Distance: 36.3km (521.1km).
Slept like a child as it is said. And waking up to a particularly brighter weather than expected, even though it is far from clear outside. Too early to say anything so clear, as there is still a long hike before I am down from the mountain.
On the path from Kongsvoll to Vårstigen.
The next few days ahead of me are now more of the planned kind. And today I have the little hut at Bruvollen in mind, Plasstoggo. The hike there over the mountain offers the famous old way Vårstigen, the highest point on the entire Gudbrandsdalsleden and a walk past a barn on an old mountain farm that is now used as a pilgrimage refuge. Unfortunately closed this season.
Looking back towards Kongsvold Fjeldstue.
Anyway, when I close the gate behind me with a good breakfast inside and the backpack on my back, no raindrops have yet appeared in the air. I look hopefully up at the sky, but there are no promises to get in return from there.
The waterfall in Sprenbekken with a view down Drivdalen and Vårstigen in the background.
From Kongsvold Fjeldstue I had been warned against taking the official route, but rather walk along the road to where Vårstigen starts from. Walking on the road, on the other hand, is minimally tempting. I walk the route as it should be walked, be it good or bad. And indeed, the trail gradually becomes a bit cumbersome, somewhat wet and slightly muddy, but is a lot more preferable to the road below. Yet again a nice walk through autumn colors and along the way you pass a nice waterfall in Sprenbekken which gives a good view of Drivdalen and E6 down.
The start of the old way of Vårstigen.
Vårstigen.
If you are going on a pilgrimage to Nidaros, you cannot get around Vårstigen, also as a modern pilgrim. As early as 1182, this old way was referred to as a pilgrim path to the shrine of St. Olav. Measurements that have been made by Veivesenet have shown that between Gammelholet and Nestasvollen the way is 6230m long, but the pilgrims of today do not have to walk the entire stretch (they have to climb even more). Merrabakken has an average incline of about 35 percent.
View over Drivdalen from Tingsvaet.
Walking through birch trees on Vårstigen.
I have still steered clear of rain and I say to myself that if I get to experience Vårstigen without the wet element, I will say that I am happy with the day already. I quickly forget the incline, because it is a beautiful hike up, here over the narrow and rugged Drivdalen. On the way up, the mountain sides light up, the sun makes an attempt to break through the clouds, but it does not quite succeed.
Høgsnyta with Tingsvaet to its left.
Tingsvaet is located on a knoll with an expanding view of Drivdalen. Old texts say that meetings must have been held in ancient times here, but no definite answers to that have been found.
Vårstigåa.
After a great further hike among birch trees, the Gudbrandsdalsleden and Vårstigen separate ways further down, while the pilgrim trail ascends further up towards the barren mountain. The sun made a brief attempt to break through the clouds earlier, but now it has capitulated for good. It is to a grey and heavily laden world I arrive, but it does not rain. And the landscape around me is of course not completely grey, with autumn colors creeping away from the ground, but they are somewhat subdued by the lack of light. I am exceedingly happy.
Vårstigsætra.
Above the treeline, the pilgrim path goes a good distance on a path, passes by Vårstigsætra where it is quiet, and eventually comes out on a farm road. Høgsnyta, which on its way up Vårstigen appeared almost as green as grey, is now just grey behind me. The landscape I walk in is open and vast, quiet. I can follow the farm road with my eyes where it meanders further. I will follow it for 8 kilometres, had hoped that the path lasted longer.
Pilgrimage over the bare mountain.
With the lack of rain, to my joy, I am just happy where I go and maybe it is the peace of the mountains that makes me take it easy. I am biding my time, something I might regret later.
At the highest point of Gudbrandsdalsleden, 1314m.
Below Vesle Elgsjøtangen is the highest point on Gudbrandsdalsleden, at 1314m, duly marked and I enter the statistics of those who take their picture there. I am tempted to take a walk up the hill that is directly above, with a good view in the direction backwards and towards Vinstradalen that the trail will enter down into a little later. It seems even greyer and thicker in that direction. I do not take the time to go all the way up to Vesle Elgsjøtangen. On the way down I feel the first raindrops.
View in the direction of Vinstradalen from the little hill just below Vesle Elgsjøtangen.
And before I start the descent into Vinstradalen, the rain and fog come in numbers. In Vinstradalen there is now a thick layer of clouds, almost packed together down in the valley. The horizons disappear completely. There are two people coming towards me on the farm road, the first I meet since I left Kongsvold Fjeldstue. A hunting couple on their way to a cabin.
In the Vinstradalen valley, the clouds lies packed and waiting for me.
Forbregdsetra with Ryphusan.
I step down into the valley of the mist. The farm road has changed to a new farm road, Vinstradalsvegen, which meanders down towards Ryphusan. It is sour and cold when I arrive at Forbregdsetra, it seems deserted and empty here. At a picnic table I hastily eat my lunch, in the name of hindsight I should of course have eaten it earlier.
The way through Forbregdsetra.
Leaving Ryphusan (the red house to the left).
Ryphusan is a simple pilgrimage refuge in the former barn here. With the weather that has now announced its arrival, it could have been nice to crawl into shelter there now, but it is closed due to the pandemic. For many, the stage from Kongsvoll can thus be too long and hard, with the next option for accommodation if you do not have a tent 15km away. The alternative is to be picked up by taxi and driven to the nearest accommodation.
A small hut in Vinstradalen.
Down through the v-shaped Vinstradalen, the route goes with steep valley sides on both sides, but of course I do not see them. They have disappeared in the low-hanging clouds. The road meanders further, then disappears into the same clouds. A small stone hut appears on my left side, which could certainly be used to spend the night if needed.
Autumn colors in an otherwise grey and wet hike down through Vinstradalen.
Small mountain farms are passed by.
I now pay the price for taking it too easy in the happiness of having escaped the rain earlier. In the current weather, Vinstradalen becomes a long valley. Still, the hike is not bad, although I have to keep going to stay warm. Yellow-colored trees emerge from the fog, next to the farm road Vinstra flows nicely and occasionally I pass small mountain farms.
In the valley sides above the route, the clouds drifts through the trees.
Then a path takes over again, good and wet in the rain, before I enter another farm road. There is little I see of things at the pilgrim path now. With one exception. The St. Mikael pilgrim chapel is a new addition to the trail, completed in 2012 and named after 'Riseengelen'. This is a bronze figure of the Archangel St. Michael that was found in a nearby burial ground. I feel like I do not have time for it, but I have to take a break here. Kindles the tealights that give some warmth to a cold exterior.
On the path down to where Vinstra is crossed.
When I later come out of Vinstradalen, which is still holding onto its clouds, dusk has begun. After a little walk underneath the sombre sky, I can finally see the little cabin I plan to spend the night in, Plasstoggo. This is a small living room that is open to pilgrims and other walkers. From the window I can see that there is light from inside, I will not be alone. When the door is opened, I can feel the heat from a lit fireplace, wonderful.
Inside the St. Mikael pilgrim chapel.
Anna thus becomes the second pilgrim who goes to Trondheim that I meet. She is from Cologne in Germany and like Marina, she has a calm and leisurely plan for her pilgrimage. Nothing wrong with that. After walking outside for a while in the cold and sour weather, it is reasonably good to sit inside a pleasant hut in the heat from a fireplace. It also feels good to have some company in the evening.
Gloomy over Oppdal.
With heat back in the body, there is nothing else to do but to conclude that I am happy with this day. It rained as forecasted, but I was spared most of it on the hike. The walk today was also in nice contrast to the two previous days on Dovrefjell. And when it all ends with a very pleasant evening with a good conversation with another pilgrim, there is really no reason to complain.
The small cabin at Bruvollen, Plasstoggo.
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