we climbed until there was a short descent down to Starsjøen lake. This was the lake I usually come across from the east on my way from Sulebu cabin, crossing the road where we met it yesterday and not going down to Briestølen at all. We crossed the edge of the lake and continued up the slope. It was getting colder and slightly windier and I had to stop to put on my gloves and jacket. Soon the wind had picked up to a force 3-4 and there was spindrift flowing across the surface of the snow. However there was still considerable amounts of blue sky and we felt optimistic we could carry on from Bjordalsbu to Iungdalshytta lodge. As we climbed up the last 5 kilometres these blue patches vanished and dark clouds gathered. But the time we crossed Nedre Bjordalsvatnet lake and skied up the final slope to Bjordalsbu Cabin at the pass with wind was a constant 4-5 and the light was very flat and the contrast in the snow vanished.

We went into the cabin to have our snack and consider the options. Stuart was keen to carry on for another 15 km to the next lodge but I was wary. It is a lovely descent most of the way but in the flat light and potential wind it would be difficult and there were always the predicted strong winds which were yet to arrive. William, the Norwegian, arrived and indicated in the light of the forecast he had recently seen it would be somewhat foolhardy so we decided to stay put. It was not as if we were in a hurry. We collected snow for water, fetched firewood from the outhouse and then settled down for the afternoon. Within an hour it had started to snow and the wind was up to a force 6.

Just then 3 French arrived from Iungdalshytta lodge. They had the wind in their backs but were a bit bewildered and excitable by the conditions. It soon transpired these older gents were a little hapless and out of their comfort zone. However they were joyful and happy and would make for a cheerful evening. A little later Mai-Kristin arrived having skied up from Skarvheim with the wind in her face. Unlike the French gents she was anything but hapless and very experienced. That made 8 of us now sheltering in the cabin.

As the afternoon wore on the wind picked up to a force 9 or 10. It was impossible to tell if it was snowing or not as there was so much spindrift swirling about in the air. It was spectacularly bad weather and the French were enthralled by its intensity. Bjordalsbu cabin sits on a pass so it was probably much worse here than where we intended to ski but we were glad we made the decision to stay. The cabin outhouse just 40 metres away was sometimes obscured but the white inferno outside. We all sat in the main kitchen/living area and marvelled at the ferocity of the weather. There was a branch right outside the cabin and even it was obscured from time to time.

Day 16. Bjordalsbu to Iungsdalshytta. 17 km. 4 hours. 130m up. 600 m down. The wind dropped off considerably in the night and by 0500 in the morning it was down to force 4, still enough to lift spindrift but not enough to stop us skiing. By 0700 in the morning it was almost windstill but the light was terrible as it was misty. According to the forecast the sun would burn off the mist and it would be a tremendous day. The French were up quite early and set off into the mist around 0800. It was about the same time the rest of us were just having the morning coffee and thinking about breakfast. There was an advantage to waiting if the sun would indeed burn off the mist. After breakfast we spotted the first blue sky and these patches only grew. Maj-Kristin and Eric set off first and then Stuart and myself and William last. We had about 16 km to ski to Iungdalshytta and much of it was gently down.

There were still some lingering patches of mist as we crossed Øvre Bjordalsvatnet lake but by and large it was sunny. The snow was superb as it often is after a storm. The spindrift had been blown for miles making it compact and where it settled it formed a firm surface. The skis glided well over them and we made good speed across the lake and up the slope on the south side. Wiliam soon caught up and overtook us as he had no skins on and was getting a long glide for each ski step.

We crossed another lake and then started a long downhill which was divided into a few steps. The upper ones were wonderful and the snow was so consistent. One could just stand there and glide down without even looking at the slope in front such was the smooth consistency. With this great light and smooth consistent snow the down hill was at last fun. I caught Willian and Stuart as they were chatting waiting for me. William then headed off down the next slope with his intuitive Norwegian skiing skills, almost part of his DNA, clearly visible, while Stuart and Myself were more cautious. It was a fantastic downhill section and superb fun. At last after 2 weeks we really enjoyed a down hill section in good light and snow.

As I descended I caught up with William again. He had stopped to chat to 2 people and I skied towards them. As I arrived William said ”James here is your fan club” I did not know what he meant until I saw the two people. They were Anni and Hege whom I last met 10 years ago when we were the only guests at Skogadalsboen. We had kept in touch ever since through Facebook. What a fantastic coincidence and lovely surprise. There were big hugs all round. It was great to see these sporty women again. Stuart caught up and we chatted for a good 10 minutes in the sunshine. They were heading over to Skarveheim and us down to where they had just come from. It was a shame our nights had not coincided in the same cabin.

After that joyous meeting we continued down keeping to the east side of a huge bowl which allowed us a two kilometre continuous glide as we traversed diagonally downwards to meet the twigs in the snow and the well established ski track which was getting more defined with every skier. There was a small rise now where Maj-Kristin and William were sitting in the sun Norwegian style eating their lunch. We passed them and carried on down. I felt the consistency of the snow waver a little underski as I came down which some suspect snow underneath. It was only when I slowed to turn I crashed through the top surface into the sugar snow underneath. The ski stopped but I and the rucksack kept going and I crashed into deep snow which was difficult to extricate myself from. Eventually I did but then 5 minutes later I did the same right in front of an ascending DNT group of about 10 people, mostly old Norwegians. It was humiliating. The leader warned me there was more suspect snow in the next few hundred metres until it got better again. I was very cautious for the last bit of the descent until I reached the valley at the bottom. There was now just a lovely run down the frozen river to reach the edge of the large Djupsvatnet lake near Toviki.

The day was now warm and comfortable and the surrounding mountains were plastered in snow. It was fantastic to have these conditions and I was at last pleased for Stuart who had to endure nearly 10 days of poor weather. This was now the best Mountain Norway had to offer. William and Maj-Kirstin caught up on the lake and after a quick chat overtook us and glided off to the lodge while we followed in their tracks, stopping to take photos. After 2 km we went over a spur and the lodge came into view on a prow above the lake with a spectacular backdrop of steep snow-covered mountains behind it. We sauntered along to it, climbing steeply to reach it.

Iungsdalen is quite an old lodge, perhaps 100 years old and has a reputation of local old fashioned food as was found here historically due to the summer farms. We slept in a dormitory as I was sure we would be the only ones and had the whole place to ourselves. It was the self service cabin which was used when the main lodge was closed.  It was what we were used to so we lit the fire to warm it and dry clothes. It was just the same as last night but tonight we would not have to melt snow for water or cook from the provisions. Tonight’s supper would be various smoked fishes caught in the lake, dried lamb thigh, rommegrot (a porridge made of cream) and other local delicacies which the old summer farmers produced through the centuries. The whole meal was delicious and unique in Norway. We ate with William and Mai-Kristin who were both very easy going with great humour.

Day 17. Iungsdalshytta to Geiterygghytta. 27 km. 7.5 hours. 1060m up. 890 m down. Breakfast was at 0745 and we were quite sharp in eating as many calories as possible and then making our sandwiches as we wanted to leave early. It was a longer day and the forecast was for the wind to steadily increase in the course of the day. The recent wind at Bjordalsbu cabin 2 days ago was a good reminder we did not want to be caught in such weather. It was already overcast when we left but absolutely still.

We headed west up Iungsdalen crossing many frozen swamps and tarns until we reached Eivindbotn, a corrie to the north of the main valley. It was here Eivind Fredlaus lived for some 19 years as a fugitive outlaw in the 18th century. He had killed a man down in the valley in an argument over a field and fled to the mountains before retribution. It is difficult to imagine how he survived for these 19 years with a bounty on his head, evading vigilantes and finding enough food and shelter to survive. Eventually he was shot by someone from Laedal. His story is becoming legend with books and even a film made about him.

Near Eivindbotn the marked winter ski route headed south and started to climb up the southern flank of the valley side in a series of zig-zags. The cloud was thin and the sun sometimes broke through the veil and shone a golden atmospheric light onto the hillsides. Stuart was ahead making the trail with me, Wilhelm, Mai and two French brothers following. It took nearly 2 hours to climb the valley side, then ski up the higher valley and up the end of it to reach the plateau where there was a collection of lakes. The one we reached was Volavatnet. It was some 5 kilometres long and divided into various bays and sections by headlands of moraine deposits. It was often difficult to tell if we were on the frozen surface or skiing on the snow covered boulder fields. By now the wind was increasing significantly and by the time we reached Kongshelleren cabin it was at least a force 8 and there was spindrift filling the air. It was a relief to get inside. It was not cold outside at all and for the last 2 kilometres I had terrible problems with the snow clumping up under the ski and skins so in effect I could not slide my skis at all but had to walk on my skis – which made it worse. I even took the skins off so it was bare ski with no wax but it was still happening.

We were nearly an hour in the cabin waiting to see what the weather was doing. It was not getting worse so the 6 of us decided to continue. It was a mad 10 minutes getting ready with those who were waiting standing with their backs to the wind which was perhaps force 10 at times. Stuart was locking up and when he was ready he came to join us but was blown over en route such was the power of the wind. I think we all felt empowered by being in a group, but if any of us were on our own we would have probably stayed put in the cabin.

We fought our way south down Langavatnet lake for a kilometre with the wind and spindrift lashing us. Someway down the lake there was a small rise and we entered a shallow valley to the north of Langvassnuten mountain. The more we went into this valley the more it protected us from the south wind until fully in its lee the wind was a mere force 4. It got so hot skiing and with the lack of wind we had to stop and take off some clothes. Thereafter we had a great ski down the shallow valley, round a spur to the south and over a ridge to enter another valley. During this stretch all the twigs put in to act as waymarkers had had all their bark stripped off by passing reindeer looking for any sustenance in these meagre times.

I had forgotten there was a twist to the tail of this descent and that was a steep descent from the saddle at Bolhovd down into Rossdalen valley and then a long climb up the other side. With the wind directly against us Stuart and Myself found it easier to ski down than it might have been. Mai and Wilhelm were both good skiers and were down at the bottom in no time. The climb up the other side was taxing and it was hard work towards the end of a long day to reach the ridge.

I was preparing myself for the long difficult 2-3 kilometre descent down the other side but again with the wet snow, skins on and the strong southerly wind to slow us it was actually very forgiving. Mai and Wilhelm found it very easy and shot off down to the lodge, while Stuart and myself found it right on the edge of our comfort zone. I somehow made it down to the open valley without falling and then went round a corner to see the lodge just 300 metres away.

It was not busy with just 25 people staying and Stuart and myself got a 4 man room with 2 sets of bunks and a west view. It was ideal for us. There were free showers and a trough-style sink to wash my skiing clothes. The large drying room swallowed up everyone’s wet gear and by 1830 I was refreshed and clean and waiting for dinner. The 6 of us, 2 Norwegians, 2 Scots and 2 French who had made it over from Iungsdalen today sat at one table. It was nice that the team which skied together ate together. The food was good, not Fondsbu, or especially Iungddalshytta standard, but still very good and what it lacked in top quality it made up for in volume. We ate well but then by 2030 and the end of the meal I was ready for bed. It had been a great day really despite the weather which spiced it up. What really made the day was the company.

Day 18. Geiterygghytta rest and weather day. 0 km. 0 hours. 0m up. 0 m down. It was forecast to be warm and wet today with temperatures at just over zero. The 4 of us, Maj-Kristin Wilhelm, Stuart and Myself, who had become something of a team over the last 3 days all decided to have a day off. It was a nice lodge with a relaxed vibe, the food was good and there was no reason to push ourselves in this unpleasant weather. I spent most of the morning writing while the others read books with their slippered feet up on the sofa and a wedge of pillows behind them. As always on a weather day you are anxious that the weather will not be as bad as predicted and if it is too good you end up feeling guilty you are wasting a day. One look outside the window however allayed any guilt and we felt perfectly justified being in and reading.

In the afternoon I uploaded everything and then had a small snooze. But by 1600 I was up and joined the others. It had been a long day and we were all glad for the rest but by mid afternoon we were getting bored. Just at that minute Eric turned up having come from a different route to the one we took yesterday. He said I had gotten very wet in the sleety rain. At last supper time arrived and it was reindeer stew and real potatoes. Again good honest food and plenty of it.  The 4 of us and Eric sat at the same table again and by now the banter was becoming quite fluent and we told more personal stories of our past. On the neighbouring table there were two more Scots and we learned we had mutual friends here. Fjell Norge (Mountain Norway) is a small cosy world.

Day 19. Geiterygghytta to Finse. 18 km. 4.5 hours. 530m up. 530 m down. Breakfast as usual was a rush to eat enough for the morning and make a packed lunch for the day. There was a huge buffet to help yourself from and lots of great bread which had been freshly baked. The quality of the food at all the serviced lodges was high, yet it was practical, delicious and honest also. Stuart and myself felt we were getting great value for our money. Maj-Kristin left early as she had to catch a train at Finse. Stuart and Myself later at 0900 and Wilhelm after us. We said goodbye to Maj-Kristin as she was a great skier, natural sportswoman and we stood no chance of catching her.

It was great weather with just a slight NW wind, but the sun was out and there was plenty of blue sky. The only issue was it was so warm and wet yesterday that all the lovely snow which fell in the storm 3 days ago had melted and it had refrozen in the night so the surface was icy. Our ski skins did not really provide enough grip so we both had to stop and change to thicker ones. Even then it was difficult to ski on the icy surface. The route went up a series of small lakes on the valley floor which were completely frozen over and covered in drifts. There were a few steps between the lakes, some of which were quite steep but after a glorious 4 km we reached the larger lake of Omnsvatnet.

To the south of the lake were flanks of Hallingsskarvet, a long ridge at about 1800 metres high and some 30 kilometres long. In many places it was wide enough at the top, perhaps 4 kilometres to be a plateau. We would have to climb over this barrier and drop down to Finse on the other side. On the north side of the lake were a line of mountains which were plastered in snow. Indeed at this point there was as much snow as we have seen anywhere on the trip so far. Huge drifts and large cornices threatened anyone who wanted to go up these sides. The ski down the lake was a delight. It was a winter wonderland with the sun shining and little wind. I could see the slope at the end of the lake we would have to climb and it was plastered in deep snow with huge drifts.

However the route did not go to the end of the lake but about ? of the way along it climbed steeply up the north side over a spur coming down from the mountains. I followed Stuart and the sticks up here without really questioning it. The reason for it was because there were large deep drifts at the end of the lake where the natural route could have been. DNT have been marking the routes for decades now, perhaps even a century, and they would never mark a route which went into a dubious area and which might have had a history of an avalanche in the past. One can rest assured that the routes marked by the DNT are tried and tested, and the safest. The climb up this spur was a little taxing but at the top there was a gentle downhill run to the valley at the end of the lake and pleasingly above the problematic area with the big drift. Stuart had caught Eric up and the pair of them were snacking in the sun when I arrived. Wilhelm was right behind me having caught everyone up.

I did not stop but started up the steep flank of mountains to the south to the apex of the Hallingsskarvet ridge. My ski skins now became an advantage and gripped the snow so well I could just about go straight up. I looked back and the others were having to zig-zag more, as Maj-Kristin had. The icy conditions of the valley and Omnsvatnet lake were a thing of the past as this lee side of the mountain was receiving all the spindrift which was blowing about and it lay where it settled covering all the ice. It was a good, hot, half hour to climb up the ridge to the undulating plateau on top. Just as we reached the top a large group of about 15 skiers came towards us. They were mostly Norwegian I think as despite their age they were all competent and confident skiers. They were on a DNT arranged tour. Their leader lingered to chat with us but it was mostly a dictat of “be careful here, don’t do this, watch out for that”. It was a one sided dialog in English that was not endearing and it went on even when I interrupted him in Norwegian. His fussy manner and teaching instincts were etched on his hard drive.

At the top the wind veered to the NW so it was frequently behind us. Initially this was an advantage as it helped us along on the deep spindrift and snow fields of the undulating plateau however as we started to descend the surface became icier bit by bit and the wind hurled us down the slope. Although it was misty, the mist was thin and the sun could frequently break through the veil and illuminate the snow’s surface. It was quite easy to see the whiter, more luminous spindrift patches and the duller areas of wind polished ice. We could ski accordingly from a softer spindrift patch to another and brace ourselves for the icy corridors between them. But as we descended further the spindrift became less and less and the ice more and more and we had to really dig the metal edges of the skis in and traverse widely from side to side. It did not take long to descend the 250 vertical metres to the powerlines but it was sore on the legs which were often straining to keep the skis on edge.

At the powerlines Wilhelm caught us up. He had been keeping his skiing ability hidden under a bush but now he whizzed down the slope with all the aplomb of a Norwegian who was born with skis on. He zipped down carving beautiful turns on the difficult icy surface and was soon out of sight and nearing Finse. Indeed Finse had just appeared below us. Stuart and myself were far too timid to follow Wilhelm’s example and continued to traverse with the wind pushing us hard.

We soon reached Finse itself and skied across the train tracks to the Finse 1222 Hotel just in time to catch Maj-Kristin before she caught her train. Eric soon joined us and we said good bye again. From here it was just a short 500 metre ski around the edge of Finse lake and away from the Hotel and Station hubris to the large isolated Finsehytta lodge, one of the Flagship lodges of the DNT. It had a hubris of its own and at the reception we learnt there were over 100 guests. Stuart and myself managed to get a 4 man room which we would hopefully not have to share as there were still 100 beds free at the busy lodge. I settled down to write the blog while Stuart, Wilhelm and Eric sat in the main room and sampled the IPA beer brewed by the lodge in its basement. The beer was something of a legend now.

An hour before dinner I went over to the hotel Finse 1222 where a couple of acquaintances were staying namely, Louis and Amelia Rudd, who I wanted to have a coffee with. Louis is arguably UK’s leading polar explorer, certainly in Antarctica, and Amelia is very active in Antarctica and now Spitsbergen. It was after meeting with Louis 3 years ago on Hardangervidda that I made the decision to go to Antarctica. As I skied over to the hotel some 500 meters away I bumped into Cat Burford, AKA the Molar Explorer, who was also a South Pole Soloist and who I sold some of my radio equipment to. I had never met her but we recognised each other immediately and there were more hugs. At the hotel I met Louis and Amelia for a half hour chat before rushing back for my meal at 1900. The dining room was busy and the meal was good but not up to Fondsbu or Iungdalshytta standard. There was an element of army catering to it, as there had to be with the number of guests. I sat with Stuart and we seemed to be surrounded by Scots. There was also a witty Danish guy I met 10 years ago and we shared a laugh about a lady with a cello from our last meeting. It had been a great skiing day despite the icy conditions and a very sociable and happy evening at Finse. The only downside was saying goodbye to Maj-Kristin today and then Wilhelm tomorrow.

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February 27, 2026

Day 09. Prestesteinshytte to Skogadalsboen. 17 km. 6.5 hours. 200m up. 740 m down. The weather was better than the forecast and the mountains to the south of the cabin, Fanneråki and Steindalsnosi, both over 2000m, were looking sharp. There was a huge glacier which flowed down from them and would once have ended in the Prestestein Lake but now stopped far up the mountainside. We were lethargic in getting started and making sure the cabin was as we found it and did not really set off until 1000. Initially we skied the kilometre and a half back along the Riksvei 55 road along our tracks from last night until we intercepted them and the tracks from the 3 Norwegians, whom Stuart now referred to as the “Heroes of Telemark” on account of their skiing prowess. We decided to follow their tracks along the undulating shoreline on the east shore of Prestesteinvatnet. It was very easy going and the glide was perfect.

At the end of the lake we could look up to the east to see the white glaciers and black cliffs of the Smørstabb massif with its sharp mountains and razor sharp aretes, where glaciers had been working on each side of the mountain eroding the hard rock. From here we had a difficult choice. Either continue following their tracks to the south as that is where they looked like they were going and then down Vetle Utledalen or continue east over a ridge and go down a valley to the east of Vetle Utledalen. The former was certainly shorter than the latter which involved a further climb. However the former was also avalanche prone in certain conditions and not recommended by the DNT who mark the latter route as the official winter way. I had been down the latter on skis twice before but never the former. However the Heroes of Telemark certainly knew what they were doing and we decided to follow them into the lion’s den.

We crossed Rundhaugstjorne to the inflow at the SE corner and then continued over a series of small tarns in flat country until a vista opened up in front of us. There was a nice easy descent into the bowl at the top of the valley and the sun was out so we could see the formations and even texture of the snow and prepare for them as we approached rather than hitting them blindly. There must have been poor visibility yesterday when the others went this way as they were quite cautious. Ahead we could see the hill rise and we would have to climb this to reach the official track and it did not look enticing.

However the route the others took down the valley did look enticing and it gave us confidence to take it. There was always the possibility though it would end in an unforeseen hazard and we would have to climb back. We set off swinging from side to side as we zig-zagged down this great funnel with the sides getting closer and closer. It was a magical descent and the sun was out still, long after the weather forecast said it would disappear. Once the funnel stopped and the sides grew closer together I could look up and see, especially on the east side that there would be terrible avalanche conditions here in the right conditions.

From the end of the funnel the descent now entered something like a giant version of the Cresta bobsleigh run. It zig-zagged down with steep rock walls and banks of snow on each side in a slot which twisted down the valley in a ravine. Snow completely filled the bottom of the slot and it was easy to ski. I could see the altitude dropping quickly and we were nearing the flat swamp at the bottom of the valley where the two routes met up again. It was all going well until the route stopped at a drop of some 30 metres down to the rocky ravine below. There was no way it could be skied and had I been on my own I would have been so anxious I might have climbed back again and gone the official route, and that would have been 3 hours at least. Luckily I was with Stuart who had a lot of mountaineering experience and he said it would be quite straightforward – which inspired confidence. We took our skis off and put them on the packs and then stepped forth onto the west side wall of the ravine which was banked up with snow at about 40 degrees. However at one point it was 50 degrees for 30 metres and we had to downclimb facing the snow and kicking steps until we reached the lower section of the easier Cresta Run again. There were already some footprints and steps across this snowface, probably from the Heroes of Telemark which made our life easier. A fall or a slip would have meant a speedy descent into the sluggish stream at the bottom which was quite shallow but rocky. Luckily there was no incident and it was skis back on for a last ski down the chute until we spilled onto the open valley floor and the other route. The other route had just been marked with a line of twigs, thrust into the ground from a passing snow scooter, and we could follow them to Skogadalsboen cabin. We stopped here for a rest for 5 km from the cabin. I noticed some fresh wolverine tracks here.

Initially the marked route was fantastic and we sped along eating up 2 kilometres gliding nicely  However, the route now descended more quickly into the upper birch and juniper forest and it was too steep to ski. We zig-zagged back and forth in the forest endlessly, which had its problems. The snow was rotten and occasionally if I strayed too close to a tree or bush the snow collapsed under me and I sank down half a meter or more. Getting out of this slot was fiendishly hard work. I fell about 5 times and Stuart slightly less before we reached a flat area where three large valleys all met. By this time I had big skins on to try and give me some more control.

The final 2 kilometres were perhaps the hardest of the day and the route through the forest took the summer path. It was deep rotten snow but luckily the Heroes of Telemark and a few scooters had packed a path. It was almost raining, and the snow was soggy and fast, so it was difficult to control the skis. I have walked along this path in the summer and it is a lush, verdant delight, rich in wild flowers but today it was a slog. Up a little, steeply down through overhanding trees, sharp turns – there were hazards lurking everywhere and we were slow and cautious. Eventually in the light sleet we reached the main lodge. It was closed and will open soon, so we carried on to the self service cabin a little beyond. It was open and already warm as the Heroes of Telemark had left that morning.

We found a room and unpacked into it. Just then Renee and Peter Metcalf arrived, a couple from Montana. They had come down from Olavsbu self service cabin. They also found the forest section hard. With Renee, Stuart and myself dragged a huge pile of cut wood down the slope on a tarpaulin which we found in the wood shed 50 metres away. We then melted 3 large pans of water from snow and settled down for the evening at 1800. It had been a hard 3 days for Stuart and Myself and we planned a day off here tomorrow, especially as the forecast was not good. It was another nice pleasant, convivial cabin evening beside the immense stove which pumped out heat as we told tales and stories from our past. By 2130 we blew the candles out and went to bed.

Day 10. Skogadalsboen weather day. 0 km. 0 hours. 0m up. 0 m down. It was warm and overcast in the morning. When I went out I was shocked to see it was a light drizzle. There was not even the hint of sleet so it must have been plus 5. It was unheard of in early March. Luckily Stuart and Myself have the day off and we unenviably watched Renee and Peter Metcalf pack up and head off. I had a day catching up on the much neglected blog while Stuart had a book to finish. We gently loaded the large stove as it was too easy to overheat the place and then sat on the upholstered bench in front of the tables and started.

I just could not write and had a long sleep in the morning. I felt a little groggy and Stuart said he had a small headache. It was perhaps the effects of our efforts over the last few days and the hot, well-sealed and insulated stuffy room. After we ventilated the place I felt better and spent the rest of the day writing while the drizzle came and went and with it some much needed snow. There were enough provisions in the cupboard to keep us well fed for a while. The afternoon was lazy with a bit more snoozing on the upholstered bench, and then we were sure no one else was coming, we started dinner with something from the huts provisions. This evening we had pasta and reconstituted chicken.

After basking in the warmth of the cabin’s living room with the enormous stove all evening. I went out at about 2130 to see the weather before bed. The stars were out and it was feeling a bit colder which bode better for tomorrow. Suddenly I saw another light too low to be a star and then I realised it was on the hillside about 400 metres away. There were two of them. I knew it would be an unfortunate team who were battling through the terrible conditions to reach the hut. It took them an hour to reach us with some shouting and flashing of lamps. When they arrived they were exhausted having spent the last 5 hours wading through waist high snow. They said their day was going well until the last 2 kilometres when the “Wheels fell off”. We had already prepared a room by lighting the stove in it and were waiting with hot drinks when they appeared. They were two English lads from the Home Counties. They told us terrible tales about reaching the cabin after a tolerable day when they encountered first a boulder field with a layer of soft snow on it and then the birch woods with its deep unskiable sugary snow. I was quite fearful of what we would encounter the next morning. The “wheels fell off team” were quite bewildered and shellshocked at their experience and we left them up as they sorted themselves out and went to bed at 2300.

Day 11. Skogadalsboen to Fondsbu. 24 km. 10.5 hours. 920m up. 690 m down. Stuart was up at once as soon as the alarm went off at 0630. We had a quick breakfast, where I had a can of stew and Stuart some porridge. We packed hurriedly, fearful of the long day we might encounter. As we were about to leave Wheels Fell Off appeared from their room after a well deserved rest and quite unsure about what to do next. We chatted a bit and then set off at 0800.

Initially the snow up to the bridge, just 300 metres away, was good and the frozen snow held our weight. However, at the bridge there was no snow at all covering it. We crossed the bare boards and then started on the snow up the other side, which was much less firm and our skis started to sink in the snow. We climbed up a small rise where the summer and winter paths diverge. The summer path threaded a line through the trees climbing diagonally, while the winter ski path headed down across an open frozen meadow and then headed over to the Urdals River before climbing up a more open spur before the two met again after a kilometre. All the ski tracks from the Hero of Telemark, Renee and Peter, and the footsteps off Wheels Came off, with huge deep holes a metre deep, went up the more difficult but more intuitive summer path. We were in a quandary, follow the summer path where the others went or drop down a bit and break a new trail. We chose the former as the least of two evils. The former was proven, while anything could happen with the unmarked latter.

For the next two hours we crept forward at a snail’s pace in some of the most difficult terrain I have ever skied in. It was an immense struggle to move forward and up and in some areas we gained 10 metres in 15 minutes. Our skis either disappeared into half a metre of snow where they became entangled in birch branches, or slithered across the slippery glazed surface causing us to fall forwards and crash into the snow. The resultant effort to get up was so severe we started to make sure we never fell, even if that meant fussing over a step for 5 minutes. Very slowly we made progress up the icy trail which was punctuated every half meter with huge footprints where the ski skins surface was in mid air, not providing any traction. In the end it took us 2 hours to battle a hard won kilometre and reach the boulder field.

I thought our worries would be over now but they were not. It was a large boulder field with stones the size of cars jumbled across it. I have skied up and down here 5 times over the last 20 years and normally most of the boulders are submerged under a large snowfield. However in this year of lower snowfall the boulders just had a smattering of snow on them. There was a difficult route through them which took a further hour to gain less than a kilometre. It was bad enough going up, but coming down would be exceptionally difficult and fraught and I could understand why the Wheels Fell Off for the English Team. Usually there is a route through the boulder marked by sticks a snow scooter driver has placed, however this year a snow scooter would just get stuck, impaled on a boulder or wedged in a slot and could only be extracted by helicopter. Some 3 hours after leaving the hut we had covered 1.8 kilometres and used an enormous amount of energy to do it. It was already 1100 and we still had a long way to go. Heading the other way, as Wheels Fell Off did, I could see it was a terrible trap they skied into, oblivious to the forthcoming hazards and so close to the cabin.

Once out of the boulders the wind suddenly picked up and there were some very strong gusts. Spindrift was flying everywhere in the force 9-10 blasts and this also made us worried in case it should worsen. Stuart set off and broke a trail, as the other tracks had largely vanished. Luckily the wind did not increase and we managed to battle into it for the next 2.5 hours to gain just another 7 km to reach the pass. However it was now 1330 hours and we still had 13 km to go which was worrying. It was a great shame the weather here was difficult as there were no views, either back to the lofty giants of Hurrungane behind us or the massive Uranostind and Falketind in front. I knew these spectacular mountains and was hoping it would be a highlight for Stuart, but instead it was the exceptionally difficult conditions and terrible weather for which Urdalen will be remembered. Although once we were out of the boulders the snow conditions did improve as the snow under the ski was firm with the below zero temperatures. As we reached the pass, Urdalsbandet at about 1460 metres, the wind was a good gale yet there were a couple of ravens in the spindrift filled air who were just playing in the wind, as if showing off their acrobatic prowess to us. We did not stop at the pass as it was too windy to do anything but started down the other side, gingerly making slow wide turns as the light was very flat and we could not make out the undulations in the snow. When we finished the descent we were on the relative calm of Urdalsvartnet some 150 metres lower than the pass. We stopped here for a snack.

The snow was now excellent with a firm base and a dusting of new snow on top. It gave us a great glide with our smaller skins on and we flew down this lake, climbed a small rise to reach Kvitevatnet and flew down this too to the SE corner. At last things were going well. However I felt tired due to the exertions in the forest and boulderfield. There was the odd patch of blue sky occasionally, the first for days, as we glided east over undulations and across smaller tarns until we reached Sløtatjernet tarn at the end of this easier passage. Slowly the ground started to descend as we stood on our skis and travelled down into a lower side valley. It was covered in snow, but too difficult to make anything out. Stuart was in front and at one stage he went over a small drift and disappeared into a heap 2 metres lower. I felt sorry just for the effort in getting up at this stage in a long day.

The descent eventually took us down into Mjølkedalen, a higher valley which led down a wide open U shaped descent down to the cluster of cabins at the east end of Bygdin Lake, 1036m. It was a descent I had been dreading all day as I had been down some 5-6 times, sometimes without even falling. However I felt tired and the flat light falling this time was inevitable and the thought of getting up made me fearful and cautious. In the end it was not that bad and there was a great view down Bygdin Lake and even over to Galdeberget Mountain, my last 2000 metre top some 20 years ago. We made cautious swings from side to side down the U shaped funnel dropping some 10-15 metres with each one. I knew if I did a ski turn I would fall, so instead I came to a halt and did a step turn before starting the next descending traverse. After some 25 turns we at last neared the bottom and could then traverse to the north in the direction of the closed Eidsbugarden hotel. We passed Asmund Vinjes historic cabin and then Fondsbu came into view some 500 metres away. Stuart is very hardy and never one to complain, but said his knees were sore after that taxing descent. At last after some 10.5 hours we reached Fondsbu as dusk was finishing.

We went in and were given a small room with bunk beds. Supper was going to start in half an hour so we quickly changed out of our stinking, damp ski clothes into our evening attire and went through. The host, the renowned  Solbourg, was greeting everyone as they entered. When she saw me she exclaimed in delight and we had a warm hug. I have known Solbourg for 25 years and she looked after me once 15 years ago when I was at a low ebb on my Norge På Langs ski trip in 2009 when I helped her prepare for the lodges opening in early February. It was great to see her again. That evening Stuart and myself sat with 2 other British and were served the most sensational high quality meal of a rich tomato/ministone soup, venison stew and brown goats cheese ice cream. It was delicious simple honest food for which Fondsbu is famous. I thought about writing afterwards but was totally exhausted after the meal and went to bed early at 2100.

Day 12. Fondsbu to Tyinkrysset. 23 km. 6 hours. 240m up. 470 m down. The intention had been to ski the 33 kilometres to Sulebu today. However after yesterday neither of us was up for it. Luckily we could split it and we still had a few spare days in reserve. So instead we decided to go just 23 kilometres to Tyinkrysset and we then managed to arrange a small apartment there usually rented to skiers. The forecast was not good with a wind increasing from force 1 to force 7 in the course of the day with heavy snowfall later. However, on the positive side the temperatures were at last dropping below zero degrees. After a sumptuous breakfast of more high quality ingredients we packed up and were ready to pay by 0900. However there were a few people I had met previously including 3 Dutch from about 10 years ago, and of course Solbourg so we did not leave until nearer 1000. As we put our skis on, the Norwegian pennant hung unmoving from the flagpole. We passed a few parked weasels made by Bombardier used for ferrying clients about and nearly 60 years old. They were from another era, We then started up the shallow hill to cross over to the large lake at Tyinholmen. We skied on the road which was completely covered and used by the weasels to take up to 10 passengers at a time to the bus stop at the end of the road.

The ski was fantastic. At last the conditions were good and we got a great glide with our smaller skins on. We sauntered up the hill and then down to Tyinholmen on the other side. It was all relatively shallow and quite fast and we covered the 4 kilometres in well under an hour. At Tyinholmen the forecast wind started to pick up and soon spindrift was starting to pepper us, flowing directly towards us. We thought about skiing the 14 kilometres down the lake, but it would be boring so instead decided to continue on the slightly undulating road for the next 15 kilometres. It was an easy ski but occasionally the gusts heading towards us were intense and buffeted us about. I was fearful the wind would increase to a force 8 or even 10 and then progress would have become very difficult, but it topped out at force 7 for the whole section. We skied well and fast, delighted to make such easy progress after a difficult week. We passed many characterful cabins along the shore of the lake, all of which had to conform to stringent conditions such as a grass roof. It was a lovely ski and before we knew it we had skied the 19 kilometres and reached the junction with the big road and the incongruous apartment block which did not conform to any planning permissions it seemed.

It was not far to Tyinkrysset now but the ski route was very difficult in these conditions and in this light. It was steeper than yesterday’s descent and was made difficult with increasing birchwoods as we descended further. Luckily there was an alternative and that was the main road which we had just arrived at. We decided to walk the 4 kilometres down the Riksveg 53 road rather than tangle with the forest and steep slopes. Within the hour we had reached Tyinkrysset and then walked to the lovely apartment at the bottom of the ski piste. It was the piste we would climb tomorrow.

The apartment had 2 bedrooms, a kitchen/living room, bathroom with washing machine and even a small sauna. It was also close to the local shop for food. We settled in and then went shopping, getting fish and potatoes for dinner and granola for breakfast. It was simple and easy. Back at the apartment in the chalet style building we filled the washing machine with all the dubious clothing and then I wrote the blog for the rest of the day. Stuart cooked the potatoes, carrots and cod for supper which was delicious with butter. Despite the 23 kilometres it had been an easy day and we arrived early enough to enjoy some downtime rather than arriving exhausted after a struggle.

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February 27, 2026

Day 05. Pollfoss to Sota Seter. 24 km. 8 hours. 440m up. 330 m down. It was bright and sunny when we woke in the somewhat overdesigned hotel room. After breakfast we set off down the track we had come up yesterday. It eventually led to a small hydropower station and the local farmer had spread grit on the snowy surface so we had to walk for 1.5 km until we reached a junction in the pine woods. Here we left the gritted track and immediately crossed the mostly frozen river on a bridge to the SE bank. There was a snow-covered track here where someone had been skiing a week or two ago and we followed their tracks which had been largely obscured by a few smaller snow falls.

Initially my skis and skins worked well and I got some glide, and Stuart got a great glide and shot off. However as the temperatures increased the snow started to ball on the thin mohair skin under my skis until it was impossible to ski. There were huge clods of snow compacted onto the underside of the skis some 5-10 centimetres deep. It was like walking on platform shoes. I stopped and took the skins off but even with bare skis there was still enough stickiness in the snow to stick to the residual glue of the skins and some old wax, and I had to scrape the skis to stop it compacting on the underside again. It was slow hard work and I was sweating just in a shirt in the plus 5 celcius temperatures.

After 4 km I caught Stuart up as he had stopped at Framrustiseter. It was a stunning collection of some 40 old wooden buildings, all made of logs, which had been used as summer farms for centuries. Their gnarly log walls shone golden against the white fields that surrounded them, and their turf roofs were covered in snow. It was here we were to leave the track and head up a much smaller snow covered track over the ridge to the Ostri Valley. This track was not long, perhaps 4 kilometres but it involved 100 metres of ascent and 150 descent over a saddle at Bråtååsen. The climb up was immensely difficult. The snow was rotten and the ski poles could go in half a metre. The skis luckily only went half that before the sugary snow was compressed enough to take out weight. We took it in turns to plough a furrow up here in the warm temperatures and blazing sun. Every step was a huge effort. Even without skins I was getting enough grip in the sticky snow to push my moving foot forwards. Soggy snow even stuck to the tops of the skis. It was like wading through treacle with diving fins on. After a good hour we reached the saddle just 1.5 km from the junction and started down the other side. It was much easier now and soon we came across someone else’s ski tracks. We followed a zig-zag of tracks leading to past working farms to the main road in the Ostri valley.

There were some 5-6 farms here in this rural hamlet. They smelt of sillage as humming machines kept the sheep inside the barns ventilated and provided them with fodder. I had hoped to also ski the road here, but it was bare wet asphalt for 2 km until the end of the public road and we had to walk to the turning place at the barrier where the private track continued up the valley. This track had not been salted and was still covered in a layer of compacted snow about 5 cm deep where the machine had cleared it. It was difficult to ski on as the skis just went sideways as easily as forwards. However initially there was a lovely kilometre descent where the track gently dropped SW into the valley, which came up to meet it. We kept our skis on here and flew down.

Once on the valley floor through there swift easy section was over and we still had some 12 km to go on this track to Sota seter. We tried various combinations of skins on and off, wax and even taking the ski off and walking. All seemed of equal speed. Occasionally there was a longer downhill section where it was worthwhile putting skis on for the effortless kilometre but by and large it was easiest to walk. When we reached the north end of Liavatnet, where the outlet of the lake was spanned by a beautiful old rustic wooden bridge I decided to walk while Stuart continued with skins on. He was only marginally faster than me. It was a long and somewhat tedious walk on the compacted snow road but there was enough interest in the small cabins along the road and the views over the frozen lake. Towards the end we were also rewarded with views up to the south where the giant monolith of Tverrådalskyrkja, 2088m, loomed above everything. After a tiring day we at last reached the cosy lodge at Sota Seter where we were to spend the night.

Sota Seter is one of the DNT flagship lodges and it is staffed. Its old buildings are arranged around a yard with about 10 buildings in all. It was once the biggest summer farm in a collection of summer farms and its outbuildings were the traditional collection of a stabbur (larder), fjosset (barn) as well as the bake house and blacksmith workshop which were always separate in case they caught fire. There was another group just arriving and they were sleeping in the stabbur. They were doing an avalanche awareness course. We were shown a more perfunctory, less traditional building with plenty of space and great bunks.

Later that evening 3 Norwegians arrived. They were all in their 60s and exceptionally strong, active sportsmen. They were a group of friends who often did tours together and they had a vast knowledge, great humour and were typically modest like many older Norwegians. They were a delight, and we and them shared an affinity as we sat together for dinner. The only thing worrying us was the weather forecast – it was just too warm and the snow would be melting for the next week or so, certainly below 1200 metres. However these 3 exceptionally experienced Norwegians also wanted to ski to Nørstedalseter. We would follow in their experienced footsteps after we all took a day off tomorrow.  It was set to rain and finding a way out of the forest would just be too exhausting in the rotten sugar-snow.

Day 06. Sota Seter weather day. 0 km. 0 hours. 0m up. 0 m down.  We had decided to have a day off at Sota Seter as it was forecast to rain. It was overcast and 5 so it was not unlikely. It was extraordinary weather. The last time I was here was also in March, 8 years ago, and then the temperature was minus 39. The three very experienced Norwegians were also taking a day off as one of them needed to repair a binding. However the 8 or so younger people on the avalanche awareness course also staying here decided to go up the hillside through the forest in the direction we would be going tomorrow. If nothing else they would make a great trail for us tomorrow, although in these temperatures the snow would still be wet and sugary.

Breakfast was not until 0800 and it was a large buffet type breakfast. I ate well knowing this would be lunch also. Thereafter Stuart, myself and the 3 Norwegians, Anders, Terje and Erik sat in the cosy smaller living room and chatted for a couple of hours. The three Norwegians were very accomplished but they were modest and you had to extract their achievements from them, but the also shone through. We had a good natured chat with the occasional look out of the window at the others breaking trail up the hill. It was poor weather and the expecterd rain was indeed gently falling in some of the most unseasonal weather I have ever seen.

In the afternoon Stuart went for a small ski while I did the blog and other office work and then we chatted with the 3 Norwegians again. It was a very convivial afternoon chatting infront of the birch logs burning quietly on the open fire. A few more people arrived in the evening just as the drizzle was turning to snow which was a good sign. I was still worried about the climb up to Fortuns Glacier tomorrow and the descend from the bottom of the glacier on the south side but we should be a few hundred metres higher and hopefully the snow was not so rotten up there. Dinner was again at 2000, which was relatively late, but it was woth waiting for. There were about 20 of us at the table now, most when to bed soon after but I stayed up to write a bit more.

Day 07. Sota Seter to Nørdstedalseter. 23 km. 9.5 hours. 950m up. 900 m down. It had snowed a little in the night but it was still unseasonably warm at around plus 2. The roofs were dripping. However we were going up and it would not be long before we climbed to minus temperatures. Luckily we had the trails to follow from the avalanche group from yesterday and also the 3 Norwegian this morning. It went up the summer trail but it would just be too hard to follow the winter ski trail which was still deep virgin forest snow and probably sugary and rotten. We set off before 0900 and followed the route as it twisted in and out of the forest as it climbed up. The trees were dripping wet snow on us initially but as we climbed through the woods the wet snow had frozen onto them. It was hot work especially when the mist thinned and the sun came out.

After an hour we climbed out of the treeline onto the bare hillside and got some atmospheric views up the main valley where the mist still lingered below us. The snow here was much better now with a firm base and last night’s new snow lying on top. It was as it should be. A quick traverse across the hillside took us further up into the slightly hanging valley of Tverrådalen. This side valley drained the north side of the huge block of mountain which was Tverrådalskyrkja and it dominated the landscape rising well above anything else. It was a flat valley full of frozen lakes and good snow and we made great progress. Further up the valley forked and we took the SE fork climbing steeply across boulders to reach Steindalen. I had been here before a few times and I can never remember so little snow. Previously I could ski where I wanted, but now we had to pick our way through boulder fields. We continued to follow the 3 Norwegians tracks keeping west of the hollows the small lakes lay in until we reached the snout of the glacier where we stopped for a snack just as the three Norwegians were departing. It was a great spot just beneath the mountain. I had been here 25 years ago and climbed the mountain and recognised the spot where I climbed off the glacier to gain the ridge. That spot was now 25 vertical meters above the glacier showing just how fast they were disappearing.

The climb up the smooth convex slope of the glacier was wonderful. The sun shone on us out of a blue sky with just the odd mist swirling in the corries of the mountain. As we climbed to the west of a small hill called Sveinkollen I saw the ice walls of a wind carved bowl called Hekse Gryte. I remember these ice walls some 40-50 metres high years ago but now they just seemed 10 metres high as the height of the glacier reduced. At the crest of the glacier the view to the south slowly unfolded and the tops of the Hurrungane range, perhaps Norway’s most Alpine mountains appeared. With every step they got bigger and bigger with their jagged profile soon in full glory. They were a little lost in the mist but you could still make out all the features including the massive U between the mountains of Store Ringstind and Austanbotntind. Further to the east I could see Store Bjorn in the heart of Jotunheimen. We paused to admire it all before the long descent.

Initially the convex descent was slow but soon speeded up and we had to take wide swings. One of the Norwegians, Terje, had headed straight down doing the most graceful set of Telemark turns all the way to the bottom. The other two were also excellent. Stuart and myself on the other hand were much more cautious and took long diagonal runs across the glacier with a snow plough turn before starting the next diagonal descent. After half an hour we were at the snout and at the start of a long section of piles of moraine which the retreating glacier had left behind.

Skiing through these drumlins and small gullies was a real challenge. The three Norwegians made a route, and it was excellent, but we made heavy work of it. Stuart fell a fair bit in the heavy sugar snow which was rotting in the midday afternoon sun and it was exhausting getting up as there was no purchase to press up against other than your rucksack, which you have to take off. I skied very cautiously on the unpredictable surface and also fell at least 5 times. After a frustrating 3 hours we eventually made it to the lake and then across it more easily to reach the dam.

It was now 1700 and we still had 3 km of buried road to ski along to reach the cabin. Although all of the road was covered in large drifts and completely buried it was marked with poles and these allowed us to judge the gradients which otherwise would have been hidden in the flat light. It took us another hour to get near the cabin which lay on the far side of a tricky ravine. In a normal year we could have just skied straight across this on drifts but now we had to pick a crossing some 30 metres lower down and climb back up again.

The main cabin at Nørdstedalseter was serviced and it was closed. However there was a small self service cabin on a knoll beside it. The three Norwegians were already there and they warmly welcomed us. It had two bedrooms and a nice living space/kitchen area. They cooked pasta for us and we supplied the desert all from the provisions in the cabin. It was a very easy going and convivial evening in great company. The Norwegians were not only great skiers and able sportsmen but also very accomplished in life, and Terje was a professor in climate change at Oslo University.

Day 08. Nørdstedalseter to Prestesteinshytte. 25 km. 10 hours. 1030m up. 700 m down. The three Norwegians were up and away early. They had a monster day to Skogadalsboen; something we were splitting into two. I knew the day was longer than the touted 20 km to the main road, but was a bit blasé about it, so we set off relatively late at 0930 after cleaning the cabin. The rotten snow of yesterday was now frozen firm as the temperature was minus 5 in the night. It made for a fast climb away from the cabin with our thicker skins on. However, to counteract this there was not as much snow as I remembered twice previously and the normal way up the river was a little blocked with rocky ravines and steep drifts. We decided to follow the 3 Norwegians who went up some very steep and icy slopes. It was slow and exhausting as you were always tense. The Norwegians had full ski skins over the whole length and sauntered up the bits we struggled on due to our shorter skins. What should have taken an hour ended up taking 3.

Eventually we made it out of the clutches of Vetledalen and reached the higher lakes of Grønevatnet. Here the ski became much easier and we climbed from basin to basin up great snow in sunnier weather with good light. When we reached Liabreenvatnet, with the much diminished Liabreen glacier flowing right into it, the snow was superb and Stuart shot off on his skis, getting a great glide. I had to change skins and lost half a kilometre on him. Two snow scooters came towards us and they were National Park Rangers looking for wolverine. They had not seen any that day. The left us great trails to follow beyond the lake and up to the highest pass of the day at about 1600 metres. From the top was another great view to the mountains around the two glaciated basins of Lierbreen and Smorstabbbreen. These mountains were not as dramatic as the Hurrungane mountains but were still very spectacular.

We now started what was to be the greatest challenge of the day, the descent to Storevatnet. We followed the snow scooter tracks down gentle slopes initially but they soon became steeper and we had to zig zag widely. The trouble was the light was going and it was overcast and the snow just had no definition to it. If there was a small drift or ridge you could not see it until you hit it. I fell some 5 times and Stuart a bit more. Once he went over a small unseen cornice and was airborne for a metre before crashing down in a heap. It was very tiring and frustrating and the nearer it got to the lake the worse the visibility became. It was with great relief when we were finally on the lake.

The lake itself was superb and we found the scooter tracks and followed them to the dam making great time. The skins we had on the bottom of the skis were perfect now and allowed a great glide. At the dam I went to the west end. Here I made a mistake and followed the route I previously used across the small lakes below to the dam and then up to a hydro electric hut. However this year that route was very undulating and the snow had not filled in all the obstacles. We should have gone to the east end of the dam and then along the snow covered road to the hydro electric hut. The mistake cost a good half hour – half an hour we could ill afford as it was already 1730 when we reached thIs hut.

It was now a more simple ski up the snow covered track for a good 5 kilometres to a shallow pass. Thank God there were the snow scooter tracks here to follow as they made travel across the snow’s surface much easier. It still took a good hour to reach the pass by which time dusk was upon us. The descent down the other side was relatively short and the large poles to mark the way guided us down across easier and shallow ground until at the last light we reached the Riksveg 55, the infamous Sognefjellsveien, one of the most scenic mountain roads in Norway on account its views. The road was completely closed and in places buried under drifts 5 metres high. We donned head torches and followed it west for 1.5 km keeping between the snow poles which defined the edge of the road for when the snow plough eventually clear it for the 1st of May.

After 1.5 kilometres on the road we headed down towards Prestesteinvatnet Lake where I had already arranged a private hut to stay in. It was a relief to see it appear in the torch light however we still had to dig extensively for 20 minutes to find the key box buried in the snow. However we were in by 2000 after an epic day. There was a small porch on the front of the hut and I had to shovel more snow from here to allow the main door to open. Unfortunately a fox had been using this drift as a sheltered toilet for much of the winter and the snow was filthy with its pee and faeces. It was the only spade we had and it was a little tarnished now. I could only plunge it into clean snow 50 times to clean it as this was the same spade we used to dig blocks of snow to melt water to drink. Once in the very cold hut we got the stove going and the gas on melting water and after 3 hours it was homely. We eventually went to bed at 2300, both shattered after the hardest day yet.

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