Sjoa River

While the Gudbrandsdalslågen generally flows in a south-easterly direction, it meanders considerably around that. Around Kvam, it is generally flowing east, and by the time one gets to Otta, it's flowing south. There some glacier abandoned a fairly large lump of rock next to the river that one has to get past to reach Otta.

There were three fairly significant climbs today to do that. The first two were particularly difficult with muddy conditions, water flowing over long sections of the path, and rocky uneven surfaces. Any prospect I had of keeping my feet dry in the conditions was quickly dispelled by lunchtime. I had stopped for a bite to eat and use of a loo at Dalum Herberge. On restarting from there, within a few hundred meters at most, the track started to ascend more steeply, and a small creek was flowing down and across the track. There was no place that was dry to put one's feet for a quite considerable distance, or so it felt.

I took a short break at an outdoor centre come campground named Vauphaugen. Two other pilgrims were there when I arrived, Sean and Emily, and two others arrived while we were chatting. They had all been at the campground in Kvam the previous evening. It had not been a pleasant evening for the campers and even perhaps some of the people staying in huts. They had been disturbed during the night by people throwing rocks and sticks at their tents, and eventually, several campers took shelter in the kitchen area rather than try and continue with this disturbance going on.

Sean, Emily, and I all pushed on to get to Otta. While I left before the others, it wasn't long before they caught up with me, and Emily was kind enough to take my photo at the viewpoint at the top of that hill named Utsikt Bredi. The views there are magnificent. After that, I didn't catch sight of them again on the way into Otta.

I am staying in Killi Pensonjat, which the Pilgrim Office suggests is close to the centre of Otta, but now that I am here, I find there's only one more house and that's the edge of town!

Otta seems to be a nice little small town, although it might be relatively large in Norwegian terms. It certainly has the population to support that wonderful restaurant chain comma McDonald's. More importantly, I've found a couple of places that had things that I needed to replace, having broken a couple of bibs and bobs along the way. That, and a selection of supermarkets and a whole range of nice-looking little cafes and other eating places.

I've now settled in with a hot cup of tea and an enormous piece of carrot cake for my afternoon tea. I'm not sure whether I'll eat from my food bag tonight or go down into the town for a bite to eat.Read more