Distance: 13.1km (165.4km).
I must have been blind. It took me a long time to understand why my feet got so wet during the first days on this hike. Before I went on the hike, I reimpregnated my hiking shoes, so they really should have kept the water better out than they have. This morning, however, I took a closer inspection of my shoes and then the reason became very clear. The sides of the shoes have started to go up in the seams. No wonder water had found its way into my shoes.
Cascade of the Langglupbekken river in the morning.
I do not fear getting wet on my feet today, but I worry that the shoes will fall apart when I am high up on that rocky castle of today. I will get a hard time getting down again with no shoes on my feet. Most likely they will hold out fine.
View back through Langglupdalen valley.
The path through Langglupdalen with Rondslottet ahead.
With my plan of spending two nights in my tent, then spending the next night at a cabin, I have come to another night at a cabin. Today I will walk to Rondvassbu, a staffed cabin with 128 beds and a popular base for hiking in Rondane. And Rondslottet, the castle of Rondane, is what the hike is all about today. This is the tallest peak in Rondane at 2178m and I have yet to climb it. With the world at your feet, you sometimes forget your own backyard.
Rondslottet in dissipating veils.
Looking out over Langglupdalen, Rondvassdalen and Dørålen. Digerronden to the right.
The start of the climb is a gentle one, going slowly through the Langglupdalen valley, with a cloud looking like cotton wrapping in the summit of Rondslottet. The prospect of a great climb is all there as most of the clouds on the sky are behind me and not in front of me. From below I can hear the water of the Langglupbekken river rushing down.
Midtronden and Høgronden from the climb up towards Rondslottet.
Downward look at Langglupdalen, my campsite was in the green area at the end of the valley.
After wading across Langglupbekken the climb begins for real. Further up ahead of me I can see two people moving. In Langglupdalen there were still grass and vegetation around, but as I move higher up the green colors disappears and grey begins its domination. The inclination increases, the surface becomes rockier, the temperature is getting warmer, the sky turns bluer and my mood is soaring.
A rocky outcrop next to the path to Rondslottet.
At the summit of Rondslottet.
The path to the summit goes steeply up on top of scree, but it is possible to use a line of snow to get some change to the hard surface. Try not to count the number of stones you have to step on to get up. Climbing up, my campsite down at the Langglupbekken becomes smaller and smaller, while the view of the summit of Høgronden become more distinguished on the other side of the valley. Close to the path there is a rift in the side of the mountain that provides a great view of the valley below and where I will be walking later on the trail. As well as a vertiginous view downwards and with Digerronden the prominent peak.
And there in the horizon lies the destination of the Saga trail, the majestic mountain of Snøhetta (to the right).
View east from Rondslottet.
Rondslottet boasts another huge square cairn. From the summit you will have good views of all the other 2000-meter peaks of Rondane, and in clear weather you can spot the two highest peaks in Norway, Galdhøpiggen and Glittertind, surrounded by the jagged peaks of Jotunheimen. Snøhetta, the destination of the Saga trail, is also clearly visible. It is a wonderful feeling getting the best weather so far on the trail, on the day I had the climb up to Rondslottet. Luck, I guess.
Storronden and Vinjeronden and the path between.
The steep pile of rocks of Rondslottet.
While Jotunheimen feels more solid in its appearance, Rondane feels more like loose stones and rocks piled together. Rondane appeare more like it is the sandbox of the Jotuns, or the playground of the giants. What a huge pile of rocks it is.
It is a steep drop down towards Storbotn below, Storronden at the back.
Styggebotn with Storesmeden and Veslesmeden in the background.
There are several other people already present at the summit, with happy and satisfied voices floating through the air. The ones I spotted higher up in front of me are two young men on a couple of days hiking through Rondane. Needless to say, but it is sort of mandatory to have my lunch today up here at this lofty castle of rocks. That feeling of listening to the sound of water about to boil, knowing food and coffee is imminent, all shared with a wonderful view.
Rondslottet and Vinjeronden.
Storbotn below with Høgronden behind.
The steepest part of the climb up to Rondslottet is on the section between Rondslottet and Vinjeronden next by, meaning I will have a steep descent. However how steep the climb down is, it is such a fun hike and I am beaming. Walking down reveals more views of the stones stacked on top of each other and the sheer drop towards the bowl or basin below.
At the summit of Vinjeronden.
View from Vinjeronden, Rondvatnet in sight far below as well as the path to it.
Vinjeronden stands at 2046m and will probably only be mentioned as a bonus peak if you climb Rondslottet, but it is still a nice destination in itself. The summit consists of a more flat plateau than that of Rondslottet. Looking down from the end of the rocky plateau I can see the Rondvatnet lake far below.
Rondholet.
There is another very steep descent and then I find myself at the rocky band between Vinjeronden and Storronden. On the way down I could also see two tiny people climbing slowly up towards Storronden, like ants in the big picture.
Jotunheimen horizon.
I descend down into the basin between Vinjeronden and Storronden on another steep path on scree. While walking downwards, I have the peaks of Jotunheimen in the line of sight and a burning sun over my head. Then a long and fascinating line cutting through the landscape ahead of me, leading down to Rondvassbu. And behold. They have got sherpa stairs here too, on the last climb down to the cabin.
Vinjeronden and Storronden with Rondholet between.
Rondvassbu is a large staffed cabin and due to its proximity to a parking space, a popular destination for hikers. I have already had an encounter with the regulations at a staffed cabin regarding the current pandemic, with the drying room closed (not a problem today), the social distancing, fixed seats at dinner and breakfast, and more. And of course I get a room for my self. In itself a good thing for me, but a bad thing for the cabin as they cannot accommodate as many as they would like to.
Descent to Rondvassbu.
I have time to relax outside in the sunshine before dinner, after having a shower and arranging myself in the room. At dinner I share a table with a hiker who has travelled here to go up to Rondslottet tomorrow. Stig is from Molde, where I spent my years of study and so we have a lot to talk about, not only of going hiking in Norway. That was a pleasant ending to a truly great day.
Rondvassbu.
Rocky through and through, but Rondslottet is a majestic summit to climb and not to be missed while hiking the Saga trail, with exceptional views from its summit. My shoes was intact all the way and does not appear to be in any worse condition either, so I reckon they will held a lot longer. It has been a week and it has been great.
Rondvatnet in the evening.
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