Distance: 23.6km (251.0km), time spentt: 10:33 (94:28).
Ascent / descent: 987m (7796m) / 757m (7535m).
Altitude (start / end / highest): 1011m / 1242m / 1534m.
Weather: Alternating, though overcast most of the time.
I almost end up spending another night at a cabin again at the end of this day, at Sulebu, probably saved by arriving at the cabin not too late. I had a long break there, something that may put the finger on the problem, it is quickly done just staying put when you take a too long break and has a feeling of having quit for the day. I walked to Nedre Skavlegiltjernet where I found a nice place to camp, which also lay hidden from the one hut near the lake.
There is actually a path going through here. Up from Breistølen, the Massiv trail goes through massiv scrub and thickets.
The eleventh stage on Massiv for my part resulted in a lot of change of clothes, of the raingear type. Even when it did not rain it was necesarry to walk with the waterproofs on. There has not been done much to keep the path free from vegetation on the path up from Breistølen. The four young girls at Iungsdalshytta had already given me proper notice of what I could expect. The path goes up the northern mountainside of the Mørkedalen valley through thick scrub and thickets, sometimes without being able to see the path at all. With that many twigs and leaves that you have to push through, you quickly get wet. Even if it has not rained, the morning dew sees to that.
View down towards Breistølen and over to where I came down from yesterday, Stardalen and Stardalsmønen.
Afterwards, I could at least take of my raingear, sit down in the heather and enjoy the sight of a rainbow above the valley further below. The walk to Sulebu goes over a relatively easy terrain to walk on, there are some rocky parts, but not at least as much and bad as yesterday. You have to walk over two passes before you can see the target in sight, first one below Nordre Kluftenosi and then over Suleskaret between Suletinden and Sulefjellet. The waterproofs has to be brought back on after the first pass. There is a dark and wet wall that is quickly coming up from the southeast and Eldrevatnet.
Rainbow over Mørkedalen.
At Masseringstjørni, the rain has ended and there are more blue sky to see, but it still gets wet. Beneath the lake, I have to take off my shoes to vade across the river. Great is therefore the irritation of finding out that I again have to take off my shoes to cross the river above the lake afterwards. When I look at the map and the western side of Masseringstjørni, I quickly see that it would have been possible to go on that side. Why they have put the path around the lake in this way is a little bit confusing. Although the river probably contains more water now than usual, but still. I found the solution on the map at the same time though, right next to the path there is a gravel road that goes up to a dam further up, this crosses the river on a bridge not far away. I aim for the road, crosses the bridge and finds my way back to the path from there. I have no problem dealing with vading, but honestly, I am not that happy to spend much time taking my shoes on and off all the time.
Nordre Kluftenosi in the picture.
Masseringsnosi.
According to the hostess at Breistølen, there was a hiking group from the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) coming there today. Since they would not be coming from Bjordalsbu (then I would have met them yesterday), I figured out that they should be coming from Sulebu. But I meet no one, the mountain stays calm and quiet withouth any voices to hear. At lunchbreak in the valley after Masseringstjørni, I see that there are something that is moving higher up in the direction the path is going to, but the movements are too quick to be humans. I assume it is reindeer.
Up towards Suleskaret with Suletinden at left.
It is first when the sky is closing up again, with the mountainsides around me doing the same thing, that I encounter other people. Where the trail enters the pass up between Suletinden and Sulefjellet, Suleskaret, I hear quick steps coming from behind. At least, quicker steps than mine. A couple that has been to the top of Sulefjellet and is on their way down again are overtaking me. Before I get to know that they were coming down from there, I feel that I walk quite slowly. We speak for a while, in the middle of the pass with views over Øvre Sulevatnet, and are almost keeping company the rest of the way to Sulebu.
View over Øvre Sulevatnet beneath Suleskaret.
The terrain across Suleskaret is rocky and almost as grey as it is above me on the sky, but there is a nice view in the direction of the self-served cabin. The couple had spent some time trying to find a passage to get across the river running down towards Øvre Sulevatnet, without having to take off their shoes. I follow them to where they had marked where they came across, but chooses a different route across in the end. I came over without my feet getting wet. Over the heath there is the slightest hint of a rainbow.
Sulefjellet and Suletinden.
At Sulebu there is a family with children staying for the night. We all end up sitting outside and talking. The grey weather broke up and the sun is shining, around Suletinden and Sulefjellet the sky is blue with grey clouds. And I end up with an all too long break at the cabin, which almost makes me stay there. It does not help that the family staying there is a nice acquaintance, which also gives me some of their dinner (sausages with mashed potatoes). When I leave the cabin, the weather is characterized by a light rain.
The view from a top just before Sulebu.
Something that only gives the last part of this day's hike a simple atmospheric look. The rain mostly keeps to itself, I only get short visits from some small drops. At Nedre Skavlegiltjernet, the tent is quickly pitched and it does not take long time before I sit down and look at the stove heating up one of my homemade stews. Fried and dried minced meat, mixed with pre-made stew-ingredients, vacuum-packed. I only have to pour it into the pot, fill up water and heat it up. Simple and easy. And in the mountains everything tastes good (almost).
My campsite at Nedre Skavlegiltjernet, on a day with clear sky you should be able to see the peaks of Jotunheimen from here.
I wonder if there are any fish in the water, but it does not matter in the end. My fishing rod is left behind at home. A nice enough day on my hike this, but not the one that distinguished itself the most. In the tent after retreating for the evening, I sort of make up status of the hike so far. The conclusion is that I probably have gone too hard, the two previous days became way too long, and that I had been overly ambitious in my planning of the trail. I probably would have managed to toil myself through the given plan, but then a large part of the joy of being out in the mountains would probably be gone. I decide to slow down a bit, then see if I will get all the way to Sota Sæter or not. And if I do not make it, it does not matter really.
Map of the trail for the eleventh day on Massiv, from Breistølen to Nedre Skavlegiltjernet.
<- BreistølenSlettningsbu ->
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