Jotunheimstien // day 10 // Slivatnet - Storkvolv

Jotunheimstien, day 10.
Distance: 29.2km (292.4km).

The first day that I felt was a full day in the mountains, although there were sections of forests on this walk as well. At the end of the walk, I had again abandoned my tent and was located inside the Storkvolvbua cabin with the wind outside making the walls creak.

When the Jotunheimstien trail finally heads up into the mountains it will be the Vestfjell area it encounters first, before passing through Langsua National Park until the jagged peaks of Jotunheimen stands before the walker.

It had become a day of two halves. The first half consisted of the walk to the Liomseter staffed cabin and the second half of the walk from there to Storkvolvbua in Langsua.

An open area of bogs and wide views had greeted me after I had left Vestfjellhytta and the nearby mountain farm of Nysetra. Marking the beginning of another section of forest, was another old farm, the remote Grytlia.

Thankfully the walk through the forest had been dominated by mountain birch and no tall and dark trees.

Nysetra, with Vestfjellhytta in the background.

Grytlia.

Walking over Suluhø with the central massif of the Langsua National Park ahead.

View from the summit of Nordre Suluhø.

Lunch at Liomseter, cured meat and sour cream porridge, along with a local beer brew.

Before the descent to Liomseter, I had felt the wind in my hair again over Nordre Suluhø. In the far horizon, I had been able to discern the peaks of the Jotuns.

At Liomseter, another mountain cabin run by DNT, I had stopped for a long break. There was no need for a long break, but I had wanted to. After a couple of locally brewed beers and a plate of cured meat with sour cream porridge, I had begun my climb up into the higher reaches of Langsua.

Langsua might not be as spectacular as Jotunheimen or Rondane, adhering more to the term pleasant than strenuous and steep. It is still mountains and I felt more in my right element than I ever had on my hike so far.

Definitely the highlight of the trail so far, although the wind had given me some resistance.

As the sun had declined behind the mountain, I had descended the short walk down to the Storkvolvbua cabin. No one there except for me.

Going through mountain birch on the way up Vakkerlifjellet.

View from Langsua.

The path through Langsua.

Vietjønnet, Storhøpiggen and Storhøa behind.

Light before evening at Langsua.

As night had descended, I had not regretted staying at the cabin, sitting inside with candles lit and a good fire in the oven. Looking out the windows at the mountain beneath, listening to the wind playing songs with the wooden walls.

<< Slivatnet // day 9Oskampen // day 11 >>

Jotunheimstien // day 9 // Skjellbreida - Slivatnet

Jotunheimstien, day 9.
Distance: 30.3km (263.2km).

This cabin I had booked in advance prior to setting forth on the second part of my walk on Jotunheimstien. I had arrived at the Vestfjellhytta cabin pummeled by wind as my mood has gone better by the appearance of the first mountains on the trail.

It was a moment long awaited for when I finally could smell that peculiar clean air of the mountains, and had looked back over the woods, hills, and lakes that I had walked through earlier.

I had had no other choice but to climb up to the top of Gammelhans, one of the summits of the Skjellbreida mountain. No regret afterwards either. Not a major peak at any point, at 1066m, but had still been up in the mountains.

Although after having walked for a while in great spirit with the open views and blankets of heather around me, passing by the mountain farms of Nysetra, it was back to the woods and bogs again.

At Bentsetra, with nice views over Dokkfløyvatnet, I met two women trying to herd some cows on the run back to their enclosure.

View back from the climb up Skjellbreidafjellet.

At Skjellbreidafjellet.

Nysetra.

Dokkfløyvatnet.

A bridge after Kittilbua.

From the Kittilbua cabin, which was under maintenance, the trail had gone through a section denoted a cultural path. I had at that time felt slightly robbed of being in the mountains, but it had been a nice walk. First going past old farms, then through the woods, although there had been some confusion regarding where the path went.

I had walked looking longingly up at the mountains nearby, Ormtjønnkampen. Looking at my map and eagerly awaited climbing up Obleikhaugen, yearning for the views. At first, I had felt disappointing, but a lookout tower at the top saved the climb.

The lookout tower had felt a tiny bit wobbly, but the views was worth the wobbly feeling.

Woods had returned, but now mountain birch had started dominating. Wind had picked up and at the summit of Grytlifjellet (1055m) my hair was either in my eyes or flowing behind me depending on which way I gazed.

Vestfjellhytta is a relatively new, and modern, cabin. And by all means, it was nice, it just felt so big for one person, and I confess that a part of me would have wanted to stay in my tent instead.

Old mountain farm at Dokkfløy near Kittilbua, part of a mountain museum.

View from the top of the lookout tower at Obleikhaugen.

View from Grytlifjellet.

Sunset, Vestfjellhytta.

Eating dinner, bacalao, at Vestfjellhytta.

Still, I had a nice evening while the wind made sure of making sounds outside.

<< Skjellbreida // day 8Storkvolv // day 10 >>

Jotunheimstien // day 8 // Lunken - Skjellbreida

Jotunheimstien, day 8.
Distance: 34.5km (232.9km).

I had planned to camp this night as well, but the end of the day saw me lodged in one of the Norwegian Trekking Associations (DNT) cabins that is found on the trail, Skjellbreidhytta.

The reason why started all the way back at the chilly morning at Lunken, where I after having eaten breakfast found myself shaking off the morning dew from my tent. While shaking the tent, one of the enclosed small poles got loose and disappeared into the woods. I spent close to twenty minutes searching for the thin and small pole.

That is where a low motivation and tiredness comes into play. In normal circumstances (when I am motivated) I would have shrugged this off, but my mood was not bright when I had continued walking.

I did get better, however.

Naturally.

But that was not until I had passed through a seemingly remote cluster of hamlets and farms in the Snertingdalen valley and had walked on a gravel track above the three Svarken lakes. I could have pushed myself to reach one of those lakes yesterday, but was content by my decision.

There had been a mild moment of frustration again, as the trail had diverged into three paths and no waymarks to tell me not to take the one that I chose. Thankfully, the walk had been rather nice afterwards. Heather had started appearing around me.

Morning mist at Lunken.

On an unclear path between Svarken and Engomsætra.

Engomsætra.

Lundsætra.

Crossing over the bogs after Lundsætra before Storlonsdammen.

Lundsætra was a quiet interlude in the forest on open grounds with a mix of old and new buildings. There is supposedly a shelter or lean-to (gapahuk) here that could be used to spend the night in.

Then more woods and bogs had followed before I had felt the hard punch of asphalt beneath my shoes. The road went past the southeast side of Storlonsdammen, where I found some chairs conveniently located next to the lake. A good spot for lunch, and not very much traffic on the road.

On a sidenote, I had used the map and route found on the ut.no website to mark on my paper map where the trail was going. This was the reason for some of my confusion on the way when I had found myself on the wrong path. Such as after Storlonsdammen, where I had followed the road upwards before taking a footpath that eventually took me to a gravel track. With waymarks showing that the trail actually had been going on the gravel track and not the path I had walked following my map (the track went down to the lake).

There were cows running across the path as I had walked down it, as well as around me in the woods.

And then I sat down on the porch of Skjellbreidhytta with a hot coffee in my hand, while watching a purple-pink coloured sky above the mountain farm scenery outside. The sun was about to set.

For the last of the walk had been great, although I had ended up tired and opted for getting a cabin still. All the way the scenery had taken on the view of nature closer to the tree limit, and I had passed by some more old farms and bogs.

And when the landscape had opened up, passing by some mountain farms at Åltjerna, with a view of mountains ahead and a feeling of finally being walking on higher grounds, I had started to feel good.

Chillin at Storlonsdammen.

Åltjerna, and finally mountains close in the horizon.

Boardwalks (and ladders) and bogs again.

Another remnants of an old mountain farm, Brahus.

Evening at Skjellbreidhytta.

The mountains tomorrow.

<< Lunken // day 7Slivatnet // day 9 >>

Jotunheimstien // day 7 // Mustadroa - Lunken

Jotunheimstien, day 7.
Distance: 28.9km (198.4km).

Almost like what goes up must come down, what leaves the trail must come back. After a weekend off trail, I was again back in the grip of the woods and bogs on the Jotunheimstien trail.

Shortly after I had begun walking on the trail again, I was met by conflicting signs. The map I was carrying and the waymarks did not speak the same language. I chose to follow the map.

Continuing, the trail had steadily contoured its way around hills, through woods on a mix of gravel tracks and forest paths. It was all so similar, but with tiny hints of change.

My biggest gripe with this trail so far is that it feels like a long interlude to reach the mountains still not visible in the horizon most of the time.

I enjoyed the descent through the forest that felt like walking like being in a deep and secluded woods where only scattered light was visible.

The descent through woods from Venholhøgda.

Nittåstjernet.

Path between the bogs of Lysa.

Lysa.

Bakkemyrene.

Sheep had stood looking sheepishly at me as I had walked past scenic bogs on both sides, later sinking my boots deep in them to cross over.

Between Gorolia and Tranalia I had wondered if I was walking through the section that I had been warned about earlier, as the path took on a confusing and meandering route through forestry works and untidy forest.

The shelter next to the Langvatnet lake was a perfect spot to take a break for lunch at, or spend the night at if needed. More than enough space and shelter for leaving the tent in the backpack and with a relaxing view out over the water.

Then it was again the old farmsteads that caught my attention, it is always fascinating to walk past these old places where people lived in bygone days and think of all the hardships they had while trying to make a living. Lundon is another secluded spot seemingly deep in the woods.

Before the final walk led me to where I had decided to make my camp for the night, at Lunken, I had made my way up through dense undergrowth to the hill above Lundon for a brief breather and view over the woods and hills around Snertingdalen.

Langvatnet.

Lundon, an old farmstead in the woods.

View over Snertingdalen.

Reflections at Lunken.

Lunken in the evening.

Despite my motivational problems, it still felt good to be back on the trail again. And a quiet evening next to a serene lake is always gratifying.

<< Mustadroa // day 6Skjellbreida // day 8 >>

Jotunheimstien // day 6 // Elgsjøen - Mustadroa

Jotunheimstien, day 6.
Distance: 5.7km (169.5km).

At the end of the day, I was back home. I had to take a break from the trail to meet my family for a moment of remembrance for my grandfather who passed away earlier this year.

This left me with only a short walk today, doing the short distance from where I had camped at Elgsjøen to the road at Mustadroa where I could call for a cab to get me to Gjøvik.

There was nothing special of interest to talk about, the trail alternated between a forest path and a gravel track.

View from Vesterås.

Jotunheimstien.

Arriving at the end of this leg at Mustadroa.

Lunch in Gjøvik.

Hauktjern from the train back to Oslo.

At Gjøvik, I had lunch before taking the train to Oslo. Of interest on the journey home was to see the places that I had walked through so far.

<< Elgsjøen // day 5Lunken // day 7 >>