183 lines
15 KiB
Markdown
183 lines
15 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: 'Day 15: Hiking Besseggen (and back!)'
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date: 2022-09-08T22:36:42+02:00
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Tags: []
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Categories: []
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---
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## Our trip today
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{{< image src="/img/day15/map.png" width="400px" float="right" >}}
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I was excited yesterday and put my alarm at 07:00, however completely unexpectedly, I woke up at 06:30 already and could no longer sleep,
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despite the bed being reasonably comfy. I beckoned Paul who was (obvioulsy) already awake, and he booted up his morning ritual program. At
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07:15 we were downstairs making breakfast, boiled eggs (to perfection, if I might say!), the usual bread, salami, smoked salmon, and to mix
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it up a little _Italienisk Salat_ rather than my usual _Sommarsalat_.
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## Gjendesheim to Memurubu
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{{< image src="/img/thumbnails/2022-09-08/IMG_7706.jpg" width="400px" float="right" >}}
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We were in the car at 07:45 and despite a tiny obstruction along the way in _Beitostølen_ where the local goat herd was having their yearly
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general assembly on the road, we managed to drive up to the _Gjendesheim_ parkinglot by 08:30, which was great. We put on our hiking boots
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and at 08:38 we were off to the races - our trip today starts at _Gjendesheim_ parkinglot, about 1.5km walk to _Gjendesheim_, where parking
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is only allowed up until 2hrs. We're going to be up here all day, of course, so we go the extra proveribal mile.
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{{< image src="/img/thumbnails/2022-09-08/IMG_7722.jpg" width="400px" float="right" >}}
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Our first task is hiking up the mountain to the summit of _Veslfjellet_ at 1743m / 5718ft which is a hike of about 5.5km, and it takes us
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2h20m to get to this point. What I found helpful is that some of the steeper climbs have man-made staircases where the folks who maintain
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this trail put flat rocks one after another so you can just walk up. We both appreciate these, as they are less bumpy and easier on the
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knees. At the top, there is a huge cairn. I march past it, because I can't wait to see the _Besseggen_ part of the trail, but Paul insists
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that we make photogenic proof of being here. We take the required selfies and we measure the elevation here using Paul's phone. It measures
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us at 1751m while the summit is 1743m high, pretty accurate for a cellphone!
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{{< image src="/img/thumbnails/2022-09-08/IMG_5543.jpg" width="300px" float="right" >}}
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From there, the trail mosies up and down until it hits the _Besseggen_ ridge after another 1.8km or so. Although it's cloudy and overcast,
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we keep on chasing the clouds away. Every time we're at a local tippy-toppie, we see fluffs of cloud overhead. But then, every time we get
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to that next part, the clouds once again are a bit higher. In the end, we manage to avoid all of it, and the Sun even comes up to tickle us
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a little bit, which is nice.
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The path here is gorgeous though, every now and again we're treated to a view of the lake below, in all of its blue and aquamarine hues and
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tints. The Sun wants to / tries to break through to give the lake that little extra sparkle. We're just very grateful that there is no rain
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and limnited wind (because climbing down slippery rocks in a storm != fun). In fact, the wind that is blowing up here helps us cool off,
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because we're both sweating like pigs.
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## Besseggen
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{{< image src="/img/fullsize/2022-09-08/IMG_7726.jpg" width="100%" >}}
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{{< image src="/img/thumbnails/2022-09-08/IMG_7729.jpg" width="300px" float="right" >}}
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We reach the top of _Besseggen_ after about 2h45m of hiking, and here is where the magic starts. From this angle, we can see down on two
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lakes and one very thin ridge. The lefthand side lake is called _Gjende_ and it's at around 984m / 3227ft altitude. It's very blue water on
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account of the minerals that the mountainous smeltwater brings. Then, on the right is lake _Bessvatnet_ at an altitude of around 1373m /
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4505ft. Lake _Bessvatnet_ lays on a slab of basalt rock, inherently dark which makes the (otherwise very clear) water appear black.
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Dividing the two lakes, there's a very narrow (at times only 5-8 meters wide) ridge called _Besseggen_ and comes down from where we are here
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at 1650m / 5400ft all the way to the black lake below, and it does that descent in about 600m of, let's say, hikeing/bouldering. We make it
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down there at the 2h51m mark, and this is 8.77km from where we started.
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{{< image src="/img/thumbnails/2022-09-08/IMG_5563.jpg" width="400px" float="right" >}}
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_Besseggen_ is **not** an easy path. On the way down we come across several groups, amongst others some quite terrified kids who are hiking
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the trail the other way around (from _Memurubu_ to _Gjendesheim_). Their teacher / climbing guide explains that for most folks who are afraid
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of heights, going up is easier because you can focus on the trail ahead of you. However, even though I also have vertigo, I pretty much always
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will walk this trail in our current direction **to** _Memurubu_ because the views makes up for the suffered anxiety.
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{{< image src="/img/thumbnails/2022-09-08/IMG_5559.jpg" width="400px" float="right" >}}
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We have lunch, some Wasa crackers with Jarlsberg cheese, at the lake. I convince Paul not to go skinny dipping in _Bessvatnet_, because we
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still have a long way to go. In my memory, from here it's all simple down-hill. But as we find, this is not actually the case (and Marina; I
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apologize because you've literally told me a hundred times that it's not downhill here at all!). The weather is still overcast, with some
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whiter and darker grey clouds above us. Looking up at them, it's reasonably clear to us that we'll not need our Peak Performance waterproof
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hiking jackets today. Good for me, I was stubborn and left mine at home.
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{{< image src="/img/thumbnails/2022-09-08/IMG_5570.jpg" width="400px" float="right" >}}
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After lunch, we make our way to _Memurubu_ but only after passing a few more ups- and -down hills on the trail. Most of them have a lake
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associated with them, but nothing can hold a candle to the view (and feeling of accomplishment) on the main attraction of the trail:
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_Besseggen_ itself. Paul kind of stays ahead of me, and does not stop often. He later informs me that my promise of the trail being downhill
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and easy going was _not_ a true representation of the factual situation on this last part of the trail (which, in a span of maybe 2km drops
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600m of elevation). I suspect he didn't enjoy it :-)
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{{< image src="/img/thumbnails/2022-09-08/IMG_7741.jpg" width="300px" float="right" >}}
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But, we make it to _Memurubu_ and find our way to the docks. Maybe a boatride isn't too bad after all. However, we arrive to _Memurubu_ at
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2pm or so, 5h36m and 17.2km into our hike. The boat will leave at 16:55 (as we noted yesterday) but there's only one afternoon boat, somehow
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we thought they would be every hour or so, but alas. We do the math while eating chocolate chip cookies on the dock: it's about 10km back
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via the trail on the lakefront, which should not take more than 3.5-4hrs to do. We figure, we'll be half way back once the boat arrives to
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pick us up, and we (at least: I) don't really feel like sitting around for two hours.
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So: off we go, on foot back to _Gjendesheim_. We put our cruise control to 3km/h and start clocking 19-21 minute kilometers, and at this
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pace it shouldn't be long before we reach it.
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{{< image src="/img/thumbnails/2022-09-08/IMG_5577.jpg" width="300px" float="right" >}}
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Here's where things start to go less than perfect. We eat some salty beef jerky (which is delicious, we both agree, and totally hits the
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spot on this hiking trail), but it makes us thirsty and we both finish our water bottles. We should've topped off at _Memurubu_ but we did
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not do this, so now we're hiking (or in my case, perhaps it's more like stumbling forwards), and we're optimistically counting meters not
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kilometers; using our GPS we see it's 5.5km left to go, then 5km left to go, then 3 miles (4.8km) and so on. I am **broken** at this point,
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about 24km into the hike, we try to keep our cruise-control setting of 20min per kilometer, and achieve it, but only at somewhat gnarly
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physical expense. My legs are burning and surly with me, my knees are killing me. Paul's legs and knees are no better off, we're just not
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super used to hiking this far (9.5hrs and 28.6km when this is all done).
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{{< image src="/img/thumbnails/2022-09-08/IMG_5584.jpg" width="400px" float="right" >}}
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Although the terrain is objectively easy going, certainly compared to _Besseggen_ up there, I think the worst part is that the trail takes
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us up 100m just to round a boulder and take us down 100m again. Paul asks me to complain to Slartibartfast, I send him a text message and he
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replies pretty quickly that he is in charge of Fjords, not inland trails, and to take our beef to Loki. Ah, that wretched Loki, who puts in
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extra 500m of trail here with up-100m-down-100m just to mess with us. Well, Loki, I hope you're having fun today, because I decidedly am no
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longer enjoying it!
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We arrive at _Gjendesheim_ after what seems like an eternity, although it's only 18:45. One spot of good luck we have is that the last
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shuttle from here to the parkinglot leaves at 19:00 so we take a load off and sit down on the benches at the bus, eagerly awaiting for it to
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shuttle us to Tessa. This allows us to avoid 1.5km of extra walk to pick up the car (which, normally I would not really mind, but right now,
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everything is incredibly sore, so fuck-it). We arrive at the car to be treated by ... a parking ticket! This morning I noticed that the
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parkinglot had a bunch of yellow plastic bags over the parking meters -- but we now see that this was only on the far end of the parkinglot,
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not the near side. Oh well, we'll figure that one out tomorrow.
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{{< image src="/img/thumbnails/2022-09-08/IMG_5592.jpg" width="400px" float="right" >}}
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Paul makes us dinner - a delicious chicken-tonight with parboiled rice and red onion. It really hits the spot, and so does the shower. Just
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after dinner, he fires up the Sauna. We were in there yesterday with Irving, our AirBnB host. On the way back from _Gjendesheim_ we made a
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quick stop in _Beitostølen_ to pick up some beers. He offered me a few yesterday and I want to repay the favor. This AirBnB is super, the
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hosts Tonje and Irving are really nice, and we get to use their kitchen and living room and Sauna: eleven stars on Yelp.
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# What's next ?
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Tomorrow morning we check out of this AirBnB, and drive to Lillehammer. We'll visit a few museums there, spend the night, and make the small
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trip to Oslo the day after, in time for our boat on Sunday September 11th at 14:00.
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## Pictures of the Day
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**NOTE:** There's a few more pictures than usual for today, but we wanted to share all of them because making them came at great physical
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expense :) The _Besseggen_ trail and in general this area of _Jotunheimen_ in Norway is absolutely the best, possibly my favorite place in
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the world to go hiking, and to be humbled by the vast beauty of Mother nature.
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{{< gallery-category >}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7706.jpg" caption="A herd of goats believes the road is theirs">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5527.jpg" caption="Pim and Paul are chipper at 08:35 at Gjendesheim parkinglot">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5529.jpg" caption="Up the Besseggen trail at Gjendesheim">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5532.jpg" caption="They made stairways from rocks, which were handy (also on the way down in Memurubu)">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7715.jpg" caption="Pim uses chains to scale a steep incline">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5538.jpg" caption="Paul is at Veslfjellet (1743m / 5718ft), our highest point today" >}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7722.jpg" caption="Pim and Paul are at Veslfjellet (1743m / 5718ft), our highest point today">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5542.jpg" caption="The GPS / altimeter reading here is 1751m / 5744ft, not bad!">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5543.jpg" caption="The Sun comes out to play, and Pim captures his shadow">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5551.jpg" caption="Pim poses at the high end of Besseggen, Gjende to the left, Bessvatnet to the right">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5553.jpg" caption="The Besseggen ridge between Bessvatnet (1373m / 4505ft) and Gjende (984m / 3227ft)">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5555.jpg" caption="Paul starts his way down Besseggen">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7725.jpg" caption="Picture of Besseggen, Gjende and Bessvatnet">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7726.jpg" caption="Full-lake wide angle panorama of Gjende (blue), Besseggen and Bessvatnet (black)">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7727.jpg" caption="0.5-Selfie of Paul on the Besseggen ridge">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7728.jpg" caption="Paul poses at the top of the Besseggen ridge">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7729.jpg" caption="Pim hops down Besseggen ridge - it's very steep!">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5557.jpg" caption="Stunning panorama of Gjende, Bessvatnet and the Besseggen ridge between">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5558.jpg" caption="Lake Bessvatnet (1373m / 4505ft) where we have lunch">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5559.jpg" caption="Pim and Paul munch Knackebrot with Jarlsberg cheese">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5562.jpg" caption="Stunning panorama of Gjende, Bessvatnet and the Besseggen ridge between">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5563.jpg" caption="Besseggen is towering over Bessvatnet">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5570.jpg" caption="Paul has Memurubu in his sights, last few kilometers">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7733.jpg" caption="Waterfall at the tail of Memurubudalen">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5573.jpg" caption="Pim has a sigh of relief at the boat docks">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5574.jpg" caption="Off we go - Paul starts the 11km trek back to Gjendesheim">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7741.jpg" caption="Pim crosses some rocks on the trail back to Gjendesheim">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5576.jpg" caption="There's a little bridge over some slippery rocks">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5577.jpg" caption="We reward our hard work with some Teriyaki beef jerky">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5580.jpg" caption="The lake Gjende is very pretty from down here, too">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5582.jpg" caption="We see the last boat pass us (leaving Memurubu at 16:55)">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5583.jpg" caption="Pim is not having fun anymore">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7738.jpg" caption="A cute little waterfall">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_7736.jpg" caption="Pim stumbles towards Gjendesheim">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5584.jpg" caption="Paul marches on, only a few more kilometers to Gjendesheim">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5589.jpg" caption="We made it! Pim and Paul are waiting on the bus to the parking lot">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-07/IMG_5504.jpg" caption="Our private wood-burning Sauna">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-07/IMG_5525.jpg" caption="Our private Sauna in a beautiful sunset">}}
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{{< gallery-photo fn="2022-09-08/IMG_5592.jpg" caption="Paul relaxes in our private wood-burning Sauna">}}
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{{< /gallery-category >}}
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{{< gallery-modal >}}
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{{< gallery-script >}}
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