We had this great idea when our friend, Pete, reached 60 - let's take him away for a weekend walking in the mountains. Mountains aren't that difficult to find in Norway, but over the years we've covered most of the peaks around the area where we live and as we no longer have any kids to hold us back, it was time to really give ourselves a challenge! What about having a go at reaching the top of Norway's two highest peaks, Galdhøpiggen (2469 m) and Glittertind (2452 m)? The plan was to drive up to the Spiterstulen mountain lodge on Thursday evening after work, climb Glittertind Friday and Galdhøpiggen on Saturday, then drive home Sunday ready for work on Monday. Ambitious? No, not at all!
He managed to put us off for a year and a half with weak excuses, but last weekend the four of us set off to give it a go. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't on our side - the forecast for Friday was low cloud, rain and more rain. Glittertind with its icy top and steep drop is not a recommended trip when the weather is bad, so we needed to think again.
The guides at Spiterstulen (hunks in little 70s-style shorts and muscles bursting out of their t-shirts) were doing a guided trip to the top of Galdhøpiggen over one of the glaciers, and though it was going to be a rather longer trip than the one we had intended taking, it seemed like a good idea after a couple of glasses of wine! Eva was a bit doubtful but soon caved in and, after a troubled night's sleep, was ready for the challenge.
Early next morning, dressed in our walking gear and having eaten a hearty breakfast, we set off in a group of about 16 people and a dog, with our guide (the Incredible Hulk) striding ahead! The group was a mixture of Norwegians and tourists from Italy, the Netherlands and Scotland, with the four of us raising the average age quite substantially.
After a couple of hours of stiff uphill walking we reached a small lake at the foot of the Svellnosbreen glacier, and the first challenge of the day; a swim in water that was about four degrees above zero! I, for one, had decided there was no way I was doing that....but, having sweated our way up there, we all (except Kevin) were seized by the moment! Brrrrrrrrrr!! Unbelievably exhilerating, it felt like your whole body had been anaesthetized!
Having eaten our lunch in the rain, it was time to put on our harnesses and crampons and rope ourselves together in two groups ready to cross the glacier. There was a general feeling of excitement as for many of us, this was our first time walking on a glacier. From a distance with their surface all speckled with algae that looks like dirt, glaciers are not very attractive. But close up the ice has a vivid aquamarine colour, which is indescribably beautiful.
As glaciers are in a state of constant change with cracks and crevasses that are easy to fall through, it's important to have a guide who knows his way about! Especially, since we were trying to negotiate our way across these cracks and climbing steadily upwards through very low cloud while tied together. The Incredible Hulk, however, had forgotten his compass and had to pop back to get it (luckily he untied himself first)!
Being roped together in a line didn't seem such a great idea at first - if I slip I'll drag everyone else with me, I thought. However, once I got the hang of keeping my distance, using my crampons to dig in and holding the rope taut when someone slipped, it was actually very comforting. After a couple of hours (not sure the I. H. knew how to use his compass!), we finally reached the opposite edge of the glacier below a several hundred meter high wall of rocks piled on top of each other. This apparently was the next stage!
Having fortified ourselves with trail mix and chocalate we started climbing. This part of the journey tested all of us, but none more so than Kevin; scrambling upwards using both hands and feet over wet rocks was no easy task for someone with vertigo. However, the Incredible Hulk came into his own and talked him steadily upwards and onwards, until we finally reached the top of a wide ridge. The end was in sight, or would have been if we could have seen it properly! A short walk, then approximately seven hours after setting off we finally made it to the top of Galdhøpiggen, 2469 m above sea level, where we all sang Happy Birthday to Pete. Now, we just had to get down again in time for dinner!
The way down was a tough scramble down over rocks, that was harder on our 50+ knees than it was for many of the others in our group. However, we made it down for dinner by the skin of our teeth, drenched with both rain and sweat, our lower limbs aching from the exertion, but with a fantastic sense of achievement. We had definitely earnt the wonderful three-course dinner, wine and beer at Spiterstulen that night!
We took it easy on Saturday, doing just part of the walk towards Glitterheim passing below Glittertind. The sun shone for some of the day, and we were finally able to see the top of Galdhøpiggen and some of the other mountains of Jotunheimen. The easier terrain made a pleasant contrast to the exertions of the previous day.
That night we spent in Lom, a village remarkable for its beautiful stave church and the fact that all the houses are painted the same dark brown colour, before starting the drive home over Sognefjell and down Tindevegen to Årdal. The views of the western side of Jotunheimen were spectacular, as was the road with its numerous bends winding down to the sea. And then it was the slow road home again.....
An incredible adventure, one I'm sure we will enjoy talking about for years to come!
He managed to put us off for a year and a half with weak excuses, but last weekend the four of us set off to give it a go. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't on our side - the forecast for Friday was low cloud, rain and more rain. Glittertind with its icy top and steep drop is not a recommended trip when the weather is bad, so we needed to think again.
The guides at Spiterstulen (hunks in little 70s-style shorts and muscles bursting out of their t-shirts) were doing a guided trip to the top of Galdhøpiggen over one of the glaciers, and though it was going to be a rather longer trip than the one we had intended taking, it seemed like a good idea after a couple of glasses of wine! Eva was a bit doubtful but soon caved in and, after a troubled night's sleep, was ready for the challenge.
Early next morning, dressed in our walking gear and having eaten a hearty breakfast, we set off in a group of about 16 people and a dog, with our guide (the Incredible Hulk) striding ahead! The group was a mixture of Norwegians and tourists from Italy, the Netherlands and Scotland, with the four of us raising the average age quite substantially.
After a couple of hours of stiff uphill walking we reached a small lake at the foot of the Svellnosbreen glacier, and the first challenge of the day; a swim in water that was about four degrees above zero! I, for one, had decided there was no way I was doing that....but, having sweated our way up there, we all (except Kevin) were seized by the moment! Brrrrrrrrrr!! Unbelievably exhilerating, it felt like your whole body had been anaesthetized!
As glaciers are in a state of constant change with cracks and crevasses that are easy to fall through, it's important to have a guide who knows his way about! Especially, since we were trying to negotiate our way across these cracks and climbing steadily upwards through very low cloud while tied together. The Incredible Hulk, however, had forgotten his compass and had to pop back to get it (luckily he untied himself first)!
Being roped together in a line didn't seem such a great idea at first - if I slip I'll drag everyone else with me, I thought. However, once I got the hang of keeping my distance, using my crampons to dig in and holding the rope taut when someone slipped, it was actually very comforting. After a couple of hours (not sure the I. H. knew how to use his compass!), we finally reached the opposite edge of the glacier below a several hundred meter high wall of rocks piled on top of each other. This apparently was the next stage! 
Having fortified ourselves with trail mix and chocalate we started climbing. This part of the journey tested all of us, but none more so than Kevin; scrambling upwards using both hands and feet over wet rocks was no easy task for someone with vertigo. However, the Incredible Hulk came into his own and talked him steadily upwards and onwards, until we finally reached the top of a wide ridge. The end was in sight, or would have been if we could have seen it properly! A short walk, then approximately seven hours after setting off we finally made it to the top of Galdhøpiggen, 2469 m above sea level, where we all sang Happy Birthday to Pete. Now, we just had to get down again in time for dinner!
The way down was a tough scramble down over rocks, that was harder on our 50+ knees than it was for many of the others in our group. However, we made it down for dinner by the skin of our teeth, drenched with both rain and sweat, our lower limbs aching from the exertion, but with a fantastic sense of achievement. We had definitely earnt the wonderful three-course dinner, wine and beer at Spiterstulen that night!
We took it easy on Saturday, doing just part of the walk towards Glitterheim passing below Glittertind. The sun shone for some of the day, and we were finally able to see the top of Galdhøpiggen and some of the other mountains of Jotunheimen. The easier terrain made a pleasant contrast to the exertions of the previous day.
That night we spent in Lom, a village remarkable for its beautiful stave church and the fact that all the houses are painted the same dark brown colour, before starting the drive home over Sognefjell and down Tindevegen to Årdal. The views of the western side of Jotunheimen were spectacular, as was the road with its numerous bends winding down to the sea. And then it was the slow road home again.....
An incredible adventure, one I'm sure we will enjoy talking about for years to come!
1 comment:
I don't think I can go along with the weak excuses bit, but otherwise this is great! As you say, a trip to remember for years to come, and Glittertind still there to tempt us another time.
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