Twenty-five years ago I was camped high on the side of Utladalen in the south-west corner of the Jotunheimen National Park looking across at the alpine peaks of the Hurrungane. It was the twenty-third day of my walk the length of the Norwegian and Swedish mountains and I had completed 555 kilometres. The final total would be 2200.
To reach this point I had traversed the Setesdaleheiane and
Hardangervidda mountain plateaux in mixed weather and crossded many
snowmelt-filled streams and remnant snowfields. I’d enjoyed much wild and beautiful
scenery but nothing to compare to the grandeur of the Hurrungane. In my journal
I wrote ‘Hurrangane spikes and towers by far the finest peaks I have seen’. The
weather cleared as well for the first time in over a week and I also noted that
I had ‘almost dry boots’!
My camp site I described as ‘magnificent’ and for once I was
able to sit outside to cook and eat and relish the view. This fine weather
would hold for the next few days as I made my way through the Jotunheimen.
Note: the pictures are
scans from Fuji Velvia slides.
