Hardangervidda Ski 2023 / Gallery
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- 01. Haukeliseter Fjellstue lies at the southern edge of Hardangervidda at an altitude of 1000m.
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- 02. Looking south across the winterscape from Haukeliseter Fjellstue. This desolate plateau extends for a 100 km to the north
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- 03. Skiing NW from Haukeliseter across Stavatn Lake towards the cluster of cabins at Uleva
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- 04. Looking east back down the frozen Stavatn lake towards Haukelisetrer from where I had come. The Polar Bedding containter sits on the pulk
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- 05. The small cabin in Bordalen. Often when I pass this cabin just the chimney isd showing and the rest of the cabin is buried under deep snowdrifts
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- 06. The 150 cm pulk was easily big enough for my baggage especially with all the bedding in the green bag on top ready to be deployed into the tent
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- 07. The first nights camp was near Simletindvatn. The snow here was loose and sugary as and it was a poor choice of campsite. TRhe temperature dipped to about minus 25 C in the night
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- 08. The first nights campsite the following morning with great weather. The sun warmed the tent from about minus 25 C to minus 10 C but it was still bitterly cold packing the tent.
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- 09. On the third and final climb of Day 02 up to Tueslaet saddle with the sun and the cold clear weather returning after the mornings snow. The saddle is on the very right
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- 10. A beautiful late afternoons ski on the balcony above Kvennsjoen lake to the north. In the distant right is Litlos lodge and I camped just before it.
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- 11. The camp kitchen in the porch of the tent. There was just enough heat from thge stove to warm the tent despite it being nearly minus 30 C that night
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- 12. Skiingtowards Litlos lodge in the morning sun after the bitter cold. It was near here I met the team from Ousland Explorers who were also crossing Hardangervidda – but from North to South
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- 13.Heading east from Litlos on as good ski track as I climbed to the saddle to the east of Holken
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- 14. The shallow open ravine on the south side of Flautenuten had good tracks to follow but occasionally there was the unavoidable steeper section.
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- 15. As I descended down to the large frozen shallow Nordmannslågen I got a view across the plateau to the distant Hardangerjøkulen Icecap
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- 16. Crossing Nordmannslågen and heading towards Sandhaug in the last of the sun with very long shadows on the frozen surface of the lake
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- 17. Sandhaug cabin is a 16 bed self service hut which is owned by the DNT. Beside it is an large lodge which is open for 15 weeks a year during the busy Easter and Summer seasons.
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- 18. Sandhaug cabin had a stove, gas cooker, pantry and 16 beds in 4 different bedrooms. This time I shared it with the 3 kiters from Bergen and the 2 nurses from Oslo
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- 19. The two hardy nurses from Oslo, Sarah abnd Kristina, preparing to leave for the days’ ski towards Litlos where they would camp
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- 20. Hardangervidda is a vast plateau with gentle undulating slopes especially on its Eastern side. Here is the area around Langavatnet lake
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- 21. The isolated Stigstu lodge was still closed for the winter but it was due to open for the Easter season in the next 2 weeks
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- 22. When a snow shower arrives the visibility is greatly reduced and sometimes it is difficult to anything. This is where the twigs to mark the trail become very useful
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- 23. The large, comfortable and very welcoming Kraekkja lodge probably had 100 beds in small rooms. There is no self service cabin nearby for when the main lodge is closed
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- 24. Kraekkja lodge after a snow shower. The lodge lies a day’s ski or walk from Finse
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- 25. Crossing Drageidfjorden enroute from Kraekkja lake to Finnsbergvatnet. Here I had the the increasing wind in my face and the good tracks from the day before yesterday had been obliterated by the mild blizzard
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- 26. On Finnsbergvatnet lake I bumped into Louis Rudd and Wendy Searle who own and run Shackleton, a company which specializes in Polar travel especially the South Pole.
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- 27. Just two hours after meeting Louis Rudd and Wendy Searle under calm blue skies the weather closed in and there was a mild blizzard on the eastern edge of the Hardangerjøkulen Icecap.
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- 28. Approaching Finse where there is a Hotel, DNTlodge and a train station. When I approached in the dusk there was a mild blizzard
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- 29. The expensive Finse Hotel from the railway station on the day after my tour ended. It was covered in yesterdays snow and glistening in the sun.