Distance: 18.5km (576.8km).
I go for pizza as breakfast today, straight from the freezer at Hæverstølen. Have a short walk ahead of me this day, to the next recommended pilgrim hostel on my pilgrimage, Meslo Gård. After that I only have two hostels left to check out before Trondheim. And an unknown endpoint in between tomorrow.
Breakfast at Hæverstølen. I rarely eat pizza for breakfast, but now I just had to go all in, added a hard boiled egg too.
Light rain outside the mountain farm in the morning, dancing rain clouds on the other side of the valley when I start walking. The old royal road continues further down towards the main road. The asphalt is dark from the rain that has passed.
On the other side of the valley for Hæverstølen, the rain clouds was dancing in the morning...
...but when I left the beautiful mountain farm the sun shone.
I will only follow the road a short distance first but will have to pay for it with a longer stay on it later. Walking on the more comfortable path through the woods in between, I pay little heed to it.
On this farm there are obviously people who have a penchant for going on pilgrimages and especially the Caminos in Spain (let us at least believe it), here you will find famous waymark on one wall of the main house.
The pilgrim path then follows the main road a good distance again, for about two and three kilometres, but there are few cars, and I am in a relaxed mood. A rainbow has formed in front of me. The trail takes a small detour from the road, which actually feels a little bit strange despite the fact that it feels good to escape the hard ground underfoot, albeit for a short time only. Pleasant enough walking, but the waymarking is a little bit difficult.
Fantstenen. On the small stretch between the walking on the main road you come to this stone, shaped like a chair. If you are tired, you can sit down on this, but it is recommended to put something soft on it.
On the way into the forest again the rain reappears. Next to the path you will find several wooden boxes you can open that contain information about the place you are on, both a pilgrim path and a nature path. I pass by and read about Kvennakloppa (a stream that provided power for grinders), the power line from Brattset power plant, Kamban (a homestead after 1814).
Back on the main road, walking with a rainbow on the horizon.
An older construction barracks of a kind (at least it looks like that) appears in the rain. Welcome in it says and in I go. The place looks perfect to have lunch in if it rains, but I do not feel hungry. You can make a fire in an oven inside too. Before I close the door behind me and moves on, I had a short break from hiking and the rain inside.
The next stone on the trail was Tatersteinen.
At a later time, I regret a little that I did not have lunch there. Because just before the trail takes down a steep hollow road, you will find a wooden shelter (gapahuk) if you go a little to the left on the road by Gammelgræva. Now I am hungry, but the shelter is little inviting, even in the rain. Not fenced in like so many others I have seen so far, so here it seems that it has been used more by sheep than humans. The rain makes streams of mud and sheep droppings on the 'floor'. Not so nice, dirty otherwise, but now I have to have food.
Brattset. Here lived an allround artist, Sjur Brattset, who in his lifetime made educational games for the school in Voll, a star map powered by hydropower along the roadside, as well as tombstones with inscriptions on in a self-made alphabet.
The way the light green ferns light up the path, or the hollow road, makes the day for me. All green becomes so accentuated when it is rain in the air. There is a luminous green stripe around the path that leads me downhill with a darker green colour as a background.
Inside Rennebuskogen, near Kvernakloppa, you will find this small barrack, which is open for walkers to take a rest or lunch break in.
Down by the Orkla river and the bridge over it, one has to make one choice. I do not like alternatives on long-distance routes, it makes me wonder if the choice I made was the right one. What did I miss on the second (or third, etc) option?
One of the wooden information boxes you pass by, this one could tell me that there was once an old house from 1814 here, Kamban.
At the bridge you can follow a route that takes you next to the Orkla river in the direction of Stamnan. It is tempting. Down by the river I see a much nicer wooden shelter than the one I ate lunch in. With a little more ice in my stomach, I could have eaten there. The alternative route along the river is supposed to be nice, but it is only an alternative route, and not the original way. That goes up the hill above and I usually always want to go up. If you want an easier or shorter trip the last bit, however, you should go the lower route next to the river.
Then the woods opened up and I got a view of the trees and Berkåk.
Higher up, however, I get a nice view of the valley, with clouds drifting through the valley sides. Below, the Orkla river meanders. The best view is obtained by walking a little away from the trail by a field.
This wooden shelter (gapahuk) can be found if you follow the road to the left just before you start the descent from Gammelgræva. In the rain, on the other hand, it was quite muddy and dirty on the 'floor'.
And again I am on the pilgrimage of loneliness.
A path, green contrasts, the descent from Gammelgræva was luminous.
I do not regret my choice to walk the original route up in the hill. Passes an older farm, Slipran, before the path dives into the primeval forest. With raindrops dripping from the leaves. A distinctly green world where the outside world is hidden. A small building that has seen its better days, with holes in the roof, but which looks almost appropriate in this world where it looks a bit forgotten where it stands next to Slipra.
Further down the hollow road from Gammelgræva next to a gurgling stream.
Hiking is sometimes strange. Today I had one of the shortest stages of the pilegrimage so far (if not the shortest). Still, I spent a long time, the hike went out, even if it was not the hardest stage to embark on either. You know you are not going to go far and with that you lower your shoulders, and then time goes by anyway. And maybe that is why, I took it easy, maybe I needed it.
View down towards the Orkla river and the valley from the route that goes up and past Slipran.
To the point that I am happy when I see the sign marked with Meslo Gård on. Had talked to Ingrid Meslo beforehand, who was wondering when I arrived. After coming down from the hills, the last stretch went on the way to the farm.
Slipran farm.
When I see the old loft, opens the door and look in, I think that it must be an experience to go on pilgrimage for foreigners here (for Norwegians as well). The problem is probably just one thing. Most people who come from abroad choose to go with tents. Although the price for staying overnight in these places is far from bad (seen through Norwegian eyes). Cheaper than a hotel and a lot more pleasant.
After Slipran, the route disappeared into the primeval forest.
A small shelter that has seen better days, with holes in the ceiling. Next to it runs Slipra.
On the table is coffee and waffle, there is little to say on the welcome. A living room like this is where I know I would have liked to wrap myself under a blanket if there had been a storm outside the windows.
On the way down to Flå. Snow on top of the mountains in the background.
I have dinner with the host family. They call it leftover food, but it is good, varied and more than enough. We are talking about hiking. Hiking in England. They are considering going on a trip to the Lake District and wondering if I have any tips. Unfortunately, I know little about that area, apart from the great pictures I have seen from there, and that it is the most visited area in England. A bit like Jotunheimen here in Norway in other words, minus the height.
Wet asphalt on the way to Stamnan.
There is no storm outside, but I still wrap myself up in the sofa afterwards. It has gotten dark outside. I see the hosts go into the barn to tend the cows. Pilgrims and domestic animals must be cared for, they will probably receive just as good treatment. A great place.
Masstuggu on Meslo farm, my shelter for the night.
Another nice day, but where the walk might have suffered a bit from being compared to the trip over Dovre, as yesterday. And again it was the pilgrim hostel that I came to that was the best part of the day. Tomorrow I will probably have to pay for the short walk of today, but when I go to bed I have yet to put a pin on the map for where I am going.
Inside masstuggu at Meslo, joins the row of cosy accommodations along the trail.
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