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Skiing: Vargabreen from Finse

Date:
10.05.2025
Characteristic:
Backcountry skiing
Duration:
6:43h
Distance:
24.7km

Three weeks after my ascents of Flakavassnutane and Såtehjallane I was back at Finse for what would most likely be the last skiing trip of the season. After safely crossing to the other side of the train tracks, I started on the marked winter route towards Geiterygghytta before later turning west in Såtedalen and briefly following the marked winter route to Hallingskeid. The final off-trail ascent to the highest point at Vargabreen was straightforward and it was easy to find a route that avoided all of the steeper areas. After a lunch break at the summit I made the short detour north to the only slightly lower northern summit before turning back and descending along the same route. A descent that turned out a bit more complicated than expected given that I at the top had discovered that the soles of my ski boots, which were only two years old, were in the process of detaching from the rest of the >>>

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Skiing: Flakavassnutane and Såtehjallane from Finse

Date:
20.04.2025
Characteristic:
Backcountry skiing
Duration:
5:04h
Distance:
18.9km

Two days after my skiing trip from Hallingskeid to Nyrjuven I was back on the train from Bergen but this time taking the train one stop further and getting off at Finse . After safely crossing the train tracks I put on the skis and started on the marked winter route to Klemsbu . Around 1 km before the cabin I however left the marked route and headed more directly northeast towards Flakavassnutane . South of the summit I shortly reconnected with the marked route before finding my own way to the top, arriving at the large cairn without any difficulties. Excellent views from the summit, even though the sunshine promised by the weather forecast never materialized. A cold wind resulted in a short stay and after a couple of pictures I descended along the same route before following the marked route west to Klemsbu. I had initially considered to also include Vargabreen on today's trip >>>

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Skiing: Nyrjuven/Osaskavlen from Hallingskeid

Date:
18.04.2025
Characteristic:
Backcountry skiing
Duration:
4:56h
Distance:
16.4km

After spending the first half of Easter in Sogndal, I was now back in Bergen and after a night at home I got up early to take the train to Hallingskeid with the plan to ski to Nyrjuven/Osaskavlen . The sun was shining when the train arrived at Hallingskeid and I could put on the skis immediately after exiting the station from where I headed towards the bridge across Moldo . Given the issues I had had with the missing summer bridge during my recent attempt to cross the river south of Mjølfjell (which I later learnt opened just three days later…), I had in advance made sure that the bridge would in fact be there this time around , and could this easily cross to the other side. Safely across the river, I continued west along Buadalen where I pretty much followed the marked summer route to Osa/Rembesdalsseter until getting to the unnamed 1272 lake southwest of Daurmålsvatnet. From there it was simply a matter of navigating more or less directly west towards >>>

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Helleberget

Date:
15.04.2025
Characteristic:
Backcountry skiing
Duration:
3:10h
Distance:
9.3km

Even though the snow was rapidly melting we managed to keep the skis on all the way from Rindabotn to the summit. Limited snow at the summit and almost no snow for the final part of the descent back to the parking lot.

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Høgehaug and Britabu

Date:
14.04.2025
Characteristic:
Cross-country skiing
Duration:
3:03h
Distance:
9.6km

The traditional Easter skiing trip from Rindabotn to Høgehaug with a short lunch break outside Britabu .

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Skavasshaugane

Date:
13.04.2025
Characteristic:
Cross-country skiing
Duration:
2:13h
Distance:
6.7km

Short skiing trip to check if there was still enough snow for a slightly longer trip the next day.

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Skiing: Nordbotnnuten from Mjølfjell

Date:
05.04.2025
Characteristic:
Backcountry skiing
Duration:
9:31h
Distance:
25.5km

I got up early Saturday morning to catch the first train from Bergen to Mjølfjell where I arrived at 09:00. My plan had been to walk south from the station and cross the river via the bridge to Urlandsstølen to start my ascent to Nordbotnnuten . When getting there I however quickly realized that this would not be possible. The bridge had been taken down for the winter ! I therefore had to come up with an alternative plan to get to the other side. I found two options: the bridge to Hagen (around 1.5 km walk to the southwest) or the bridge at Hellene (around 2 km walk to the east). While the former was a shorter walk and definitely included a permanent bridge, I still decided on Hellene as the terrain from there to Rundavatnet (to connect with my planned ascent route to Nordbotnnuten) looked easier. Upon arriving at Hellene I was therefore very happy to find that this bridge was >>>

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Sør for Meinsperro

Date:
09.02.2025
Characteristic:
Backcountry skiing
Duration:
3:14h
Distance:
7.6km

A short backcountry skiing trip with Endre where we started from the parking lot outside Stordalen Fjellstove and from there followed a marked trail towards Rusta (and Gygrebotnen). At first we had to carry the skis but at just below 700 meters we put them on and kept them on until the summit area at Sør for Meinsperro . The skiing conditions can best be described as highly variable but also with several quite nice sections. We had initially considered continuing to Årsdalsryggen via Fjellvassbu but quickly concluded that this would take too long under the current conditions. After a couple of pictures we therefore returned more or less the same way but managed to keep the skis on for a bit longer than the point where we put them on during the ascent. Towards the end we also followed a wrong set of footprints but still easily found our way back to the parking lot.

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Skiing: Fløyen to Lønborg

Date:
10.01.2025
Characteristic:
Cross-country skiing
Duration:
3:46h
Distance:
12.6km

Afternoon skiing at Fløyen with some of my colleagues, including one from Costa Rica and his visiting friend from Columbia, neither of which had ever skied before. Both did remarkably well though and made it through a round in the lower half "lysløypen" without any injuries. When the rest of the party then headed back to Fløibanen, I ascended to Brushytten on my own and from there followed the roads to the top of Øyjorden. The skis stayed on until the top of Olinestien, even though the snow conditions for the descent to Munkebotsvatnet were significantly worse than a week earlier.

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Skiing: Rundemanen

Date:
05.01.2025
Characteristic:
Cross-country skiing
Duration:
3:48h
Distance:
17.5km

The plan was to take Fløibanen and start skiing from the upper station, I had even bought the ticket, but when seeing the long queue I changed my mind and instead carried the skis up to just below Skomakerdiket instead. Here the skis came on and stayed on until the top of Olinestien. The snow conditions were good but a minor snowstorm at Rundemanen made me glad that I was in familiar terrain.

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