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Going north
  • Merry Norway
  • Merry Life

Going north

A 79-day adventure by Merry & Merry Read more
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  • Trip start
    May 15, 2016
  • Going north

    Luggage trouble

    May 18, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    You don't have to do everything right, but you need the right friends in life...

    Short wrapup of my morning:
    6:30 get up in Kiel
    7:30 get on train to Hamburg
    8:50 arrive at the office only to realize I had left my suitcase on the train
    9:10 call Deutsche Bahn to find out the train will end in Prague and their lost & found processes take forever
    9:20 freak out
    10:00 call my friend in Berlin
    11:30 my friend takes the train I was on for one stop within Berlin, grabs my suitcase and brings it to our Berlin office
    12:30 my boss takes it with him from the office and I get my stuff back just after lunch break
    After that: infinitely thankful for awesome people in my life    Read more

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    Feeding myself

    May 26, 2016 in Germany ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    One of the trickiest parts of planning my adventure is food. The challenge: carry enough food for 6 to 7 days in a row, as lightweight as possible, nutritious, healthy and tasty.
    The solution: dry-frozen dinners with plenty of energy, carb-rich snacks to keep blood sugar up throughout the day, whey powder for energy and restoring proteins, and a hearty and nutritious breakfast.
    Most of this I will send myself in 3 large 10-day resupply packages, the rest I will buying local grocery stores every 4 to 6 days.    Read more

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    Re-Living 1994

    May 31, 2016 in Sweden ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    Before my hike in Norway, I'm spending a week in Sweden with the family. Part of the fun: reenacting old childhood pictures :)

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    Last few days in civilization

    June 6, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Before my adventure begins, I'm spending 2 days in Oslo, as I prep a few last minute things and am pleasantly surprised how beautiful the city is! Besides running all my errands e.g. a long and very helpful visit at the Norwegian hiking club and packing & sending all my resupplies, I took a lovely boat ride along the Oslo fjord.Read more

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    Day 1: my first few hours on the trail

    June 7, 2016 in Norway ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    Today, I did a short hike, starting from Lillehammer train station in the late afternoon. I passed the old Olympic park and it's ski jump facilities. To get on top, I climbed almost 1000 stairs steps, but it was on my way anyways and the view was totally worth it! I also got to pitch my tent the first time and cook dinner by a little stream. Great first day, time for bed!!Read more

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    Day 2: from marsh lands to rocky hills

    June 8, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    What a day! No clouds in the sky, very windy, and a beautiful hike - starting in wet marsh lands, I made my way slowly through the morning, making sure I make the right steps so my boots don't sink in the wet, mossy ground. By late afternoon, I was on top of a rocky fjell with excellent views of the area. Sleeping with a great view tonight :)Read more

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    Day 3: Happy Swampday!

    June 9, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    Thursday is Swampday!

    Today I crossed 16 swamps, about a third of my hike was through marsh land. Thanks to waterproof boots and my hiking poles, it was no problem to cross, even though I'd sink in 3-5 cm on some of my steps. Some longer stretches had long planks to cross the mossy wetlands on.
    Other than that, the weather was lovely again and I'm still amazed at the diversity you find in this landscape.
    Ooh, and I had my first bath and washed some clothes in an idyllic and cooooold lake on the way :)
    Now I'm having dinner by a lake and my feet are thankful for a break!    Read more

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    Day 4: windy mountain crossing

    June 10, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    Is it really day 4 already? I have no idea how time can fly so fast when you're "doing nothing". Planning, cooking, navigation, packing and - you guessed it - hiking takes up all the time of each day. There has not been a boring moment so far.
    Today, I crossed a small mountain range Goppollfjellet. On the northern hills, there were still a few tiny patches of snow. Still no rain. But I did get a lot of strong & cold wind today while on the Fjellet. So I bundled up and made it over without any problems.
    The rest of the day were a few more very well maintained "plank walks" through swamps and a few lovely forest trails.
    I was so exhausted by 6pm that I put up camp early, since I'm in no rush... that also gave me time to do some laundry (=wash clothes in clear icy water).
    I'm now having dinner at my campsite and will probably fall asleep over my kindle soon ;)    Read more

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    Day 5: small forests & oceans of lichen

    June 11, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 9 °C

    Today I had an early start, got up at 5:30 from the sunlight. I wasn't cold in my sleeping bag, but man was it cold outside. My tent was all frosted from the outside!!
    After a lazy morning reading and letting my tent dry in the sun, I started my hike around 8am, first along a river, through forests with small fluffy trees and then eventually above the tree line. Here the long stretched climbs to the top of fjell after fjell was covered in small bushes and lichen. I also had my first rover crossing, because the bridge had not been put out yet for the summer season. All went well and my feet were thankful for the icy cool-down.
    I hit my first rain in the afternoon, but didn't get wet (more equipment love!!!). Tonight, my tent is up high on the Jammersdalshogda, but nicely protected from the wind (of which there is none ;-)), with beautiful views of Rondane national park, my next destination in a few days.

    Other than that: Haven't seen another person in over 60 hours, but I feel in good company with books or audio books from Michael Ende, CS Lewis, Joseph von Eichendorff and Richard Precht :-)    Read more

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    Day 6: chased by the clouds :)

    June 12, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    The day started nice and warm, even as early as 6:30 when I packed up my stuff and tent. So with the nice weather I decided to wash my hair, which is trickier than it sounds :) First of all, the water came from a stream straight out of a snow field, and second, even though the outdoor soap is bio-degradable, you must be 50 meters away from water when using it, so it can degrade in the soil. It was a funny running back and forth with my water bottles ;)
    Other highlights today were 2 suspension bridges, another river crossing without a bridge (this time I used my sneakers instead of going barefoot), ooh and I saw a REAL person for the first time in almost 4 days! An older gentleman, watching eagles and other birds in the canyon. We hiked together for about 15 minutes.
    As I'm a bit ahead of my schedule, I decided to do a detour to see 2 waterfalls, a canyon and Flaksjøen lake. Totally worth it!

    The most astonishing thing for me today was the weather. I saw rain clouds around me all day, rain went down only a few hundred meters away from me basically all afternoon. I was ready, wearing all my rain gear and backpack protection on. Yet it never hit me. I was always going just in the right direction at the right time to stay quite dry. Then once my tent was all pitched, it started raining for a bit. It's quiet now with a gorgeous view, but I see dark clouds moving my way, so it might rain more heavily later - wish me luck ;)    Read more

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    Day 7: a well-worth detour

    June 13, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Another warm day and no rain until a bit after my tent was pitched at night! I like this trend and hope it continues on ;)
    Back in the wild I met just a few sheep today. The hike started through forests which I really enjoyed after being above the tree line for so long. I crossed several creeks and rivers, one with a suspension bridge and one I dipped into as a cold but fun (and much needed, hehe) bath - try taking a 5°C shower ;-). So even though I felt a little slow today, my detour was totally worth it!
    The second half of the day was back on top of a fjell with gorgeous views all around. I have to make myself stop and just enjoy the surroundings sometimes, not to forget on what a beautiful adventure I am on.
    Now I'm sitting in my tent, under the rain, eating tomato soup and Indian chicken stew. Yum!    Read more

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    Day 8: dancing around lake Furusjøen

    June 14, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    This has been my longest mileage so far and it was amazing and I'm absolutely tired :)
    Starting early just after 7, I made my way through a few more hours on Skjerell mountain, taking another fairly long detour to go through a canyon in the north, hiking sometimes along small waterfalls and other times beside a fast moving stream, on its way to the large lake in picture 3 and 5 (which had been my view all day). Then I spent the next few hours right by that lake, only to climb up again and see it from afar for a few more kilometers.
    It was a warm day with little wind, so I had many flying friends around, but no bites so far, I think it's mostly little harmless flies.
    Tonight I'm sleeping without a rain cover for the first time, as it's supposed to be a clear night. I'm in the middle of the forest and enjoying all the sounds of the birds and the view of green all around. Hopefully it stays idyllic and dry, we will see ;-)    Read more

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    Day 9: bittersweet stopover in Otta

    June 15, 2016 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 10 °C

    After a lovely night in the forest, with the birds singing, no trouble sleeping and thankfully no rain, I slowly made my way to Otta. It took a lot longer than I thought, since the trail was completely overgrown and for the most part untraceable. So I worked with my map and compass and in the thicker woods, I eventually ended up using some of the forest paths the lumber trucks use - which worked great.
    I got to Otta in the early afternoon, found a hotel and started my errands, like picking up my resupply boxes, planning my next 10 days, and washing all my clothes. I also took everything I hadn't used in the first 9 days and reassessed whether I could throw it out (see picture 6). The lighter the better, even though I feel perfectly used to my 20kg pack.
    My attempt to meet some locals and socialize over dinner failed - all restaurants were completely empty. So I got mine to go and had a wonderful Skype call with my mum over a burger and fries instead.
    Being back in civilization is good - I got into town and right away bought a basket of fresh strawberries. Things are convenient. But I can't help but feel like I'd rather be on some mountain in my tent right now ;) so this stopover is somewhat bittersweet.
    Tomorrow is my first rest day and I'll be lazy, reading books, planning my next resupplies, and writing my diary.
    This is a first: a post without a tent picture!    Read more

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    Day 10: no hike, no backpack, no pics ;)

    June 16, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 14 °C

    Today was my first break in the little town of Otta. I made 2 visits at the post office to ship on my resupply boxes to my next 3 stopovers, planned my next 20 days and enjoyed some fresh fruit from the local supermarket. The day was rainy, so I didn't mind not being on a trail ;)Read more

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    Day 11: gone with the wind

    June 17, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    Yippee I'm back on the trails!
    Today I started my 4-5 day hike to Hjerkinn, with a loaded backpack, into Rondane national park. It was very windy all day and my tent, too, is being pushed around as I'm writing my update right now. It was a lovely day, with old stone huts, many stream crossings, a few small snow field crossings and a few waterfalls.
    I'm camping near a tourist hut, which means I got to charge my phone while reading a book on my kindle in a comfy armchair and I can take a hot shower tomorrow morning :)    Read more

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    Day 12: fresh water wherever you look

    June 18, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    After a stormy and rainy night, and more and more love for my tent which withstood both of them, I took a quick shower at the tourist hut. I'm now fairly high up at around 1300 meters and there's still a few snow fields and some ice one the smaller lakes. It's fun to slowly cross them if they happen to be in the way - the snow fields of course, not the ice ;)

    With the snow melting, there are little creeks and hundreds of mini waterfalls everywhere, meeting up to form larger streams and eventually rivers. It's quite beautiful and I'm so thankful for my waterproof boots!! And it means I can carry less water, since I have access to the purest drinking water every few minutes :)

    Ooh and today a picture of the inside of my cozy little tent, checking my route for tomorrow and then reading some more. What a life!    Read more

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    Day 13: head in the clouds

    June 19, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 4 °C

    Today was especially fun! And the weather was all over the place.

    In the morning, I climbed to the top of Rondslottet (2178 m), the highest peak in Rondane national park. I had camped right at the bottom of the ascent, so I could leave my tent and backpack and hike up just with my small day pack. I felt light as a feather ;) And the sky was blue. I was super excited. The climb was steep and included lots of scrambling and later a few snow fields. Around 10:30 I was on the top. By now the peak itself was covered in clouds, but the view on the way up had been amazing already so I just enjoyed having made it :) Going down was total fun. On the side of the trail was a large snow field, which now became my slope! I slid down almost all the way, it was fantastic.

    Getting back to my tent, it had started hailing, so I had to pack it up from the inside first and the rain cover at the very end. Now followed 2 hours through hail and snow. I was not cold for a second and quite enjoyed the change. And since the weather kept changing around all day, of course there was more sun, snow, rain, sun and then rain again. And now that I've camped it's nice and friendly weather.

    The scenery was lovely all day and I loved being in a small forest towards the late afternoon (being so high up above the tree line makes me miss the green after a few days).

    Now I'm bundled up in my sleeping bag and ready for dreamland!    Read more

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    Day 14: can't. stop. walking.

    June 20, 2016 in Norway ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    Today, for the first time on this trip, my legs feel like rubber! After almost 35km, I'm completely tired so I'll keep it short. It was a beautiful day, I crossed a canyon in the morning which was really fun with lots of scrambling, slid down another show field, crossed two mountain ranges and by the end of the day I was so done that I am treating myself to a real bed and a dinner of locally caught elk in a mountain hut.

    Picture 3 shows you my pack, my faithful friend (who still needs a name by the way, let me know if you have any suggestions). Typical for a sunny day, the solar panel is strapped on top to charge a battery pack which I use for my smartphone and satellite phone. Also typical some "laundry" I did earlier in the day, hanging off it to dry. And my jacket stuffed between the pack and lid for fast access, should if get cold quickly. Ooh and the orange bag on the left holds my tent poles.

    Fact of the day: This of the most northern point I will visit, it can only go south (and west) from here ;-D    Read more

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    Day 15: tricky and easy travels

    June 21, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 12 °C

    Today I made 2 lovely new friends! They're both 45+ year old mums that live in the absolute boonies of mid-Norway.

    After an early breakfast, I had a 1.5 hour hike to Hjenkinn train station. The town of Hjenkinn turned out to be 3 huts and a train stop with a small herd of sheep chilling in the shade of the railway building. The 2 hour train ride went through gorgeous country side to the town of Vinstra. Since my bus to Skåbu was supposed to go in the afternoon, I took my time, did some grocery shopping and then spent most of my time in a little outdoor café. Only problem: the bus never came. Another bus driver replied to my question about my bus with the dry one-word response: "tomorrow". Turns out it only goes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (must be a Norwegian thing ;-) ).

    So I decided to hitch hike (it would have been a 6 hour walk on the road). Within 3 minutes, I had 2 rides offered. Say what you will about their bus drivers, but Norway has the kindest drivers. One very warm hearted lady took me on the 30 minute ride to the post office in Skåbu, which is by the way proudly the highest town in Europe with a doctor, supermarket and post office :) There I picked up my food and resupplies for the next 13 days and rearranged my backpack to make it all fit (barely ;-) ). From here, I caught a ride with Helga, who lives on a small farm in the mountains. She drove me another 15 minutes into the wilderness to my trailhead. And then for the first hour of my hike into the woods, I skyped with my mum, thanks to exceptional cell phone reception in the middle of nowhere.

    Now I'm reading in my tent on a bed of soft lichen in the 9pm sunlight and am extra thankful for life!!    Read more

  • Going north

    Day 16: the living forest

    June 22, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    You don't need to worry about bugs and mosquitoes so much in Norway.... until you do.

    I always really enjoy my detours through the forest; the colors, the sounds, the warmth, it's a perfect mix to the higher alpine mountain trails. But this time, the forest had a little extra surprise: bugs! Mostly just little flies, but occasionally accompanied with a swarm of mosquitoes, they followed me around for most of the afternoon. So I've been wearing my head net, looking like a fool, but at least a fool without flies in my ears and mosquitoes on my neck!
    https://goo.gl/photos/ShKt8wd5YG5si9BFA

    The landscape has been beautiful, as I'm hiking on a hillside, always with a westward view of Jotunheimen national park, where I will arrive in a few days.

    Now I'm eating yummy chicken stew and reading the biography of Dietrich Bonhoeffer in my tent (with 30+ mosquitoes glued to the outside of its net, waiting for "their moment" :) ).
    I'm camped right by a little river with small waterfalls and rapids, enjoying the view and sounds.

    Ooh and I've decided to name my backpack Charlie, the female version of Steinbeck's travel companion Charley ;-)    Read more

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    Day 17: sharing the trail

    June 23, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    Sharing is caring - and a lot of fun! Today, I shared my trail with more bugs for a few more hours before they disappeared as I climbed higher in altitude, with lots of melting water choosing the trails as their temporary river beds, with sheep who very clearly disapproved of me disturbing their afternoon, and finally with Olaf the reindeer who walked along with me for a good while, keeping a good distance. Here's proof (if you can find him): https://goo.gl/photos/EY2SdvabNePEkZcQ9

    I'm camping in a beautiful spot surrounded by mountains, heading back down into the forest tomorrow. Ooh and happy midsummer, which Norwegians celebrate today as the longest day of the year!

    Funny moment of the day: since I just restocked on food for the next 13 days, in pretty "back-heavy". I wanted to take a picture of a lovely flower near the trail. As I kneel down, a fly flies in my face, I try to shoo it away, lose balance, and land on my back like a little beetle. I had to laugh out loud, but only a few fellow beetles heard and barely took notice ;-)

    Picture 4 shows my shoes while I make my way through another swamp. I'm forever thankful for waterproof hiking boots!!!    Read more

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