Distance: 27.2km (346.0km).
It had been a beautiful morning to wake up to. Rime on the grass outside. Sun rising warm in the East. Mountains reflecting in the mirror calm lakes below. And cows looking stupidly at me just outside the windows.
The final day on the Jotunheimstien trail and its terminus at the Gjendesheim cabin, and at the end it was just as I had expected it to be. Seeing more people at once than I had combined on all the days on the trail. The price of being close to the hike everybody puts their pride in doing, Besseggen.
I had spent more time than usual after setting forth from Oskampen, the views had been too nice to walk quickly past them. It was quiet, and the clouds floating over Austhøi was perfectly reflected in the calm waters of the small lake nearby the cabin.
Those clouds floating over Austhøi had however continued their journey as I had hiked down to the cabins at Nedre Heimdalen and begun my climb up towards the highest point on the Jotunheimstien trail.
As I had hiked up towards the pass between Såta and Vangstulkampen, the clouds had almost covered my ascent and I had expected a foggy hike over the pass.
That did not happen and when I had crossed the highest point of the trail at approximately 1421m, I had great views of the landscape ahead. Still clouds around me of course.
At Sikkilsdalsseter with a view of the gathering of horses, I took a short break where I had treated me to a beer brewed by the hosts at the mountain farm.
Rime outside Oskampen.
Reflections of clouds drifting over Austhøi in the small lake outside the Oskampen cabin.
Nedre Heimdalsvatnet from the climb up towards Vangstulkampen.
At the highest point of the Jotunheimstien trail (although I was to be higher up at a later point).
Sikkilsdalen, Sikkilsdalshøa to the right.
After Sikkilsdalsseter it is where the intrepid hiker will meet an enigma of the trail. The sort of official route of the trail goes down alongside the two Sikkilsdalsvatnet lakes, but any with local knowledge of the area knows that the path going over Sikkilsdalshøa is by far the most spectacular of the two ways towards Gjende.
Faced with the dilemma of leaving the trail or not, having hiked the beautiful path over Sikkilsdalshøa before, I had still decided upon the higher ground.
The crossing over Sikkilsdalshøe was by far the highlight of the whole trail. I had ventured off the path to gaze down from the steep sides of the mountain, marvelling at the sheer drop I had looked down from.
At the summit, the views are of Gjende with Jotunheimen in all its glory behind. The words are about Besseggen, but this is a just as great a hike if not better, with fewer people.
Went through several herds of reindeers on the way down.
The final section had been as expected not so enticing, having walked through the campsite and up alongside the road (on the path though) towards the end of the trail at Gjende.
It was a little bit shock to the system to arrive at the Gjendesheim with all the people present, but I had been prepared for it. Irony being having to sit alone at the dinner table due to the still present corona rules.
A steep look down from the side of Sikkilsdalshøa.
Jotunheimene with Gjende from Sikkilsdalshøa.
Reindeers and Jotunheimen.
Reindeer.
At the end of the Jotunheimstien trail, the Gjendesheim cabin at Gjende.
I felt I had earned a good dinner and a good beer, having hiked from Oslo to Jotunheimen (although with a break in between).
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