Leben im Rudel: Breidablik and (almost) Skrott

Sunday was hiking time. The weather wasn't very inviting, but we went anyways. And as always, it was worth it! We drove to Fitjadalen, and the plan was to go on a round trip: first climb mount Skrott and then visit the cabin Breidablik on the way back to Fitjadalen. Things turned out a little different though... I noticed it, when I was suddenly standing in front of Breidablik while not having been on a mountain top yet. :-D My sense of orientation is really legendary...

I then tried to reach Skrott from the cabin, but the trail was very poorly marked. I made my way until about 150 m from the top. But the "trail" ended at an snow field with no footprints to be found anywhere. I walked up and down and around, but I had no idea where the people before me had crossed that snow field. After a while I gave up... I didn't dare to walk over the snow without any signs of another human being having survived it beforehand. ;-) And I wouldn't have had any view anyways.

So instead of doing a round trip, I just walked back the same trail as I had come. But it wasn't boring, because things looked totally different! In fact, they looked so very different that I started to fear that I had again taken a wrong turn and that I wasn't really on my way back to the car... :-D When I started the hike, it was very cloudy and foggy. I couldn't see very far. But on the way back, the sky cleared up a bit, and suddenly I could see mountains and fjords! I'm still surprised of how fast the view can change - even though it basically happens on a daily basis. ;-)

The entire trip was something like 15-17 km long, and we walked for 6,5 hours without many breaks. The boys were pretty tired afterwards. Well, me too. :)

Starting at Fitjadalen

Ha! Excitement! I sneaked a peek to a mountain. :-D

In this area there are quite many cabins,

where you can stay overnight or just take a break.

even more mountains revealing themselves!

Mount Skrott - seen from the point, where I should have walked up (with hindsight).

When I saw this gate, I knew I was on the wrong track... :-D

Gate to Breidablik cabin at 1160 m.

It is a privately owned cabin that is "famous" because of its nice decorations.

Beautiful. With clear view probably even more so.

the toilet

Second attempt to reach Skrott's summit...

... ends right here. ;-)

On the way back to Fitjadalen.

Look, what was hidden behind the clouds! ;-)

On the way back home, I made a quick stop at the "Steinsdalsfossen" waterfall.

For Monday, we had been promised to finally see the sun again. It was the number one topic at work that we had been betrayed yet again - no sun, just another cloudy / rainy day! :-D In the evening, I climbed Ulriken with the "hiking ladies" I know since I was on that guided tour. And indeed the sun was revealing itself briefly!

cable car for the lazy ones / tourists ;)

"view" from Ulriken

But there she is - the sun - on our way down!

Yesterday, we went on another hike to Stoltzekleiven and Fløyen and back to the car. Soooo many people were outside. It was unbelievable. It was a real sunny day without any clouds, and people were going nuts. :-D Work was deserted right after lunch time... everybody wanted to be close to the sun! One guy shouted out an extra enthusiastic "Hallo!" at us in passing on a mountain. We were wondering, whether we should know him... and seeing us wonder, he shouted that he is so full of endorphins, he can't help but greet everyone. :-D

And while that may seem exaggerated, I learned by now that the sunny moments cannot be wasted indeed! Because today, we are already back to life in a cloud... And that can be taken literal. In the morning (shocked about the thick cloud / fog outside) I checked a webcam on Ulriken - the highest mountain in Bergen - and from there you looked down on a layer of clouds with nothing but blue sky above you. Like I said, the weather conditions and all that comes with it, is still very much fascinating for me. ;-)