Sting in the Tale

I find it amazing that the best of days can so easily turn into the worst of days in one brief moment.

6am: It is an early morning start in the cabin as I have a long journey ahead of me. Outside the cabin I find roughly 10cm of fresh snow. With my skis on, I set off to lay the first (and possibly only) tracks of the day.

I head steadily south through the now familiar birch woodlands, past hibernating hamlets and frozen farmsteads; all of these abandoned for the winter months. Whilst the weather makes the journey testing, following the Trolls Trail is a sheer delight and it is with a heavy heart that at Langmyråsen, I leave the Trolls Trail to head to my accommodation in Hornjø. It is here that the problems begin...

Crossing the open mountainside to Lieden is tough as the sticky snow steals my glide. These two kilometres are hard work and easily the toughest of the trip. Things improve after Lieden, but then the trail just disappears. I am not able to find where I am on the featureless slope and in near whiteout conditions, so I simply descend to the road and follow that to Hornsjø. It is a difficult ending to a long and ultimately enjoyable day.

My overnight stay in Hornsjø Høyfjellshotell. Originally built in the 1870s, this place has been everything from a mountain farm to posting inn and from boarding house to hotel. For a period in the 1970s, Hornsjø Høyfjellshotell was the biggest in the country. Tonight, still with a 1970s feel to the place, I can enjoy the calm atmosphere and get myself ready for another adventures day.