The way home

Full route over the trip:

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Got homesick. The plan was to go to Geiranger after Gjende, but I changed my mind and went home instead. Happy about the hike to Galdhøpiggen, but not for the weater. Know how it is to get to the top now, and can easiely taka another trip there some other day in better weather. It is an easy hike from Juvasshytta. The hike over Besseggen was amazing, and not as hard or scary that I expected, very very happy about it.  Since I stayed at cabins and had all my meals there it become quite expencive, tenting and making the food yourself is a cheaper option. At Galdhøpiggen is it possible to stay at a comping down in Bøverdalen or Lom, later in the summer also up by Juvasshytta. In the Gjende area is it several camping options, and also a lot of possibilitys for freecamping.

Drove back home over Valdresflya, Golsfjellet and Hardangervidda via Hardanger and back down home to Stavanger. A 9,5 hour drive with a few shorts stop on  the way. One was by the tallest waterfall in Norway, Vøringsfossen, at the top of Måbødalen.

Vøringsfossen.

Besseggen

One iconic hiking trip in the Norwegian mountains.

Got myself and my car ok down from Juvasshytta, was more tarmac than snow on the road. Had to take it easy, but no problem. Drove for 1,5 hour around to Gjendesheim, by Gjendevatnet (Gjende lake). Gjendesheim is an tourist cabin, a cheaper one than Juvasshytta, and this one too is placed in the middel of the most amazing scenery of Norway.  (Picture 1 is from Juvasshytta and picture 2 is from Gjendesheim) 

Since I got in early, too early to check into the cabin I decided to take a kayak trip on the lake. A little bit chuppy, so I stayed close to land and did not go for a long trip, but it was nice.  After check in I spend my time reading, still reading about Pol Pot, got curius about that madman when I was in Cambodia. It is a good book, about Pol Pot, but also about the near history of Cambodia and their relationship with their neigbours. Later on, a good dinner by chefs trained by Arne Brimi, famous Norwegian chef who is very traditional Norwegian in his cooking style.  Nice!  Early to bed after a beer.
(Picture, out my window 6:32)
Up at 6.30, breakfast at 7, boat across Gjendevatn at 7.45 and see 2 raindeer running up the hill away from the water, starting the hike at 8.10. 

The hike is 18 km long and the total climb in altitude is around 1000m, the normal time one use for the hike is 5- 8 hours, the hike start at 1000 m and the top is at around 1700.

(Picture, some snowy mountian)  
I cant describe the route all together, but it start going up up up, guessing for about 600 m, but nor very hard, just to keep on going. I am first on the track for a while, getting company by  a couple of young Sweeds, and we are at the same speed, they are first, then me again… and we are changing to be front for an hour or so. Not a competition, or I have one, but they dont know that.  *lol They get behind me on the way down to Besseggen, the real one, and I don’t see them anymore. 

Besseggen, the real one as I call it is very airy. Steep down to the waters 600 m on one side and up to 200 to the one on the other side. The climb to the top is hillarius, it is crazy steep and you really have to climb it, I don’t think it is possible to get it look steep enaugh on pictures, very cool. Having my lunch break almost at the top, the best view I ever have had for a coffe and sandwich break ever, it is just fantastic!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is so beatiful that it is hard to belive. But, belive it!
It keep on going up after lunsj as well, but not so far, getting on a broader mountain platau and it is easy going on rocks and some snow field, the path down to the cabin is a little bit steep, but nothing dangerous, even if I almost slide down one place, would not have been deadly, only bruses, but I stopped after 10 cm and did not hurt anything else then my pride.

I am back down at Gjendesbu after 5 h and 25 min hiking, that include lunsj, photostops and some small talk with people that I meet on the track, it is good, less than 5 hours walking on a 18 km track in though terrain.
And the Carlsberg I got for myself when I got back was very tasty. :-)

The top of Norway – 2469 m

and that mountain is called Galdhøpiggen <sorry, have no translation for that). Came up to Juvasshytta (1850 m) yesterday, as mention before. Has been very windy during the  night, not that bad in the morning. So after a good breakfast and packing a big lunch to take with me, we met outside the cabin just before 10. We are a lot of people going to the top today, agegroup from 10 to up in the 50’s. We are getting a short breifing, and getting on our harness for crossing a glacier an hour after start. Then we walk.
It is snow in the air all the time we walk, and sometimes the wind is so strong that it feels like the skin in the face is getting vipped off, and it is very cold. It is not more than –5 C, but with the wind at around 10-12 sec.meter is is hard.
I was expecting the clacier, Styggebreen (Ugly glacier), to be a bit cool, but it is complitly covered with snow and just looks like a snow field, no cracks or anything. After Styggebreen we start the serius climbing, it is steep and we are going up 200 m in about 45 minutes and in about 1,5 km length. It is hard, but not as hard as Dead Womens pass on the Inka Trail, just as steep, but shorter and a only almost half the altitude.  Good the get to (Picture;ego at the top) the top, unfortunatly it is no view at all, just clouds and snow, a bit sad when you strugggle all the way to the top. It takes us 2h 45 min to get to the top, which is normal I think. The way back down is easyier, and it take only 2 hours.
Happy with the day and can not understant why I haven’t done this before, it is not hard al all, just nice and tired when one are back down. No some beer, and a good dinner after later on.

On the road again

Stavanger to Juvasshytta (a cabin at the fothills to Galdhøpiggen,  the highest mountain in Norway, 2469 m), Norway.
Started out from Stavanger after work on Thursday June 17.th. The plan was to drive for 120 km to get a bit shorter drive on Friday. Was ok weather when I started, but it did not take long before the rain started to come down.  I am bringing a tent with me and stops at Kyrping after 2,5 h drive, but since it rains I decide to sleep in the car on the camping ground. Works fine, not sleeping heavy, but I sleep and do not have to bring a wet tent with me the next day.
Back on the road 8:15, and going tru a lot of tunnels along the fjord I follow. Having some stops here and there to take picktures for waterfalls, mountains, fjords and a mix of it all. It’s Norway, so it is all very nice :)) Just before Odda a big mose is in the road in front of me, scared from cars coming from the other direction, and scared of my car. Since it is trapped, it run straight into a mountainside without getting anyware, stressed, but find a place to get away after a few second. It is amazing, have seen moses many time before, but not like this. Most of the time they just cross the road and dissapere into the wood. Having a lunch at the side of the road on my way up Vikafjell (Vika mountain), having sun and the mountain is protecting me from the vind, very nice.
Norway has a lot of fjords as you know, and since I am going up the west coast I have to cross some of them, and it take me 3 ferrys to get up here this 2 days on the road. The crossing to the north side of Sognefjord is the last, then I follow Songefjord  east to the end of it, where Sognefjellet starts, the higest mainroad in Norway, goes up to 1450 m. Have been a bit scared to get snow here,  but it is not anything in the road, but still a lot at the side of the road and up in the higher mountains around. Juvasshytta is situated at 1800 m and something, hitting snow in the road at arund 1700 m, and that is a problem with summer tires on the care. Manage to get pretty long, but then it is stop. Calls the cabin, and they send a tractore to tow me, works out fine. Getting to the cabin at arund 1800, almost 10 hours driving today, and only 450 km, not going fast. I am not looking forward to drive back down, but it will most likely go fine. Tell you about it later. 
It is a kind of strange, I have managed to stay away from winter and snow for more than 12 mounts, and now midsummer in Norway I am in the coldest envirement you can find in Norway, lots of minus degrees and a snowstorm on the outside. 
Hope to be able to go to the top of Galdhøpiggen tomorrow, but the weather forcast is not to good, a lot of vind and also some snow. Going with a guide, so if we go it will be safe, if not tomorrow, sunday is my last change for this time.
Have had a great dinner here, expencive, but tent would not have been an option out here, so I am verry happy that I realiced that before I left home. The beer is nice too.  :)