Wednesday 24 February 2016

Jotunheimen - home of the giants

Jotunheimen

This norwegian National Park is home to the 29 highest mountains of the country and has thus received it's name 'the home of the giants'. I was really excited to come here for the first time and see the landscape. Even though we have only been in one part of the region, I can say for sure that it's really the home of the most impressive mountains in Scandinavia. For the past days we have stayed in Gjendesheim, a hut by the Norwegian Trekking Association DNT. There is plenty to do around here, mostly on skis of course. 

It was overall a pretty nice experience, I must admit though that I feel more at home in some other parts of Scandinavia. The mountains in Jotunheimen are big and impressive, the distances between the huts are long and there are no apparent 'cozy' spots, just rugged rocks and steep cliffs. As amazing it is to look at this kind of landscape, it's not the type of terrain that I really feel comfortable in. It might be for a reason that the swedish are considered 'valley crawlers' (dalkrypare) compared to the norwegians, that move higher up in the mountains. For a trip where I spend a longer time outdoors camping and hiking or skiing, I really do prefer places with a good mix of interesting peaks and cozy forests where you can find some shelter against the wind. Probably good I'm living in Sweden and have all those lame little mountain areas in reach ;)

Here are some impressions! 

Early morning over lake Gjende

Trying to get through the 40cm thick ice to catch some fishies. 

Me, freezing inside my windsack. 


There are two persons inside this picture...



Digging a hole for a shelter

Lunch inside our self built shelter, away from the biting wind

The first sunbeams hit Besseggen

Same perspective at night

View from the way up to Bessvatnet





Another lunch, another wind protection


Here are two of the day tours we did.


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