Distance: 26.4km (96.4km).
As foretold, I wake up to a grey and slightly dull morning, but thankfully it has not started raining yet. I get to prepare breakfast and coffee, and then break camp while being dry. No mistakes are being made, though, it will rain today, which I am sure of. Going a long distance yesterday, makes for a shorter walk today, which will give me more time in Rjukan.
Layered creek on the path over Mælsåsen.
From my campsite somewhere on Buverudåsen and over towards Mæl church, the trail mostly follows forest tracks over the hill, but also some sections on footpaths. I find the waymarking a little bit sparse over this section, although I am confident that I am on the right path.
De Kvite Kyrkjene pilgrim path over Mælsåsen.
Not long after I start walking, the rain is starting too. Through the trees, the views I do get of Tinnsjøen becomes muddled, mixing with the grey veils on the sky. On an ascending track, there is a nice view back down towards Austbygde, laying heavily underneath the clouds. The trees above me are ominous looking.
View of Austbygde through the veil from the path.
At a viewpoint, where I get clearer views, it is almost impossible to see over to the other side of the lake, with the exceptions of small windows where contours are slightly discernible.
On an ascending track.
On a clear day, this route claims to give the walk a nice view of Gaustatoppen, but the guarantee for that is extremely low today. Although, the low clouds are getting a bit higher on the sky when I begin the descent from the hill. There are some mountain farms and pastures that the path passes by, but they are less visible from where I go.
Tinnsjøen almost hidden from view.
Of obvious reasons the final descent to Mæl church is far from being as illuminated as the descent to Atrå was yesterday. Here the path is wild and more cumbersome, but the reward this time is a nice walk down what also appear to be an old carriage track near the end, ending at an outcrop with a nice view over the valley. The viewpoint is called Håmaren.
The mountains on the other side of the valley.
Despite having been a wet walk, I am content with the day so far, but I do feel a bit cold when sitting down at Mæl church for a rest. From the church, built in 1839 next to the old stave church from 1180 (no longer existing), I can look over towards the ferry terminal at Mæl. That is where you are supposed to take the ferry to Tinnoset from at the start of this pilgrimage.
Descent towards Mæl church.
As the ferry terminal is of some historical interest, I pondered going over to take a look. There is however a lot of traffic on the road below, and getting to the ferry terminal involves walking on the very same road. I let it pass.
A good way to use the end of a fallen tree, waymarker on a log end.
The walk from Mæl church to Dal church, the last of the white churches around Tinnsjøen, is the section of the trail that I had the least expectations of. It will be the part that clearly involves the longest stretch going on a hard surface and for the most part stays down in the valley.
View of Vestfjorddalen from Håmaren.
And true to expectations, there are some kilometers walked on a hard surface after leaving the church. On the positive side, the rain has subsided, and there is almost no traffic on this road. Be aware that at the point of writing this, this part of the pilgrim path has not been fully waymarked yet (but by following the description in the guidebook it is pretty obvious where you should go).
Mæl church.
Things somewhat improve when getting to Miland school, where the path crosses the more trafficked county road and the Måna river. From the bridge the trail will follow this side of the river all the way to Dal church with the surface much milder on the feet.
The path next to the Måna river.
Next to the now more pleasant track are several colorful installations made by local children, trying to provide some hope during the current pandemic. Some of them are also quite hidden, so you have to look good to spot them all. Hidden eyes that smile up at you from the undergrowth.
Is there a troll staring up at me from the undergrowth?
Quite pleasant walking with the now prominent Gaustatoppen in view, although its summit is still shrouded by clouds. I eat lunch on a bench getting warmed by the sun now appearing on the sky.
Peek-a-boo!
I follow where the pilgrim path is said to go almost all the way but have to make a detour when the trail keeps closer to the woods while I want to follow the track going alongside the river.
Water over the causeway on Måna river.
The small Dal church dates back to between 1190 and 1215, and has been somewhat affected by the impact the industry has had on the Vestfjorddalen valley. This impact is clearly visible on the walk through the valley, which might marr the scenery. There is no escaping seeing all the power lines and power stations filling up the valley, but the industrial residue might be of historical interest too.
A walk with Gaustatoppen in view, although shrouded by clouds today.
For the final walk into Rjukan, I partly follow a local footpath called Månåstien. It is interesting how convoluted and narrow this valley is, with steep inclines on both sides effectively shutting out the sunlight for most of the day. To such a degree that they have built a sun mirror to project the rays of the sun into the town. No need for the mirror now, heavy clouds with interspersed rain are now drifting across the valley.
Waterfall, Kvitåe.
Although at times bereft of the sun, Rjukan is still a nice little town. The most imposing sight in the town is without doubt the huge and impressive Saaheim Kraftverk. This power station was built in 1914 and had 11 units with a capacity of 167 000 hp. It is owned and run by Norsk Hydro and has 188 MW installed power on three Francis turbines and an average annual production of 1022 GWh.
Dal church with the Rjukanbanen museum train passing by behind.
To sum up this day, the walk was not of the most exciting kind. I was most satisfied with the first part, finishing up the walk over the hill from Atrå, despite it being a wet affair. Although the walk from Mæl church had its pleasant sections and view of Gaustatoppen, it gradually became less interesting.
Rain across Vestfjorddalen.
In total, I am content with my pilgrimage to the white churches around Tinnsjøen. This is mostly due to some of the very nice paths that the trail is going on and except for the walk from Mæl church and through Atrå, very little of the walk is on roads. My favourite sections are the old church ways, the path down to Tinnsjøen from Rauadammen, the forest paths from Hafoss to Austbygde and the walk from Hovin church over Ramnskardåsen.
Rjukan church.
Of course, I am not totally done yet. I have one more cathedral to reach before I can say I am finished.
Saaheim Kraftverk.
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