Kjells Trip to Friisvegen 2016: april 2016

Trip to Friisvegen this year, too.

These trips are beginning to be a test of how the old man is staying in shape. Much of my physical activity is intended to delay the decay of my body and it was a pleasure to learn that things could have been much worse. It was also good to discover that I had not forgotten anything essential as to food and equipment, as I am more concerned about my mind than about my body.

The short version:

I had planned to stay for ten days, but it turned out to be eight because of weather conditions. Started Wednesday 3. March. Fine weather the two first days, which were transport activities. Saturday nasty weather with strong wind and heavy snow. Sunday (Bibbi’s birthday) offered brilliant weather with a great trip to Hirisjøhøgda. Monday and Tuesday dense fog. Wednesday return in disappearing fog.

I got up at 5. AM Wednesday 3. March. Started driving from home at 6, reached the parking place at Storfjellseter at 10. After lunch and packing of backpack and sled I got going at noon. Arrival at my campsite at 3. Camp established at 5. Everything went OK, especially because of a good crust on the snow and my new Madshus Intelligrip Skin that I could glue to the sole of my skis. Incredibly good product. My body was in good shape, but during the night I god cramps in my thighs and legs. Great fun!

The next day I returned to my car to get the rest of food and equipment, i.a. oranges, ten half-liter cans of beer, potatoes, eggs, bacon and four liters of kerosene.

Saturday I was stuck in my tent in a blizzard, Sunday I had a great trip to Hirisjøhøgda, Monday and Tuesday in dense fog. Impossible to go skiing, both because of lacking visibility and because the light removed contours in the landscape so that I made my lose my balance. And it is too cumbersome to navigate by GPS. Furthermore the fog around freezing point made everything damp or wet.

It was not fascinating to be stuck in the tent for three whole days, but radio, audiobooks, my Kindle and music made life bearable.

I did not see one single human being in the mountains, but I met one couple of German tourists at the parking place and one lady skiing down in the valley.

So Wednesday I had enough. Packing and the trip down the hills went well, but I was particularly careful because my skis started breaking through the crust of snow. Not simple when the skis make full stop and the heavy sled continues. Because I had broken two sets of the sled shafts on previous trips, I maneuvered carefully and slowly down the hills. Took a little longer, but it was the wise thing to do.

I came upon some ptarmigan, but otherwise I saw no wild animals except for the elk you see in the last picture.