Gettin' yer oats

How do you have your porridge/porage/oatmeal? I have mine Norway-style these days - with cinnamon and sugar. Oh yeah, check out my manly mug too. Grrrrrrrrr!

"The Darkside is always there, waiting for us to enter"

I've been waiting for a day like this. A full day with no other obligations and good weather. This time I double checked that I had packed EVERYTHING I needed and made sure I was up and out the door as early as possible to make the most of the available daylight. I've been meaning to get up and over the Storfjellet plateau since we moved to our current apartment but always seemed to run out of time or weather. I wanted to see over the other side, the darkside of the hill that we hike/run up every week. The snow started proper at 300m and it was good to be pounding up the southern-most ridge of the plateau with the sun and wind at my back.

Heading north just before I picked up the path to the Turnerhytten hut I was now off the beaten track. The wind had created an icy crust that in places allowed me to follow compass bearings 'as the crow flies'. In places I followed arctic hare tracks in the snow to the cairn marking the highest point on the plateau, Hauggjelsvarden at 673m (my Suunto read 675m which was reassuring to know that it actually worked!). I signed my name in the register (after managing to get the frozen ballpoint pen to work) and headed north following some seriously big tracks in the snow.

I hoped they belonged to someone wearing snowshoes and not a yeti. It was at this point that snowshoes suddenly made a lot of sense. I'd seen them in the shops in town and wondered if they were really needed around here but cutting across the plateau the way I was, periodically breaking through the icy crust, sometimes up to my hip, I can't help but feel I would have saved a lot of energy with a couple of tennis rackets strapped to my feet.

On the far-side of the plateau I stopped for lunch in the shelter of a huge snow drift. It was good to peer down into the next valley which I had only previously seen when driving the valley road. A whole other world of possible trails and mountains opened up and I got to see the gateway to the three-day trek to Voss that we have planned for the spring. The weather had been amazing walking this way but now it was time to turn for home and straight into the teeth of the wind. I pulled on another layer, changed my socks and put my goggles on so I could see where I was going. The first few hundred metres were so cold after my break but a few Pete Townshend arm swings and the warmth soon returned to my fingers. At this point a bank of cloud combined with the slight tint of my goggles created a surreal golden light effect that pulled me back across the plateau. Fine powder snow snaked across the crusty surface towards me as I ticked off the cairns back towards the Ulriken ridge. This was the hardest walking of the day. The snow was softening up and I crashed through the crust with annoying regularity, a couple of times I keeled over in perfect slow motion.

The day was drawing to a close. The sun's lazy, low winter arc was almost up. It felt good to have been out for so long although my feet were staring to complain at their six hour shift. I was glad I finally got to see the dark side of 'my mountain'.

Round 2

After the debacle of Saturday I decided to have another attempt at a nice, long day in the hills without trying to forget anything and making sure I checked the weather forecasts properly. 8C, 40km/h winds at first but lessening all through the day, slight chance of precipitation. Positively tropical for Bergen at this time of the year! Adequate clothes packed, plenty of snacks and a proper lunch prepared.

Yeah it was a bit nippy at first but by the time I left the forest I was warmed up and raring to go. I decided not to follow any of the regular paths out into the hills and instead explored new ridges and valleys up to the plateau. I was up in the clouds now, visibility was really poor so it was a good test for one of my Christmas presents. Once I hot the top I pulled on extra gloves and my Lite-speed, grabbed a handful of chocolate peanuts and reached for one of the two water bottles I was especially careful to pack. Bugger. I could see them sitting on the kitchen counter. I swore at myself for being such a doofus, especially after what had happened on Saturday and then I remembered something I'd read on BPL. With a snip of the scissors on my penknife I fashioned an ultralight drinking system out of the plastic bag that was carrying my sandwiches.

Finding water has never been a problem in Norway (especially with the hills in another thaw) and I've never been ill from drinking the water, as long as you follow a few simple precautions. The water was ice cold and very refreshing. Day saved.

Thaw blimey!

After a few more lucky direction changes and the odd sneaky peaky at the map I came across this waterfall, spewing snow-melt in a noisy display of nature and decided to stop for lunch in the shelter of a bush. The wind was still tearing up the hillsides and cloud was streaming either side of my protective picnic spot.

I didn't stop for long and headed off up along another new ridge line and found myself having to double back a couple of times as promising paths petered out into nothing or simply stopped at a cliff top. Thinking back I don't think it was quiet all day. The sound of pounding, running water seemed everywhere, usually just out of sight in the mist. I found some really nice spots for camping that I'll be back to try soon enough. I started heading downhill and noticed that the wind had died down a lot and was slowly being replaced by rain. I spent a lot of the afternoon following my compass through the cloud down across seemingly featureless tracts of tussocked moorland and scrub before finding another stream and then a large rocky outcrop with a trig point on top. I pinpointed myself on the map and headed towards home as the light started to fade. In my pocket I checked for the umpteenth time that I had my front door key this time and sighed with relief when I found it again. So last time I forgot some clothes and food, this time I forgot my water bottles. What can I forget next time?

Rattle the cups!

Whilst I'm the first to admit that I reach for 'on' switch of 'en kaffe trakter' first thing in the morning I do like a cup of tea and so do these guys.

Tea Appreciation Society

If you like a brew too then why not pay them a visit. They seem like a nice bunch.

Taken to school

I got taught a few lessons yesterday during an afternoon in the hills. Firstly I underestimated the importance of checking the weather forecasts carefully. I threw a half-hearted glance at www.yr.no and saw the temperature would be around freezing but I didn't heed the warning about the 50kph wind. This led to some interesting clothing choices that left me at the mercy of -17C wind chill once I got to the top. Secondly I didn't drink enough water or bring enough food to keep my metabolism ticking over. I kept on assuring myself that I'd warm up with a bit of concerted effort along the ridge and a small bag of mixed nuts and fruit but I didn't. I threw on everything piece of clothing I had. I was still cold and resigned myself to cutting my afternoon short. I couldn't concentrate properly on the way down and nearly came a cropper on the hard water ice that covered most of the footpath (I promised myself that I WILL get some Kahtoolas soon). I also didn't take a front door key so when I returned home, earlier than arranged, I was forced to shelter on our balcony, the width of a pane of double glazing away from central heating and hot food, for an hour and a half until M came home from shopping. It was ample to time to sit and reflect on mistakes made and lessons learned whilst huddled around several outdoor candles.

Survival is a very serious business...

Andy Kirkpatrick (he of Psychovertical fame) shares some very important Ultimate Survival Tips with us. Thanks Andy.

So you think you can ride a bike...

This one is for all my friends who ride bikes. THIS is how to ride a bike.

Back in Brrrrrrrrrrrrgen!

Our ten day visit back to Ol' Blighty for the Christmas holidays was over. We'd had a fantastic time but it was now time to head back to Norway. For most of the approach to Bergen our view outside the aircraft was a series of stills, produced by the strobing landing light, each image a maelstrom of swirling cloud and manic snowflakes framed by the plane's wing. Suddenly we dropped through the cloud and glimpsed the on-rushing runway. Ethereal, uniform whiteness, tinged with warmth from the airport's halogen bulbs made me hope that our plane was running studded snow tyres like all the cars.

"Welcome to Bergen airport. The temperature outside is -6C and the weather is snowing".