Distance: 32.5km (283.8km).
I fell asleep like a rock yesterday, had weird dreams during the night and woke up ready and rested to start on Gudbrandsdalen.
Nice walk out of Lillehammer, a lot less on hard surface than expected and more pleasant surroundings.
Richard from England has the second room here at Øvergaard. He has hiked around Rondane and Jotunheimen and is now here before travelling back home again. We talk a lot about walks we have done, Richard is not a fan of the Pennine Way, which I did last year. He also thinks that the Lycian Way feels somewhat contrived. In return, he comes up with a recommendation, a route called Grande Traversata delle Alpi.
The pilgrim path as it goes above Sundgaarden.
For the pilgrims, Lillehammer is the gateway to Gudbrandsdalen. From here it is about 412km to Trondheim, but by then you will have left the Gudbrandsdalen valley itself. In a way, you can divide this part of the pilgrimage route into three parts, Gudbrandsdalen (165km), Dovrefjell (98km) and Trøndelag (150km). How far towards Dovre I reach today is not known.
A somewhat locally made waymark on a gate.
At the beginning of Tjodvegen, with a shelter that may come in handy above.
Fåberg is the next place after Lillehammer. To get there you have to get out of the Olympic city, but the route is actually quite pleasant, in contrast to what you often experience on the way out of cities. Like walking next to wooden fences built in the old style in a city. At pleasant Sundgaarden there are people, here it was once a ferry place for crossing over Gudbrandsdalslågen.
Inside the woods, the old way of Tjodvegen goes on a nice path.
Waymark for Tjodvegen, an old journeyman.
Today, there is also some drama surrounding Lågen. Up towards Fåberg I meet a man who tells me that there has been a person who has jumped into the river and that there have been several searches by helicopter along the river for the person.
Kjærlighetsfossen (Love Waterfall).
The route from Fåberg goes first on a nice path, but when the path is replaced with a road that runs parallel to the E6, the walk quickly becomes a boring interlude. Things get better when the road and the sounds are abandoned.
Fakkelmannen (the Olympic figure carrying a torch). The Olympic Games is in the past, maybe remake this figure to be a Pilgrim instead?
Following old ways are undeniably linked to a pilgrimage, especially where those old ways go through areas that pilgrims would have gone through in old times. There are therefore good reasons for the pilgrim path to follow these old routes, but sometimes you can question those reasons in modern times. As is the case with some of the routes through and out of Oslo, following noisy and busy roads, but this is not the case here where the pilgrims will follow what is called Tjodvegen.
A farm, here the farm buildings lies in a row. One building does not look so happy either.
View over Gudbrandsdalen with Lågen at Øyer, Øyer church to the right and behind you can see where the pilgrim path goes on its way.
Tjodvegen, which in addition to the pilgrim waymarkers is marked with a separate waymarker, takes me through the coniferous forest on a beautiful path. This way dates from the Middle Ages. The name tjod (Þjod) is said to come from an old name for people, so an old thoroughfare for people. At the entrance there is a nice shelter that can offer a good place to rest or a decent overnight stay on the journey north. Walking through the woods gives you a tranquillity of mind.
In the lack of seeing a moose on my walk (with the exception of the young moose I scared before Kolbu church), I will have to make do with this one the Nermo hotel.
To leave the route to visit Kjærlighetsfossen (Love Waterfall) must be said to be allowed. Even with or without love in the backpack. The small detour to the waterfall that flows down the rock almost shaped like stairs is well worth the trip.
On a lovely old way with an old timbered fence on one side and moss-grown rocks on the other.
The pilgrim route going through the woods on a distinct path, where you can see that Autumn is coming.
Getting out of the woods gives me the first feeling of really being in Gudbrandsdalen. Below, Lågen bends around and disappears behind the mountain with Fakkelmannen (a figure of a person holding the Olympic flame cut into the forest) on. The Olympics are long over, maybe the figure should be turned into a Pilgrim. And when you walk past a sign stating that you have 398km left to go to Trondheim, you get the feeling that you have covered a good distance of the pilgrim route.
Horses next to the pilgrim path.
More nice walking past fences.
Then a section on a road is following. Below is Hunderfossen, are there any children or pilgrims howling with horror-mixed joy down there now? Or is the adventure park closed due to the pandemic (or possibly the season)? I stop by Nermo hotel for a coffee, suddenly I became a temporary stately pilgrim. I have lunch on a rest bench above the hotel (ironically?) where the route leaves the road and offers a nicer walk on the trail.
View over Øyer from Håkåberget.
Daffodil and the Gudbrandsdalen valley.
Tjodvegen is again followed, and I walk on nice paths and forest tracks, on a good surface with rising and nice views of the valley with its river and its farms below, next to it are sheep that follow Spanish rules when they take a siesta in the middle of the day. I think this could be an experience for the pilgrims coming from abroad.
Here stood the Á Skodini church.
The trail crosses a small river on a bridge and then it goes up on something that many might call national romantic. Walking on a path that runs along a half-timbered fence on one side and moss-grown rocks on the other side gives a feeling of walking where people have walked in ancient times as well.
The old loft at Skåden farm.
On the sky a veil has begun to form, a sign that rain is on its way. Håkåberget offers a bench with a view. The country romance is maintained by all the farms you pass by. Only a memorial stone tells that here once stood the church Á Skodini, mentioned in 1333. Right next is Skåden farm, where the family dates back to 1734, but the farm is older than that. The barn is from the end of the 17th century. At the entrance there is a sign for a pilgrim hostel, but they only accept groups on request.
A small and wild valley after Skåden farm, where the trail goes down Skåedalen and crossing over a river.
After the farm, the route descends into the forest, there is rain in the air, but I consider it to be just a short rain shower. That is the wrong assessment. Up by the old burial ground of Lånkehaugen, there are waves of rain drifting over the landscape. It is a beautiful sight, with a peculiar light behind the rain waves on the horizon.
At Lånkehaugen the rain came drifting over the sky and pilgrim path, with a nice light behind the rain.
Many places of thought have been placed along the pilgrimage route, part of the Tankeplassen art project. After a slightly steep climb up from Rinddal farm, I see a giant blue ant with a video camera and a square sack that is similar to what the astronauts are carrying. An astroant perhaps? That's the first thought that strikes me. In hindsight, I have read that the installation is called M.A.U.R., Magisk Altomfattende Underliggende Romprogram (which could be translated to Magically All-Inclusive Underlying Space Program, ‘maur’ translates to ant), and is created by Erik Pirolt. This one was cool.
If I look backwards, I can see the rain moving across Gudbrandsdalen where I have walked.
I have always been a little weak for small huts and cottages, places that are a little more down to earth. So instead of finding a tent site near the astroant (and being intimidated by it during the night), I decide to check out the Stalsbergsvea pilgrim hut below. Which is almost exactly what I am looking for. Here the pilgrims find a small hut with two rooms, in the main room you will find a small table with chairs, a kettle, some food items for sale and a window with a view. Water and outdoor toilets can be found in the forest not far away.
M.A.U.R.
It gets even better when I come back after fetching water. As I close the doors, the first drops of rain are heard on the roof and not long after, I sit inside with a good cup of hot coffee. It is the simple pleasures that apply, to just get into shelter when the storm announces its arrival. However, the rain outside can probably not be called a storm. It is cosy anyway.
A nice light over the hills on the other side of the valley from Stalsbergsvea after the rain.
The walk out from Lillehammer was nicer than I had expected and the slightly more boring walking near the busy E6 road after Fåberg was quickly forgotten as soon as I got on Tjodvegen. From there and to Stalsbergsvea it was a beautiful trip (closing my eyes to the tunnel near Nermo hotel only). Good and pleasant paths to walk on, with a nice view. Changing weather and a cosy evening with a beautiful light outside in the remnants of the rain. Possibly the highlight so far on my pilgrimage to Nidaros.
In the evening inside Stalsbergsvea pilegrimsbu, a nice and little hut for pilgrims.
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