DAY 101 - 104
Day 101 - Easy beginning, difficult ending
It was nice to wake up in a warm and comfortable bed. And even better to be served the most delicious breakfast. I left this bunch of trail angels with a full stomach and renewed energy.
First, I walked on The King’s Road from Kyrkjestølen to Maristova, a path across Filefjell. I think it was beautiful, but the weather turned really nasty, with a mix of rain, wind, and snow. After 10 km, I was down from the mountain and back on the road, so no more snow, but the rain continued.
My brother called, which made me forget the boring road and I had an enjoyable hour talking to him. The last 10 km, was uphill on a curvy road. It got quickly dark, so it was quite scary with the traffic, even though I had a headlamp.
I was so cold and miserable when I got to Breistølen. I didn’t find the DNT cabin in the dark, so I put up the tent close to a farm. It was a huge relief to get into my sleeping bag.
Steps: 45 017
Day 102 – Trust
In the middle of the night, I woke up abruptly to a new wave of uncertainty. Should I go over the mountains or not? It came to my attention that the two girls that were in front of me on the trail (they had also started at North Cape in June), had aborted their journey due to the conditions in the mountains. I prayed for a sign because I didn’t know what to do. That morning, I woke up with my tent covered in snow.
Ok, thanks for the sign, I thought and decided to walk on the road to Geilo.
I felt much calmer once I had made a decision, but at the same time, I feared that my trip was ruined. A thousand negative thoughts went through my head.
“I’m missing out on so many things now”
“I wanted to take more photos in the mountains “
“My blog is not gonna be interesting enough”
“What would other people think? “
I was completely forgetting that I’m doing this journey for myself, and no one else. I was searching desperately for an answer instead of feeling what would be the right thing for me. I didn’t trust myself to make the right decision, and the doubt turned into panic.
After a while, however, I was able to see that whatever happens on this journey, is exactly what’s supposed to happen.
To be honest, my motivation is low and I just want to go home. To walk on the road, will get me to the finish line faster, and I won’t face a lot of obstacles either, I just have to walk. There are 14 bridges DNT has now removed over Hardangervidda and the early winter is brutal, so without motivation, it’s just not doable…
My equipment is not really good enough for the cold winter weather either. My sleeping bag can stand maybe 0 to -2 degrees, so with the -6 now, I don’t get a lot of sleep. Also, my tent is a 3-season tent and I don’t have winter shoes…
Road it is.
Steps: 35 255
Day 103 - Surprise
When I was in Masi (which seems like a lifetime ago), I met two girls, Anne Marit, and Åse. They told me then to get in contact with them when I got close to Hol, where they live.
When I sent Anne Marit a message, not only did she invite me to her home, but she also told me about an alternative route I could take, that would save me 14 km and at the same time, save my feet from the asphalt.
11 km before I reached Hemsedal, I took off from the main road and up a trail which lead me to a dirt road up on the mountain. I was euphoric, it was truly the perfect solution. Now I could walk in beautiful nature without walking through difficult terrain. And the sun was shining like never before.
Charging (all) my batteries in the sun
I was in my own world when suddenly a car drives up to me really slowly. It was Anne Marit and her "bonus daughter" Asad, coming to meet me and join me for an hour or two. It was so nice to have some company. After an hour, Anne Marit went back for the car, while Asad and I continued down the road. When we met up again, I was invited to go home with them, with a promise of driving me back to the same spot tomorrow, so it wouldn’t be cheating.
Yes, please.
It was wonderfully warm inside, and a good, long shower melted my stiff body. In the evening, we had a delicious meal before going to bed.
Steps: 37 168
Day 104 - I know how to appreciate a sunny day now
As promised, I was driven back to where I was picked up yesterday, so I could continue my hike. I said goodbye to my friendly driver Per, Anne Marit’s husband in Vats, and started walking towards Hol, yet again.
It was another sunny day, but cold. The ground was frozen and my breath came out in smoke. But the heat from the sun touched me soon enough and I had the most enjoyable walk. First through the village of Vats, and then on a path through the forest and over the mountains.
The trail was called “Kyrkjevegen”, or “The Church Road”. Apparently, back in the old days, this was the trail they used when they carried the dead bodies that were to be buried in the churchyard in the neighboring valley.
At 2 P.M, I was back at Anne Marit and Per’s place, and I spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing my feet, updating my blog, and planning the rest of my trip. After looking at the weather report (SNOW!), I thought that the remaining 475 km of my journey, will be along the main road.
In the evening, we ate tacos and for supper, we had waffles. Yummy! I’m being spoiled here, and I love it.
Steps: 24 868
