Along the Nordkalottleden Part 3: Jerta to Kilipsjärvi

After a windy night, it was quieter in the morning (however morning is defined when it is never dark) Whilst it was light inside the tent, I was not completely sure if the fog had lifted, I looked outside and it had but only a 100 metres or so.
Now into my usual routine cooking breakfast packing up and extracting myself from the tent and set about finishing the packing. It was apparent that the weather was improving and as I descended to Skaktardalen.
The Skaktardalen is a wonderful valley with a broad shallow river which according to the Norwegian guy I met was great for fishing, it would have also been a great pack rafting river in my view. Reaching the river I noticed a tent to my left and the couple inside were just beginning breakfast, I waved they waved but we never spoke. When I read the logbook in Pältsastugan it was apparent to me that they were hiking to Abisko along the Nordkalottleden.



Crossing the river I began to climb around the flank of stuora Nanna, by now the sun had come out and with a light breeze it made for pleasant hiking. Also in the back of my mind was an awareness that my sleeping bag was a little damp from the previous night so after a while I decided it was time to stop, dry out the gear and just plain relax. Which I did. I also noticed at this time what appeared to be a pair of Rough Legged Buzzards high up on the cliffs enjoying the warm air.

After a while of sitting I began to realise that there were a number of tents along the Skaktardalen, there did not seem to be much movement so I wondered if they were fishing, relaxing or avoiding bugs, though I doubt it was the latter, it really was a nice day.

I finally decided that the sleeping bag was dry enough and continued to sidle stuora Nanna finally descending to two unnamed lakes which drained to Skaktardalen. As I descended there was the inevitable heath, black mud and mosquitos, but again not enough to really trouble me. I was also taken by the 2 hunting birds, possibly Merlin who were soaring above the cliffs. Climbing away from the lakes I headed North East towards Dærthytta, a spot for lunch was found and I sat for a while just enjoying the sun whilst drying boots and socks. After lunch with a descent to Cievččasjávri brought mosquitos which were quick to rise from their shady spots among the rocks and I was quick to keep moving. They did not detract from the walk and I was forever looking around to see what I could inclduing a Sami village to the west. Ultimately I arrived at Dærtahytta, though my goal was further north.

After a break I headed north only to be confronted by a dead end valley and the only way out was up with a climb of about 100 metres across talus. I finally reached the top and noticed that at 950 metres there was still ice on the lakes. I continued across the rock strewn land scape till I found a campsite on the Øvre Dividal nasjonalpark boundary at about 1100 m.



Whilst having dinner I had a surprise guest, a Lemming, it did not seem too concerned by me, but should have been grateful that I was there while the Longtailed Skua searched for food. It was a pleasant evening and relaxing outside the tent was the reward for an enjoyable days hiking.


It was a little greyer the next morning, and I continued my onward trek north and given that I had had no telephone signal for 5 days I was hopeful that today may provide the reassuring option of sending a message to say I am ok. There was little climbing to do and I was soon at the top of the saddle before the long descent to Rostahytta. Soon I came across what was the most elaborate stone cairn I had seen so out came the camera.



I continued the descent past some lakes and was impressed by the sedimentary rocks with their many layers.





The gradual descent through grassy plains with wildflowers blooming finally led me to Rostahytta, my lunch stop.





I sat there enjoying the sunshine while taking in the views to the north and south, while doing so a Norwegian couple arrived with 2 dogs, they were intending to stay in the hytta and were happy to describe their hiking experiences in Nepal to me. I was also impressed by the size of the woodstack, that is some sauna they must have.



After a long lunch break I headed upstream along the Nordakalottleden. Soon you pass the trail though Isdalen, I have no idea why the trail continues along the valley, the trip through Isdalen looks much more interesting. The remainder of the day was spent walking along what is best described as a quad motor bike trail. Ultimately I found a place to stop and as long as the breeze blew there would be few bugs. The breeze did stop later and the bugs appeared.
The next morning it was calm, mild and very humid. So aside from the mosquitos it was not very pleasant and as soon as there was a climb you were sweating, but it was not raining. So I was wandering along as I do, when out to the left I noticed this peak and I said “WOW” it was Pältsan standing at 1442m. I found a spot to sit, take photos and admire it and the surrounding mountains beginning to realise that this would possibly be the last real peaks I would see on the trip.



After a break I set off towards Pältsastugen for lunch as I approached the stugan I met 3 Finnish hikers who were intending to climb Pältsan, apparently there is a log book at the top. I continued on my way never knowing whether they climbed it or not.
Arriving at Pältsa stugan I was met by the warden, he was very helpful in advising me of all the local beauty spots as well as showing me the two visitor books. The Nordakalottleden Book contained entries of those specifically hiking the trail. I was to be the first heading North (for 2010) with one other couple heading south. I sat around for quite a while with one excursion to the nearby waterfalls. It would have been easy to be seduced by the comforts of the hut, but I decided to move on.


So after a very relaxing time in the hut I decided to move on to a camp up high near the border of Sweden, Norway and Finland. It was a long climb from the stugan under darkening skies, two hikers passed me going south with big packs on, I assumed they were staying at Pältsastugen. After a long climb I reached the saddle as the rain began to fall. The landscape in front of me was a rock and grass covered landscape interspersed with lakes and snow drifts. As I descended towards the first lake I noticed a hiker heading towards me, he was a New Zealander who had been attempting to hike the whole trail only to be stopped by flooded rivers north of Kilipsjärvi.

We chatted for a while during which he suggested I should stay at Kuokkmajärvi a hut on the Finnish side of the border. We went our separate ways, however, he did note my smaller pack, his was the bombproof 90 litre Macpac Cascade. I continued across the barren landscape as it became increasingly dull (at 4 pm).

I finally descended towards Treriksröset (three borders). It was close to 8 pm by the time I arrived and I had the place to myself, it was some what humid and the insects were active. From here it was a short walk to Kuokkmajärvi, I met up with 3 Finnish ladies who were waiting for the remainder of their group to arrive. They advised me that there was a few mosquitos in the hut, upon inspection I decided a tent was a better option.





So with a 3 km walk in the morning the trip was all but complete. I enjoyed a late dinner and then retired for the night with the mosquitos in evidence but not in plague proportions, that was in the forest I was told.





There was a minor panic in the morning when I realised that the boat operated on Finnish time which was 1 hour ahead of my clock, but not to despair I still had plenty of time and sat beside Yinan Kilipsjärvi waiting for the boat to depart.
Alighting from the boat I walked up to Retkeilykeskus, and tested their showers, as well as the all you can eat buffet and their reindeer hamburgers.

Later in the day the bus to Tromsø arrived. There was one surprise left, the bus trip, which was perhaps the most scenic bus trip I have ever been on.

Along the Nordkalottleden Part 2: Gaskashytta to Jerta

I awoke around 4 am and realised how light it was, a quick peek out the door and I noticed the blue sky so I swung the door back and lay back down to enjoy the view, after all it was only 4 am. I slept for a while and awoke again to the wonderful view out the tent door.
I finally extracted myself from the comfort of the Neo Air and Nunatak quilt and set about making breakfast and the all important coffee, all of the time admiring the view. After a while I was packed and ready to head north along the Strömskardet valley before swinging east towards Vuomajavri and its accompany hytta. It was pleasantly sunny as I climbed and the views to the north and south ensured that I did not rush.
It was one of those days in the mountains that you dream off and as I climbed I savoured every moment
Eventually the trail swung eastwards and provided excellent views to the north in especially towards the high peaks surrounding Maddagaisi. After a while I took a break and happily just sat, no hurry no need to get somewhere in a particular time and with the thought of 24 hours of daylight in my mind it did not matter when I arrived at my planned destination, it was a great feeling.

After a long break enjoying the scenery and the views of reindeer I continued to climb only to meet a reindeer herd, this herd seemed in no hurry to move and I quickly had my camera out for a few photos.

The further I climbed the alpine grasses decreased and the talus increased, whilst climbing I noticed a hiker heading towards me, the first since leaving Björkliden. Interestingly the female hiker was from New Zealand, but lived in Tromsø, we chatted for quite a while about the lack of bridges and the route. Her companion was a Finnish Lapphund which was always keen to herd up the reindeer and thereby providing an interesting challenge for the handler. I decided to pass over the saddle and find a spot for lunch on the other side, so after traversing several snow drifts I began the slow descent to a grassy spot for lunch. With the sun still shining and dark clouds on the horizon I was still happy to enjoy the experience. Once over the saddle I had views to the east as well as south and north, it was fantastic and the number of reindeer herds did not decrease either.
After a long lunch I continued to descend towards the lake suddenly realising that there were a lot of mosquitos, much to my surprise as I was at 800 metres. I quickly found my headnet and repellant and regaining my composure I continued to descend, only to realise that the Long Tailed Skua also liked this area so as I waved away mosquitos and Skua. I watched as a pair of Skua harassed a lone reindeer that was separated from the herd. These Skua clearly did not take no for an answer.
I finally found a campsite near Vuomahytta, there were a few mosquitos around and the sound of the waterfalls provided a wonderfully orchestrated backdrop. Taking the time to clean up and relax I began to realise that as the wind dropped the mosquitos increased. Oh well cooking in the tent it is. So after a relaxing dinner considering the design features of the Warmlite tent I settled down for the night, instead of counting sheep I counted mosquitoes on the outside of the front door of the tent. “32 is the answer”

I awoke early the next morning and had a leisurely breakfast, before packing up it was cooler and greyer but generally mild and humid, with little or no breeze. With a descent into the Anjavassdalen I expected it to be sticky with bugs, I was correct.

The air was still so the views as I left the campsite were highlighted by the calm waters of Vuomajavri.


The descent towards Anjavassdalen was easy and I could soon hear the sounds of yet another fast flowing river.

The skies were darkening and it looked like it would rain, it did. However, apart from the peat bog sections and the small stream crossings, it was a pleasant walk. Though stopping, soon encouraged a lot of flying visitors to say hello. Eventually I came to the suspension bridge that crosses the outflow from Vuomajavri, with its magnificent waterfalls hidden in the trees to the south. There was a nice rest spot here complete with fire place firewood as well as an axe and saw.
After crossing the bridge there was a sign indicating a new trail which followed the river more closely, it was apparent that this trail had not been used a lot and at times was a little difficult to follow. However, it was a pleasant walk through the forest with commanding views of the river and the gorge near the junction with Divielva.


Soon it was time for lunch and with it still raining I had a quick lunch before the next climb out of the valley to Dividalshytta. Initially the trail followed the Divielva and the flood damage from winter was clearly evident. I began the climb as the rain stopped but with little breeze it was humid, however, I was able to watch the different birds play in the trees and soon I was out of an old pine forest which I had first entered on the west side of the Divielva.
In time I reached Dividalshytta and found a campsite with views to the west and North, it was windy up here and having pitched the tent I settled down to dinner with the luxury of cooking and eating outside and I was blessed with a wonderful view of the clouds illuminated by the sunlight.


The following day I had planned for a short day, which became even shorter as I arose to fog and visibility of not more than 50 metres. So I sat around in the tent reading, writing up my journal and just plain not doing much. So by lunchtime I was getting itchy feet, I decided to head up higher to see if the fog was thinning, as I climbed it became evident that there was less fog so I returned to camp and made lunch. While having lunch I met a young Norwegian guy who came down the hill. He and his mates were camped on a lake a few kilometres away fishing. He had recently had a knee operation (as evidenced by the crutch on his pack) and had decided to return home. With his husky at his side we happily chatted before he continued his trek to the car. He did tell me of the best fishing spot in the area and that last winter he had dog sledded much of the area. But with no Tenkara fishing was not an option for this trip. After lunch I climbed and as I did the fog dispersed and with occasional sunny breaks the barren rock strewn landscape was evident. However the high peaks of Jerta and litle Jerta remained fog bound, I climbed towards the high saddle and as I climbed I encountered fog and increasing strength winds, upon reaching the saddle I found what was sheltered campsite and settled in for the night hoping that the fog would lift by morning.

Björkliden to Kilipsjärvi: Part 1. Björkliden to Gaskashytta

The trip was the culmination of 12 months of planning after unexpected changes in 2009. I had decided to change the direction for transport reasons to a South to North trip along the Nordkalottleden. I travelled by XJ 2000 from Copenhagen to Stockholm Central and then the night train to Narvik, alighting at Björkliden RS at 11 am on Saturday morning.

There were many hikers on board the night train and most of them alighted at Abisko (both stations) and were presumably heading south along the Kungsleden.
It was a beautiful sunny morning and shorts and short sleeve shirts seemed to be the way to go. Having crossed the railway tracks I headed west along the north side of the line with views of Torneträsk further north. It was then I realised that “I am actually here and hiking along the Nordkalottleden.” it was a great feeling. The trail meanders between the railway line and road to Narvik, climbing a little and providing some views to the north, it was also evident that the sky was rapidly darkening.
So before long it was on with the windshirt and decisions on whether the Montane Featherlight pants should be worn. After about 2 hours I stopped besides Báktájøhkaluobbalat as the rain began to fall. It was here I cooked lunch and donned the Oz Pullover. After lunch I soon crossed the road and headed north in the increasing wind and rain, which was when I began to realise why I should have packed the Rab Demand and not the Haglöffs top. Aside from the rain and wind it was an undulating walk through low shrubs and trees and with a full pack it seemed like slow going.
I continued on finally reaching the bridge across Njuoraeatnu.



I began to realise that I would not reach my intended destination Lappjordhytta a locked DNT hut in Norway, instead I decided to stay at Pånostugan as the rain continued to fall. I reached Pånostugan quickly realising that I was wet through from the rain, especially on the top of half of my body and this was the second time that I had ended up wet when wearing the OZ pullover (when will I ever learn?)



Having arrived at the hut I set about hanging out damp clothes and deciding a fire in the stove would help to dry the wet gear. Fortunately there was some matches and I discovered how easily birch bark lights and I had a fire going in the stove and the clothes were drying. Much to my surprise, and to a couple from Narvik, who arrived to find me comfortably ensconced in the hut, when they had hoped for a quiet night. The rain had cleared by now and we had a chat about gear, the area and food. I appreciated their chocolate chip cookies. Given a long day tomorrow I retired for the night and was soon asleep.
I awoke to an overcast and windy morning and having eaten breakfast I was quickly packed and out the door. Whilst the couple slept on. There was to be a lot of climbing for the day having started at 380 m, I would climb through a pass at 950 m before descending to a yet to be determined camp.

Soon I was crossing into Norway from Sweden and would stay in Norway for the most of the trip.



With Lappjordhytta perched on a cliff top in the distance, I began the climb all the time admiring the scenery to the left and right and behind, with stunning views to the south.



After a little while I had reached the hytta and took time to enjoy the view and note appropriate campsites should I ever return to this area.



Soon I was climbing again with the wind behind me, something I began to appreciate more and more as the day progressed. Quickly I was out of the trees and climbing in the open slopes of Ganaśbaḱti, it surprised me to see small patches of flowers out in such adverse conditions.

As I climbed I encountered my first small herd of reindeer and soon after snow drifts, a pattern that would continue for many days to come. The mist began to to encroach as I climbed and it was not long before I had the first wind driven snowfall, the wind was strong up here and could easily blow me off balance as I climbed. I was however, very glad that the wind was generally coming from behind. Overall the1 trail is well marked but as I climbed higher with snow still on the ground some of the rock cairns (marked with a red T) were difficult to find. The remainder of the day was very windy and foggy at times and as I descended (or was blown) down the Luirevaggi valley, surrounded by snow capped peaks, I appreciated the ruggedness and beauty that surrounded me. The valley was mostly covered in shallow soft snow which made for slow going at times especially over the talus strewn landscape. As I descended I passed a Sami village, and finally I found a slightly sheltered place for lunch next to a small waterfall.


After lunch I continued down the valley only to be introduced to the Longtail Skua, now these seabirds nest on the tundra and unknown to me they are a little aggressive, so I suddenly found myself taking evasive action, though they never really approached more than 2 metres away. I soon learnt to recognise their call and keep an eye out for the white breast of the bird as they sat on a rock looking for unsuspecting hikers. They eat fish and live on lemmings in the tundra.

Soon I came across one of the first significant river crossings and was pleased to see that I could keep my feet dry as I crossed, then as I sat for a rest beside the river the sun appeared briefly and with a watchful eye out for a Skua I relaxed in a sheltered spot. I was soon on my way again it was getting late and it appeared it would rain again I looked out for a campsite beside the fast flowing Salvasskardet, and after passing a narrow gorge a flat spot was found and camp set up for the night.



With the wind still blowing insects were not a problem, but it was soon raining so I retired to the tent after a long and eventful day. This was to be my first night in a tent in Lapland with the midnight sun, but I hardly noticed the extra light as the sky was clouded over.

I awoke to another grey day, with much less wind along with the occasional mosquito. Today was intended to be a shorter day and it would take me through the small village of Innset also I would be in the forest most of the day.
I quickly found the access trail used by the quad motor bikes travelling to the Sami village and headed down stream towards Innset admiring the rugged valleys and surrounding snow capped peaks. It was also evident that the weather was improving with the occasional hint of blue sky. Passing across the large dam wall of Altevatn through the village of Innset, I noted the offer by the Husky Farm to come and collect hikers and provide them with accommodation for the night. I also noted that there is now a hytta in Innset named Altevasshytta (which was not shown on my maps). At the end of a gravel road out of Innset there is the familiar red “T” markings which take you towards the Koeivatnet a lake fed fast flowing stream passing through a small rocky gorge where the bridge is located. Well the bridge was interesting, would you cross this bridge?



I chose to walk about half a kilometre south and wade the thigh high fast flowing river. My boots, were no longer dry. After wading the river I picked up the trail now as it sidled around Lifjellet. Here there was no wind, some mud, more mosquitos and many boardwalks. It was on one of those water covered board walks that I slipped, resulting in a sore knee which slowed me down for a couple of days as well I had a slightly bent alloy Pacerpole. I never did like board walks.
So with many small streams and forest sections it was slow progress towards Gaskashytta. But with clearing views to the south across Altevatn there was always variation to be seen. Soon as I rounded Lifjelletangen the roar of the powerful Luodnavaggi river flowing rapidly towards Altevatn could be heard, the map indicated there was a bridge (I hoped so).



Sure enough there was one of the many suspension bridges I would meet, so I quickly crossed and headed to the hytta before looking for a campsite.

I decided to cross Strömskardet to the east of the hytta before looking for a campsite, only to be presented with a 3 metre wide chasm and a rapidly flowing river below. Hmmm ...



So down stream I headed, for about a kilometre and then found a crossing only about a metre deep and 50 metres wide. After sidling along the river bank and surprising some reindeer I found a nice campsite with views to the south and settled down for the night. Mind you the sound of the repetitive call of the Cuckoo, did make make me wonder about my sanity as well as how many more interesting river crossings there would be in the coming days.

Jotunheimen Gear

Gear selection for a trip is based on many factors such as weight, fit, appropriateness, colour, whether we look good in it as we hike as well as many other factors.

The list of gear I used for this trip is given below, following are some comments on the gear used.



The "big three" used were Terra Nova Laser Competition tent, Haglöfs LIM 45 pack and Nunatak Arc Alpinist Quilt.

Terra Nova Laser Competition: A lot has been written about the tent and blogs such Blogpackinglight and backpackingbongos will provide a lot of information. My opinions of the tent are mixed, the major benefit of the tent is that it is light and can be packed small if the poles from the inner are removed. The challenges are that it can be fiddly to set up if the ground is uneven, removing the poles to make packing easier creates more hassles when setting it up. I had no problems with the tent flapping in the wind this trip, but others have reported this. I am not tall standing at about 178 cm, but using a Neo Air in the tent (with a Montbell Pillow) means that my head is close to the tent inner when laying down which could be a little claustrophobic for some. Having said that it is a good tent for its weight provides good protection from the elements.

Haglöfs LIM 45, like Holdfast I took an untried pack on this trip though I had read about the pack on PTC's site and along with actually being able to try it in a shop I decided that it would work for this trip. (Interestingly the shop, in Copenhagen, sold this pack as a large day pack) The pack is made of what appears to be light materials, though after 6 days of hiking and a few scrapes here and there the pack showed little signs of wear. The pack has an interesting design with the shoulder straps connected to the base of the pack and the frame has an interesting shape which could be best described as an inverted U shape with a narrowing around the lower back as shown here.



The adjustment for the back length comes from moving the back pad in relation to the shoulder straps using velcro. I found this system to work quite well and once set it did not move. The hip belt is a reverse pull similar to Osprey, a system I like and I found the hip belt to work quite well and the adjustments allowed the weight to be shared between the shoulders and the hips, The pack fully loaded weighed 13.5 kg, which in my view is probably about its limit, though at no time did I find it uncomfortable the shoulders, back or hips. I am a fan of roll top closures and the Haglöfs pack has perhaps the best I have used, it has a 2 cm wide strip of stiff material on each side and when folded twice and cinched down form a very secure closure, this was an aspect of the pack I really liked. Another aspect of the pack that suits my style of hiking is the side pockets and front pocket which are easily accessible and will hold a lot of gear. The front pocket I used for waterproofs, lunch etc. whilst one side pocket carried tent poles and tent groundsheet the other side pocket carried a small amount of water in a platypus and was easily accessible without removing the pack. My two niggles about the pack are there were times that I felt the straps were slipping when they were damp and I noticed some stitching on the roll top lid had come away and whilst repairable in the field ideally should not happen. I have contacted Haglöfs about this.

In summary this is a pack I will continue to use for trips up to 5 days as I like the way it carries and the usability of the pack.


Nunatak Alpinist Quilt. My down quilt is my go to quilt and I use it on almost all trips, However, with its 340 gms of down I found it a little warm when combined with a Neo Air and the tent, got me to thinking that when considering sleep systems one should consider the shelter along with mattress and sleeping bag. In my view in a tent (such as the Laser Comp) a bag with less down may work depending on the expected night time temps, clearly when planning a trip the sleep system should be considered as a system and not just individually. I am now considering other down sleeping bags, which will work with as part of a sleep system depending on the anticipated temperatures.

Wet weather gear: I carried a Montane Lite-Speed jacket, Montane Featherlite Pants and Haglöfs Oz pullover. And to be honest there was very little rain to test the gear. However, after reading Chris Townsends BPL (You will need to be a member) article on wet weather gear, there were times on the trip where I wore a silkbody base layer combined with the Lite-Speed and the OZ pullover on the outside. I was very impressed, the arrangement kept me comfortable, but not hot. This is an arrangement I want to explore more as it means that I carry less weight in my pack if I am not wearing them.

Salomon Fastpackers: I have completed over 100 kms in these boots, 70 km of which were in Jotunheimen. My experience with the boots was very positive especially given the snowy conditions early in the trip. In summary I find these boots have good grip in loose gravel as well as on dry rocks, though the grip is reduced on wet rack. In extended downhill sections it may be that toe volume is compromised. There were times where I felt the more robust Alan Sloman's slippers may have been appropriate. All in all my hiking footwear for the future will be selected from Salomon XA Pro 3D Ultra, Fastpackers or Quest ... depending on the expected environment.

There was no gear that I would not take on the next trip, though I may consider placing the DSLR in my pack for trips where the scenery warrants it.

Day Six: Memurudalen to Gjendesheim

Today was to be the ultimate day of the trip, in many respects, it was to be the last day of hiking and incorporated a walk along the famous and popular Besseggen Ridge.
Whether you start at Memurubu or Gjendesheim, the walk requires a climb starting at 984 metres to a maximum height of 1722 metres. However there is not just one big climb, there is a saddle which sits at about 1350 metres. The ridge is a popular day walk connecting the two hotels and the option to either walk along the foreshore of the lake to make it a circuit walk or catch a ferry further encourages walkers to walk the ridge. As a consequence it is suggested that this 17 km walk is completed by over 40 000 walkers a year. Whether they be day walkers or those with larger packs, that is quite an achievement in my view as I will endeavor to explain.
I begun the climb up from Memrubu, and was soon overtaken by two day walkers with very small packs on this was to be a recurring them all day. I stopped to have a look around a little further up and noted that the ferry had berthed at Memerubu and people were getting off and immediately heading towards the start of the climb.
Later I would be passed by many different age groups as they rushed to climb the first hill. Whilst I happily hiked my own hike. As I climbed the views along the lake as well as the surrounding mountains continued to impress me. There were countless streams to cross so there was no need to carry water, I did notice some hikers with 1 and 2 litre bottles full of water. The day like the previous ones, remained overcast but the cloud was thinning and it was certainly the best day of the trip to be up high.

I stopped at the first high point near a small lake and took the time to admire the view as did many others. After passing the small tarn Bjørnbøltjonne.

The trail climbed a little further before starting its descent to the saddle along side of Bessvatnet. With very little breeze to disturb the water the reflection of Bessfjellet provided a wonderful back drop for a rest prior to the climb up the Besseggen.

On one side of the Bessvatnet is located at 1373 m. above sea level whilst on the opposite side Gjende is at 984 m above sea level, the 400 metre difference is separated by less than half a kilometre width of ridge. Very impressive.
Well after pondering the climb in front of me, putting my pacer poles on my pack and as I had no other excuse I started the 300 metre(in less than a kilometre) climb. It was slow and steady progress with most climbers making the same speed whether they had a day pack or a larger one. On perhaps the steepest section I waited for a couple of people to descend past one tricky section, only to be told there was more coming. Sure enough down came another Japanese hiking group all with large smiles, they were having fun! As I was. There are parts where it is definitely one way traffic and so with the popularity of the ridge you are often stopping waiting for the oncoming traffic, which is always good for a rest.
The climb continues to you reach a high point, where there were a number of groups stopped as well as some one selling cans of Pepsi for 40 Nkr (about 4 Pounds), they were doing good business.
Further along the trail the highest point at 1743 m. is reached. Whilst many walkers soon headed across Vestfjellet and down towards Gjendesheim I decided it was afternoon tea time and found a spot away from the trail and sat and admired the views.

It was fantastic and no photos can do it justice in my view such is the enormity of the landscape. With the satisfaction of the completing the climb there is the realization that it is all down hill now and it is still about 5 km to the end of the trip. I set off following the well marked trail gently down hill at first and then steeper stopping at a small stream for some water and enjoying the afternoon sunshine. It was much warmer in the valley and I dug out the Tilley to protect me from the sun. On a particularly steep section there is a chain to be used as hand hold I watched a young girl and her mother take considerable care in getting down this section.

By 5 pm I was at Gjendsheim it was warm in the valley and the reality of civilisation was all round me, I set off past the Ferry terminal to the state forest along the lake where camping is free, finding a nice spot, with lots of ants, but other wise okay. I grabbed my money and my clean clothes and headed for the showers. Returning to the tent, feeling much cleaner I set about cooking dinner and whilst eating dinner I was amazed by the light in the clouds out to the east. I thought that it was a perfect end to a wonderful trip.


The following day was spent travellling firstly catch the local bus from Gjendsheim to Otta, then train and plane home.

Day Five: Langvatnet to Memurudalen

I awoke to the sound of light rain on the tent and to mist shrouded mountains. Today was to be a much longer day so an earlier start was required. After having breakfast and with no more rain falling I looked out to see a still lake with the mountains reflected on the water, no hesitation and I was out of the tent camera in hand. By the time I had packed up the breeze had started and as a result the reflections were only memories.
The trail takes the hiker along side of Langvatnet before descending almost 300 metres to Storadalen past the large waterfall on Storåe. It was near the foot of the falls that I begun to recognize the return to society. Up until now I had seen very few hikers, especially given the popularity of the area, but passing 20 Japanese hikers heading in the opposite direction reminded me of the popularity of the area. Before long I left the main trail between Leirvassbu and Gjendebu and commenced the climb back up to the 1400 metre plateau of Memurutunga.


It was very obvious that this was a less traveled route and whilst it was grey and misty with enough breeze to ensure that my Lite-Speed was always worn. After the climb to the plateau the next 5 kilometers or so were spent crossing the undulating alpine environment with its collection of tarns, snow drifts, boulder strewn landscape.


While crossing the plateau I saw a small herd of reindeer, they were out of camera range and seemed to be happily resting on a snow drift. The views across the plateaus to the surrounding peaks were amazing and once I had reached the cliffs above Gjende I was in awe at the colour of the lake as well as the views both east and west, truly fantastic.


The trail I was following ultimately meets up with the more popular walking trail between Gjendebu and Memurubu (2 large hotel like huts in Jotunheimen. The junction is just above a 400 meter in less than a kilometre climb known as Bukkelægret. It was here much to my surprise I met an Australian with his 2 children accompanied by 2 Norwegian men. Interestingly he initially spoke to me in Norwegian and when my english response came back he switched to a very strong aussie accent, we chatted for a few minute before his group headed down the Bukkelægret while I headed across to Sjugurdtinden and the rapid descent into Memurdalen. The walk to Sjugurdtinden continued in the same pattern though I passed more hikers many of whom were carrying large overnight packs, there was also a tent on the side of Langtjønne and I suspect that this area is often used for camping out, something that I had considered but decided to camp lower down in the valley. I was also surprised by the number of hikers who I passed climbing up the Sjugurdtinden at 6 pm at night, there was still plenty of daylight and I have no doubt that they intended to camp out, for me though this was unusual.
The knee jerking descent into Memrubu followed by a short walk up the Memurudalen led me to a pleasant campsite near the fast flowing glacier fed Muru river. It was after 7 pm before I settled down to my dinner, it was also about the same time that the mosquitoes began to appear, fortunately not in large numbers.