The wind pushes me so hard to the side that I have to fight against it with my trekking poles. It feels like a wind force of nine, and even a 14‑kilogram backpack doesn’t help me stay upright easily. Meanwhile, it starts to rain, and the downpour continues for several hours. The puddles grow larger with too many pebbles, and unfortunately, my hiking boots fill up with water. The six of us are trekking through the Hardangervidda in Norway, and it’s magnificent!
From Finse (Day 1)
By now, we’ve been walking for several hours in the rain over vast snowy fields after having wandered off track for an hour. Further along, behind the summit, the valley must be in sight because we are eager to set up our tent. But time and again we are disappointed as new snowy fields come into view. Everyone is starting to feel the cold; the wind is blowing hard, and the snow underfoot makes walking difficult. Nevertheless, we keep going – we don’t have much choice. Every half hour, we take a short break to grab a quick bite and catch our breath before continuing.
Some members of the group begin to show signs of hypothermia, and we have no choice but to set up camp. Fortunately, we find a flat patch of ground by a frozen lake. Patrick dives straight into his tent and disappears for the rest of the evening, Michiel is shivering uncontrollably, and I wander around worriedly to arrange food. After a brisk, wet, but fine night, the morning is dry, and we are able to continue.
Sebastian and Erik still going strong
We cross many snowy fields
The sun broke through the next morningThe Detour (Day 2)
After leaving the last snowy fields behind, we walk over large stone slabs toward an unmanned hut by a small dam lake. Along the way, we encounter a few hikers who inform us that the normal route is not accessible. Others appeared to have tried it and ended up with water up to their chests. So, we have to take a detour without a proper path.
Erik starts throwing stones into the air, and they land in the river right next to Sebastian. Some curses escape his lips, but he keeps on working. Further on, a snow bridge has collapsed, leaving us no choice but to throw stones into the river so that we can step over it. A while later, we walk over a large dam nearby where the fjord ends, and then we ascend the mountain again via an extremely wet and slippery path.
The evening is calm; we can dine outside and enjoy a few sips of whiskey. The tents are set up rather crookedly, so not everyone sleeps well.
Sometimes a bridge, sometimes not
Michiel, Sebastian, Patrick, Erik, and Donnie
We traverse the detour through a marsh
Camp set up on a sloping slabSunny Scenes (Day 3)
We are almost back on the correct path, and the sun begins to shine brightly. After a gentle ascent and a somewhat steeper descent, we arrive at a large lake where a group of six Germans is taking down their tents. We refill our water and then continue our ascent, walking through several snowy fields. We conscientiously take a 15‑minute break every hour to eat and drink, so as to avoid any physical problems.
When we crest the top, we look out over a beautiful green valley that somewhat resembles the Scottish Highlands. We set up our tents in a mosquito paradise. Wherever you look, mosquitoes are everywhere, eager to suck blood. Nevertheless, Patrick, Sebastian, and Erik dare to venture into the river to freshen up. In the meantime, Patrick earns the nickname “Ice Bear” because he hardly seems affected by the extreme cold.
After a professionally managed campfire by Sebastian, we enjoy a pleasant and sunny evening in a quieter part of the Hardangervidda.
Michiel enjoying the sunRain and Rain (Day 4)
The last day for Donnie has arrived; after about an hour of descent, we reach a through road, and he stays behind to catch the bus to the village. The remaining five of us continue on through the green, wet mountains as the rain begins to fall even harder. Due to the bad weather, halfway to an unmanned hut, we decide to cover the last two days’ journey in one day.
After a terribly wet afternoon, we finally set up our tents high in the mountains around 19:30, quickly prepare some food, and crawl into our sleeping bags. Our shoes are soaked, and the next morning the alarm goes off at 6:30.
Wind and Descent (Day 5)
The next morning, we pack up in a hurry because it’s raining and the wind is blowing very hard. We walk at a brisk pace through a rocky and snowy area. I don’t have any photos of this part because the weather was too terrible. We cross wide rivers where there are no bridges. We also take shelter behind large rocks to avoid being chilled by the storm. After a large manned hut, the descent slowly begins via gigantic waterfalls. By the end of the day, we are in the valley, and my feet are raw and completely wrinkled, just like everyone else’s. But we made it!
We encounter gigantic waterfalls along the way
Back in the valley to catch the last of the sun
My gear performed exceptionally well. Although my tent was a bit cramped, it held up very well against the rain and wind. Since I usually get back pain quickly, I had expected to suffer from it now, but that did not happen. I also normally get blisters on my feet, but thanks to the gaiters, that wasn’t an issue either.
It was a remarkable week, with wind, rain, and some sun. Norway is beautiful, but also very wet. Living solely off the contents of your backpack is a wonderful experience that I won’t soon forget. A vacation to remember.
Thank you, Michiel, Donnie, Patrick, Sebastian, Erik, and Norway!
Update: Michiel has made a video of our trek.
Related: Karwendel Hut Tour
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