Me and Caitlin had a few days off and so decided to go for a ski tour around Setesdal going to DNT huts Tjondalen and Gaukhei.
Day 1
Started off the drive to Langeid from Kristiansand. Set off at around 11 and got to there at 1pm. I forgot to pack an extra jumper but luckily Caitlin had a spare. Before setting off we ate lunch which consisted of tortillas and Jam. The first part of the journey involved zig-zagging up a high hillside which took just over an hour. Once on the plateau t path became very unclear. This was a mistake as before we had took the tracks for granted and did not use navigation at all. This resulted in a wrong turning being taken and ending on a lake some 3 km from where we should be. We should have known better but we won’t end up doing it again!! By this time it was 1630 with only 1 and a half hours of light left. We had found a cabin that was open but it wasn’t the DNT cabin we were looking for. From there we carried on another half hour looking for the correct cabin with no luck. Once it got to 1730 we decided to discuss our options which meant either heading back to the last cabin (which we knew where it was on the map) and set up a shelter near to it or carry on and try to find the DNT hut. In the end we decided the safest option with the dying light was to head back to the cabin.
Day 2
This was a much more successful day. After leaving the shelter close to the cabin at 0745 we backtracked up the path we had wrongly taken the previous day back to the main winter track. The weather was pretty bad all day with lots of snow which made for challenging navigation. We took a bearing from where we thought we were and headed along it. A good indicator of finding the path at close range is that it is much easier to track in skis as you don’t sink as much in the path as you do outside of it. We went slightly off track but after consulting the map we both agreed on the spot we were. Consequently, we followed a re-entrant back to the winter track till we got to the edge of a lake where the DNT cabin of Tjondalen was located. We got to the cabin at 1230 which gave a lot of time for weather to clear and to relax.
Day 3
This was a harder day with the aim being to get to the DNT Hut, Gaukhei. leaving the cabin at 0940 the winter tracks were marked by sticks however, we were still navigating through the whole day. Most of the day was very hard work skiing uphill on fresh snow up to the waist at some points. In these conditions it became really important to take 5 minute breaks regularly with hot drinks and chocolate. It took 6 and a half hours to travel 13 km therefore we averaged around 2 km/hr which was really quite slow. Once we arrived at Gaukhei the cabin was really cold and it became very hard to light a fire as the wood was all damp. Once the fire was lit and we were settled we discussed options for the following day and decided upon a day of emergency shelter building as the cabin made such a good base to operate from.
Day 4
Today was a day of snow hole building and experimentation as both of us had never done it before. Whilst scouting for possible sights we found a large rock with a natural depression which made for a good starting point. Digging down was quite easy but making the entrance and walkway was a lot harder. Once this was made it was a lot easier to clear the snow from inside with one person shovelling form the outside. It took a lot longer to make than we thought (around 3 and half hours). After making the snow hole the weather was clearing and so we decided to go for a little ski down some local slopes which was amazing as it was so clear and quiet. Back at the cabin at around 1900 three Norwegian men and a dog walked in dressed in arctic gear, which made us feel under dressed! One of them had been to the North Pole by skis and one had skied across Greenland. The older one of the three was quick to point out that he had not done anything of that magnitude but was quite happy just to walk his dog called ‘Peace’. The three men gave valuable advice including the fact that the prevailing weather conditions are mostly the same found in the UK and that using tents in the winter is a lot easier and better than using snow holes haha!
After this we decided to spend a night in another snow hole which was a lot better than the first before heading back to Tjondalen for one last night before going back to the car.
Main Learning Points…
Take regular 5 minute breaks
Always remember navigation 4 D’s – Distance, Direction, Detail, Duration