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Going north
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Going north

A 79-day adventure by Merry & Merry Read more
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  • Going north

    Day 18: let it rain, rain, rain

    June 24, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    I had my first truly Norwegian day: rainy without an end in sight ;-)

    Today, the trail lead me down into a valley with many lakes, relentlessly filled with melting water coming from the mountains this time of year. There, I met an archeologist who with his team is doing excavations on the little islands, finding traces of early settlements or hunting and fishing grounds from thousands of years ago.

    I then crossed another mountain range, while it was raining in long streaks and yet hasn't stopped. My equipment stayed dry well, but my boots were slowly soaked by early afternoon. As dry feet are the most essential for a fun and enjoyable hike, I am staying in a self-serve hiking hut tonight, with a fire going and all things drying very comfortably.

    Can't wait to slide into my warm socks and boots tomorrow :)    Read more

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    Day 19: after the rain comes the sun

    June 25, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    After a very short night (one of the people in the hut was snoring as if cutting an entire forest with a chain saw), I woke up to perfect weather. I left just after 7 and had a good hike over a mountain range into a beautiful valley, where the Royal Norwegian horses are kept and trained. I had a fantastic lunch and took a shower at one of the ranches and then disappeared into the wilderness again, walking through lush forests in great weather.

    Tonight I'm camping right by a lake. It's sunny still which means I got to do laundry and am feeling warm, clean and dry (which is "wanderer" for HAPPY :) )    Read more

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    Day 20: half way point

    June 26, 2016 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 13 °C

    I cannot believe I've been hiking for 20 days now!!! Feels like I just set out yesterday.

    Today I arrived in Gjendesheim mid day, at the bottom of one of Norway's most famous hikes, called Besseggen, which I will do tomorrow.

    The hike today lead me from the valley I had camped in over a mountain range with beautiful views and into the town of Gjendesheim, which consists of 4 huts and a ferry dock. And even though the water was freezing, I jumped in the lake to celebrate my first half of the hike, and warmed up at the fire in the tourist hut afterwards.

    I'm thankful for 20 beautiful days and can't wait to see what the next 20 have on store for me :)    Read more

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    Day 21: the Besseggen quartet

    June 27, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 10 °C

    Today I did the much praised "Besseggen" hike, probably Norway's most famous trail. I was happy to spend the first half of the day with three new friends, two from Norway and one from Denmark. The four of us set out just before 8am, after a very good breakfast in Gjendesheim.

    We experienced 6 hours of fairly steep tracks and VERY indecisive weather (we had a back and forth from sunshine to rain at least 4-5 times), amazing views, fun scrambling and great company.

    After the hike together, I set off north towards a glacier (Glitterbraen) which I should reach in a day or two. As my legs need a break now, I've set up camp early at 5pm right by a lake and not more than 200 meters from a roaring waterfall (in picture 5). It might rain all night, so I'm glad I got my tent up in the sunshine and will make dinner soon. What a lovely day!!    Read more

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    Day 22: reindeeeeeer

    June 28, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    Today was reindeer day and it started the minute I woke up. For when I peeked out the tent to see what the weather was like around 7am, there were over 50 or 60 reindeer less than 20 meters away

    The herd and I were going the same direction for the first hours of my hike, so I had some (very shy and always 100 meters or more away) company :) The second half of my hike I saw a few more, but in much smaller groups.

    I got to the trailhead for Glitterbraen glacier around 2 pm, and with not enough time (and potentially energy ;) ) left to make the 7 to 8 hour crossing, I set up camp at a nearby lake and will start the ascent tomorrow morning. This gives me a few hours extra rest and let's me gather some energy to climb Norway's second highest summit tomorrow. I'm camping at 1500m, and the glacier tomorrow will be at 2465m (just 4m less than Norway's highest peak, which I will climb the following day). So I'm hanging out at the beautiful glacier lake in full sunshine, reading, eating and just enjoying the rest of the day.    Read more

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    Day 23: eternal ice and 20m visibility

    June 29, 2016 in Norway ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    Today I crossed Norway's highest glacier and second highest mountain peak at 2465m. I had heard the view from up there is amazing, but I actually cannot attest to it...

    When I left for the ascent in the morning, the forecast was fine and the weather looked ok with some clouds on the very top. My friends the reindeer accompanied me once more, see picture 1 on the snow :)
    But the higher I got, the thicker the clouds formed, allowing for no more than 20 meters visibility for some of it. It was easy to lose the trail markings, so I had to use map, compass and gps to find my way. I walked through fog, light snow and eventually a minor snow storm, but thanks to the right equipment did not get cold. The secret: layers! The base layer is a thin longsleeve that dries quickly, then the isolation layer (eg fleece, which I skipped because it would have been too warm), then isolation and windstopper (I have a light weight down jacket) and then a wind and rain resistant layer to keep the warmth in and the cold and at out (=rain jacket).

    The hike was pretty exhausting, almost 9 hours in total, mostly scrabbling over rocks and very steep throughout. I'm camping close to a mountain inn, so I got to take a hot shower and sit in the warm by the fire for a bit!! I don't doubt I'll sleep like a rock tonight :)    Read more

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    Day 24: amazing glacier adventure

    June 30, 2016 in Norway ⋅ 🌬 5 °C

    Aaaaaaah such a cool day! My plan was to climb the summit of Norway's highest mountain, but the weather looked really bad. Lots of rain (=snow on top), wind and no view from up there. Luckily I bumped into my friends Paula and Ryan from Toronto at breakfast, whom I had met 3 days ago, and together, we signed up for a glacier tour with a guide instead.

    We hiked to the glacier Svellnosbrean, about 2.5 hours away. Then we put on clamp-on spikes, harnesses and roped up in case someone falls into a glacier cleft or sinks into the snow (which can sometimes just sit like a thin bridge over a deep crevice). The clamp-ons are amazing and let you walk up very steep ice! It got pretty cold up on the ice in the rain and wind, but was worth every second! So cool to see it all up close and quite the adventure as well. Not recommended if you're afraid of heights ;)

    We got back around 3pm and after warming up inside, I took off for another 2 hours of hiking, taking advantage of a few hours of sunshine in the late afternoon. Just before the rain came back, I pitched my tent in a wide valley right by a little stream with small waterfalls, the perfect source of fresh water to cook my dinner now.    Read more

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    Day 25: water under my feet all day :)

    July 1, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    I made some good distance towards Fannaråk glacier today, where I plan to arrive tomorrow. The hike was quite scenic, from one valley to the next over higher and snow-covered grounds. The view was dominated by a rocky cone-shaped mountain and several lakes on the way.

    About a third of my hike was across snow today, which was quite enjoyable. Since it melts from below and the water sinks down towards the ground, the upper layers of the snow are dry, and good to walk on. Except close to large rocks, where you easily sink in a few inches. The other third of the hike I was crossing streams of melting water, rivers or muddy puddles of rain. I stopped counting at about 40 river / creek crossings, jumping from one rock to another (e.g. picture 2). It was very fun and thankfully my backpack is fairly light as my food is running low. Leaves only a third on "solid ground" :)

    After two days of snow, ice, rain and wind in I'm not really feeling on top of my game today. Sleeping early to get some rest and hopefully get rid of my runny nose. Bonne nuit!

    PS: picture 5 is another "search the reindeer" photo ;-)    Read more

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    Day 26: back into the clouds

    July 2, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 2 °C

    I'm back at over 2000 meters altitude. yes, that means I'm back in the snow also ;-) I had a bit of a deja vu, when after a lovely few hours through the green valley full of creeks and waterfalls, I found myself going very steep up the mountains, mostly on snow, into the clouds, with no visibility. But there was no wind and I was quite comfortable. I made it to Fannaråk hut around 3pm, and by 5 it cleared up and I got to see the amazing view of pictures 4-6.

    This hut (3 small buildings) is quite unique for unlike most other huts, it's on top of the mountain right by a large glacier and there is no way up here but by a 5 to 6 hour hike. So once a year, a helicopter delivers all the supplies for the season and the people who work here stay a few weeks at a time. It's also less luxurious than most huts, without showers or electricity. But all I need is an oven to warm up and dry my socks!! One might say that one visitor's simple living is another hiker's luxury ;-)    Read more

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    Day 27: deep snow to roaring waterfalls

    July 3, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 10 °C

    After a good breakfast, I left to hike down the 1300 meters I had climbed yesterday. In mostly sunshine, I made my way down the serpentine trail, across the snow fields (now covered with inches of fresh powder) and towards the valley I had camped at on day 25. Once there, I headed towards Vetti Gard, my destination for the day.

    On the way, I briefly stopped in a lovely cabin to eat my packed lunch (picture 2). It was such a nice place, I almost considered staying ;) But I had a few more hours of trail to hit...

    It was a long ways to Vetti Gard though with a long-stretched assent and then a steep descent into a narrow valley, and the weather kept changing from hot and sunny to dark clouds and rain. At one point, I just threw my pack on the moss and didn't want to walk another step (picture 4 ;) ). But just 1.5 hours later, I had made it and seen the impressive Vettifossen waterfall on the way. I'm camping surrounded by high cliffs and waterfalls coming down, singing me a steady roaring lullaby in the background. It's very scenic and I'm glad I made it all the way. Tomorrow is rest day at Årdalsfjorden, my legs and knees will thank me!    Read more

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    Day 28: rest (for the legs) day

    July 4, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    I spent yet another day in awe of amazing Norway and most of all amazing Norwegians.
    It was supposed to be my rest day, so no hiking, except the 75 minutes to the bus stop in the morning. Here are some of the acts of kindness I experienced: got a ride from a local not just to the bus stop but to my destination to pick up my next resupply at the post office, a local got me a hotel room where he knows the owner with 8am check-in and a prompt free breakfast upon arrival, got a ride from the post office to the hotel which was in another town.

    I'm in Ardalstangen, at a small part of Sognefjord, with beautiful views and a supermarket that had fresh strawberries and vanilla ice cream waiting just for me ;-)

    In the afternoon, I took a beautiful 3 hour kayak tour with Torunn (picture 3). I know it's not exactly resting, but after all my legs needed the rest, not my arms, right!? It was an amazing time on the water, so good that even though the water is only 7°C, I swam the last 100 meters back (in a drysuit).

    Lesson of the day: life is beautiful.    Read more

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    Day 29: from sea level back to 1300m :)

    July 5, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ⛅ 7 °C

    Today I made my way from Ardalstangen to Gudvangen across the Sognefjord with 2 ferries and a little bit of hitch hiking. The 3 hour ferry ride was absolutely beautiful and lead through UNESCO world heritage for its narrow fjord with steep cliffs on both sides.

    After a giant hot dog and a chocolate croissant at a small supermarket, I found myself back on the trails, happy to be moving again, and surrounded by nothing but trees, mountains and here and there a sheep, surprised about my unannounced visit :)

    It was so nice and warm all day, I was looking forward to get to three little lakes up in the mountains to set up camp at the shore and jump in to cool off. How could I forget I'm in Norway and at the end of June a 1300m high lake is still covered in ice floating around!? So no ice swimming for me today ;) But I got to cool a beer I carried up here in the ice and am enjoying it right now in the late sunshine    Read more

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    Day 30: the good, the bad, the muddy

    July 6, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    All in all, the day was a bit rough. I was getting tired fast, as the trail went from snow to swamps to mossy grounds, which means you sink in a bit on each step and eating up kilometers becomes an exhausting exercise. But I enjoyed being outside and getting a new view around each corner

    The highlight was a long downhill stretch on snow that I got to shoe-ski down, really fun! Back on the trail, still steep and wet from the snowmelt, unfortunately and unintentionally, I also got to mud-slide a few feet down the trail. Yes, on my bottom, not the shoes... ;-)

    Feeling dirty and wet, I decided to hike an extra hour to the next cabin to clean and dry up. By now it was raining. I got there around 8pm, only to find it closed for renovations. So I hiked to the next river and flat meadow 15 minutes up the mountain and there finally got to clean up and change into clean, dry clothes. Thank God for a hot dinner and a warm, dry sleeping bag!    Read more

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    Day 31: shorts and tshirt day

    July 7, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 7 °C

    How happy I was to wake up to sunshine, which lastet till around 5pm! It was beautifully warm, no snow on the way and I was able to wash and dry some clothes, take a bath in a river, and enjoy the bright day.

    There was a beautiful mountain hotel (on the ridge in picture 4) on the way, where I got a smoked salmon and scrambled eggs lunch and two complimentary pieces of pie because the hostess decided I must need the energy after walking for so many days ;-)

    I also bought half a pound of fresh locally made Brunost, Norwegian goat cheese, or in my family known as caramel cheese (a lifelong addiction of mine). It's much to carry, but worth every gram, haha. Luckily, Merten and Elena are joining me in a few days to help finish it!    Read more

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    Day 32: hiking for beginners

    July 8, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 8 °C

    It was so warm and comfortable at night, I slept extra long and didn't start hiking until 9:30. I had no rush, because the 27km would be fairly quick. My hike lead me along a bike pass all day, so there was no challenging uphill climb, no steep descents and no navigation necessary. I saw about 30 bikers, making their way towards Flåm, looks like a beautiful ride!

    It was sunny all day again, but the absolute highlight was the tiny post office (also the train station) at Finse (a "town" of 5 huts), where I got to pick up my next and last resupply package. It's feels just like Christmas, a large box full of food, my favorite snacks, a few necessaries and licorice :)

    I'm staying at a hiker's cabin (picture 6), as I'm not allowed to camp on this side of the lake. But I'm not complaining, it means shower and drying room so i can wash some clothes. Maybe tomorrow I'll camp over there as I wait for my brother and close friend to join me here on Sunday.    Read more

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    Day 33: lazy girl

    July 9, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 5 °C

    I enjoyed a lazy day, hanging out in the cabin with a big breakfast and at Finse hotel for a yummy local reindeer burger for lunch. Did lots of reading, some packing and a deep cleaning and re-water-proofing of my boots. That's all I got for today ;-)

    And a sunset picture of the lake.    Read more

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    Day 34: even lazier girl

    July 10, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☁️ 8 °C

    Today I was so lazy (except going for a run in the afternoon), I don't even have a picture :)
    Reading all day, I'm conserving my energy for the next week of hiking, which I will spend with my brother Merten and very good friend Elena. They're arriving in a few hours, it'll be so nice to have their company!Read more

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    Day 35: reinforcements arrived :)

    July 11, 2016 in Norway ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    What a day!! Two of the most important people in my life and life-long confidants came to the Norwegian boonies to join me on my last week of the journey. I'm thrilled to see them and for the adventures ahead.

    After they arrived late Sunday night, we took our time in the morning and had our last big breakfast in "civilization" (the 4-hut town of Finse) and sorted out our backpacks and route plans. Around noon, we took off, circling around the huge glacier Hardangerjøkulen, with lots of snow fields, beautiful views and a picturesque waterfall. Merten and Elena got to practice changing into and out of their rain gear plenty today, as the weather changed constantly ;)

    What a beautiful reunion, fun hiking, and meaningful conversations. It was quite a change from the last 5 weeks of being just by myself, but I'm thankful for them being here and enjoyed every moment    Read more

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    Day 36: wrapped in clouds

    July 12, 2016 in Norway ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    We had an eventful and fun second day together. The weather wasn't quite on our side, but we wouldn't let it bother us. We're working on adopting the Norwegian way of hiking: despite and well-equipped in any kind of weather :)

    Most of the day, we went through thick fog, which turned pathfinding on the trails - marked by red Ts on stones along the way - into a joint treasure hunt.

    The second half of the day went over a long dam with no view of the big lake whatsoever and then up a pretty steep ascent through swampy parts, over rocks and all in all in a beautiful, lush and green setting. The hike was challenging and really fun.

    The rain wouldn't stop, but we managed to put the tents up, with all our wet stuff in one and ourselves in dry sleeping bags in the other. A day successfully completed and feeling happy and fulfilled from being in this beautiful nature, we're ready to sleep soundly through the rainy night.    Read more

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    Day 37: vertical adventures

    July 13, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    The first half of our day was fog-filled, but no less exciting. First, the trail brought us along the ridge of a vertical 900 meter drop. Even though we could not see anything, you could sense the amazing place we were at and the fog drifted into our faces upwind. Second, we climbed a steep track, scrambling up rocks and swampy parts, which lead us to declare the 8th world wonder of "the vertical swamps of the north" ;-)

    The second half of the day welcomed us with full sunshine and a friendly, steady downhill through green, lush meadows. What a treat it felt to get a full view of the mountains!

    With still wet clothes and tents from 2 days of fog and rain, we decided to rent in a little mountain hut for the three of us, grab a shower and dry our stuff. Civilization has its perks :)    Read more

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    Day 38: back into the wild

    July 14, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 13 °C

    We had a fantastic breakfast at the cabin, and left energized on a day full of beauty and adventures. Our first stop was a spot with two tall waterfalls, which we really enjoyed - along with many other tourists, as it was right by the road and many drivers stopped there.

    Afterwards, we headed back into the wild on our trail headed south, following up the ridge of a mountain range and down into the next valley. There we went on smaller trails, making our way to a beautiful spot with views over a large canyon / fjord.

    We made camp with that view (picture 1) and went off on a quest to grab some water for dinner. The short hike to a nearby lake turned into 2 hours of trying to find clean water further away - the lake was muddy and a close-by river had dried out. But it was more than worth it, as we discovered our most amazing sight so far - see picture 4. We ended up finding water from a very small stream, filtered it to be safe, and definitely realized how previous clean water is and were thankful for a hot dinner.

    Along with dinner, we started a small fire and enjoyed the stunning view till late into the night. Time for bed now :)    Read more

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    Day 39: a campfire, view & good company

    July 15, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 9 °C

    Today I started my re-civilization program as we stopped for breaks at two different cabins ;-)

    After a tough night (I had a hard time sleeping) and a foggy morning, we arrived at a cosy hiker's cabin around lunch time. We had waffles and hot chocolate, Merten and Elena took a nap on comfy couches while I read a book, and then we had some more waffles. We hiked on in the lovely landscape of rolling hills, plenty of waterfalls and green, swampy riverbanks. What an abundance of water, we really enjoyed being outside in good weather.

    A few hours of hiking later, we grabbed a cool beer at the next cabin in the late afternoon. Shortly after and back on the trail, we meet a group of four hikers, also from Germany, going in the same direction, and enjoyed the common goal and good conversations. We made camp together on top of a mountain range, with a stunning view. Deliciously filled stomachs, a large fire and the beautiful nature around made for the perfect scenery of a relaxed evening.    Read more

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    Day 40: surrounded by rainbows

    July 16, 2016 in Norway ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    Today was the day of rainbows :) The most stunning and vibrant one greeted me right when I woke up (picture 1, even though it doesn't do reality justice). The weather was constantly changing, with beautiful sunny hours followed by icy winds and constant rain. We ended up seeing 4 beautiful rainbows throughout the day and celebrated each one :)

    Our trail lead us over several wide rivers, some of which we crossed barefoot (picture 4), but most we crossed in boots, "jumping" from rock to rock. Towards the end of the day, we followed a "shortcut" on a fun, adventurous path through a small canyon (picture 5). It was challenging and felt great, but also drained our energy. So we were extra happy hikers when a few minutes later, we arrived at Torehytten cabin (picture 6), where we made hot chocolates, our usual dinner and pancakes for dessert to celebrate day 40.

    We have about 2 to 3 days left to Odda and then back to Germany. It feels odd knowing my hike will be over soon, but I sure know a lot of things I'm looking forward to, most of all my loved ones in California and Germany.    Read more

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    Day 41: mind games

    July 17, 2016 in Norway ⋅ 🌙 4 °C

    On a day like today, hiking becomes a mind game - long distance ahead, fairly similar landscape all day, tired legs from days of walking, icy winds and heavy rain forecasted. Your body is totally fine, wrapped up and full of unused energy, but your mind tells you it will be hard, you will be cold, you won't make it. We did a few things to win this mind game: be prepared for any kind of weather, stay positive and motivate each other, play mind puzzles and guessing games together, and listen to good music for a while.

    And so we did the hike in very good time, good spirits, and made it across 5km of snow as well as two river crossings without a bridge. One of the river crossings was quite an adventure; we had to take off our shoes and pants and cross melting water which came up almost to our hips. The water was 2 to 4 degrees. We felt quite proud when we had crossed ;-)

    We were completely exhausted and happy when we arrived and treated ourselves to a big dinner at the self-serve mountain hut - we're not tenting in snow today :)    Read more

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    Day 42: crossing the finish line

    July 18, 2016 in Norway ⋅ ☀️ 14 °C

    It's absolutely impossible that it's been 42 days since I took off in Lillehammer, my backpack filled with food and my mind filled with ideas - having no clue what I would experience the next 6 weeks in the wilderness. It feels like only yesterday that I headed out.

    I've since learned a lot about life in the mountains, long term hiking and mostly myself :) And this is not my last time in the mountains, I know that much.

    We had a long, amazing hike today, really enjoyed the diverse trail and excellent weather. For a moment, we just sat silently by a cliff and took in the moment and the beauty of Norway. I felt completely filled with thankfulness for my last 6 weeks, what a blast!

    After one of the most beautiful hikes I've had in Norway, we hitch hiked with a hilarious couple from Iceland, grabbed a pizza to go in Odda and got on the last bus to Voss, back to Elena's car. Tomorrow we'll be heading back slowly towards Kiel. Can't wait to see my loved ones soon!    Read more

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