Dear Rondane,

I'm glad I got to visit you, if only for a bit. You're the oldest national park in Norway but still full of plenty of surprises for a new guest.

On September 25th both Anna and I landed in Norway. Her flight was earlier than mine and to add to that mine got delayed. Our initial plan was to head for Jotunheimen but this was altered after Anna was told at the Norwegian Trekking Association that conditions would be miserable there. By the time I caught a train to Oslo from the airport our destination had changed to Rondane National Park. Here the weather would be a bit more gentle. So that night after a bit of grocery shopping we caught a late bus, at 10:00 pm, up to Otta. We arrived at 3:15 am. With a bit of rest from the ride and no desire to pay for camping in a country with wonderful wild camping laws we headed for Mysusater. A lady in a 24 hour gas station, rarely seen in Iceland, gave us directions that included "then you go up". And so up we went on a switchbacking road for many kilometers. Not far in, despite the cold, we had shed many layers. Before finding a trail and leaving the road we crossed paths with some critters which I now believe to have been musk ox. It certainly didn't look to be a sheep, but I was tired and it was dark. Along the trail we made it in total 7km before calling it quits and pitching the tents. We'd wake up that next morning to find our campsite in the backyard of two homes. Oops. The homes are beautiful by the way. Picturesque cabins with grass or slate roof tops and built out of wood. It's hard to believe people can live in these, where do I sign up?

We slept until about 10 and then headed the rest of the way to town. Once we refound the trail we lost in the night of course. In Mysusater we stopped by the service center to check the bus schedule before heading into the park. The trail to Spranget took us through a wooded area along a river complete with waterfalls. The trees were lovely and added a certain scent to the air that I will always remember along with Norway. But it wouldn't be long before we left the trees behind as we found Spranget. A place where folks used to leap across the rivet before a bridge was installed. You can also find remnants of reindeer traps in the area. Out of the trees we were met by the wind and oddly enough a parking lot not far away. Folks can drive up to do some short day hikes, rides, or to get to Rondbassvu. Rondbassvu, which I surely could be spelling incorrectly, is a "hut" run by DNT. It's really more of a compound that sells €40 dinners to rich folks and offers room/campsite rental with access to the common room. We bypassed the compound to pitch our tents within sight of its warmth. There we struggled to keep the stove going while making a dinner. The next morning we woke up still with warmth in view and covered in snow. Rondane's first surprise.

With snow on the ground and a vicious wind blowing we opted to not go over a mountain pass and instead head for Bjørnhollia, another DNT compound. Our route took us between ridges over rock fields and by lakes. The wind our constant companion. Along this route, like the one to Spranget, we saw many dead Lemmens. Maybe they knew the snow was on its way and decided to give up. Not us. Or the crazy folks we saw fishing. Just under 4 hours later we reached Bjørnhollia. Here we met a kind Norwegian lady with a beautiful English Setter puppy. She told us some about herself and Norway as well as carnivores we may keep an eye out for. Most interesting was the "Glutton" which appears to be a small bear with big paws that runs straight up mountains. This creature stayed on my mind much of the next 4 hours of hiking, until I thought maybe she meant a badger. I'm still not sure. We headed south towards Eldabu following reindeer tracks and more lakes. This time leaving behind the wind for a moment. We passed a few small huts, even daring to look in one, and many stream crossings before settling down for the night. I'd later wake up to pee under a starry sky which I didn't view long as the wind said hello.

Now on the 28th we reached Eldabu but not before running into a Norwegian character. A man being pulled on his bike by two lovely looking dogs. He had what appeared to be a house on his back and in his saddle bags along with a rifle. He looked capable of leaving society behind for years. At Eldabu we rested for a bit before heading on. This stretch of our adventure offered the grandest views off steep cliffs and down to huge lakes. We felt as if we were lost in the wild until greeted by the sounds of children. Could these be the troll kids wearing sweaters made by their parents Asbjørn mentioned? Nei. Just normal kids with parents in tow that live down in small huts accessible by a road to who knows where. Not long after we'd find a small dip in the ground to hide from the wind. By this point our nemesis.

Our final day we continued up to Spranget and then back into Mysusater to the luxury of flushing toilets and loaves of bread. I even splurged on a pepsi and lion bar. Eating in a small shelter we met two Germans on a reunion trip back in Norway. Both finishing grad school, one develops phone apps and the other runs marathons. They told me I must try "young wine" and onion cake when I reach Germany. They were considering the hike back to Otta much like us until we told them of the bus. The app developer had developed a bum knee and was glad to hear of it. That is until it was revealed the bus was no longer running. Luckily the two Germans got a ride from the service center owner. Anna and I were faced with the 14km back to town. It was already getting late but being well rested from our long lunch break and chat we went for it. Finding a new trail to follow thru Harry Potter forbidden forest-esque terrain helped make it easier. A little over half way back we camped off the road on soft ground and finished off our bread and cheese with tomato soup. As we got in our tents to sleep a stray animal of some kind, wearing a bell, decided to walk up and down the road. This kept us up a bit.

Finally, today on the 30th, we made it to Otta. Stopping in at a gas station for more flushing toilets beforr heading to the library to research our next adventure with Cinthia who arrives today. We're now on the bus approaching Oslo where we'll wait for her. I'll miss the Rondanes and it's scenery. But I'll remember what it taught me, to be patient. When backpacking everything takes time. Setting up to sleep, getting ready to go, eating food and just getting around. Over 80km with 30lbs on your back makes you think about a lot. It made dinner taste better, cars seem cool again, and rest so rewarding. Just having a peak at all the landscapes we saw was a reward in itself. And of course I'll never forget getting snowed on in September and the wind which taught me to appreciate trees.

Sincerely,
Zeb