Høgevard
Norefjell is one of the closest mountain spots if you are from Oslo area. From the capital of Norway, you can get there in less than three hours. Of course, as long as we avoid traffic jams. I was there at 08.30 on a Sunday morning, so I hardly experienced any traffic on the roads.
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I arrived at Noresund, a small town at the foot of the mountains, situated on both sides of Lake Krøderen, at its narrowest point. I crossed the bridge that connects the two parts of the town and found the road to the Norefjell Mountains. There is a ski center here, a lot of private cabins and the whole massif is crossed by both hiking and skiing routes. There are a gates for collect the fees on the road. Later I received two bills to pay for crossing that road which made this trip quite expensive. I parked in a bay on the curve of the main road, close to the Djupsjøen Lake. My goal was the Høgevard peak (1,460m above sea level). The trail led to the Høgevarde Cabin, which was located just below the summit. First I was walking through the forest with a swift river on one side. It was chilly, so I had to wear a hat and gloves. When the trees thinned, I felt the first gusts of a strong wind. Soon the trees no longer blocked my view and I saw in the distance the characteristic shape of Norway’s most popular mountain, Gaustatoppen. According to the map, it was only 66 km away. Snow on the ground appeared soon after. On the beginning in single places, but after some time there were more and more of snow everywhere. I continued walking. The strong, icy wind blowing from the north straight in the face. The trail actually ran straight north, which meant I would struggle with this wind until the very end. Meanwhile, the autumn landscape has completely turned into a winter. Everything around and the path itself was under a blanket of snow. I saw plenty of foot prints, that led me in correct direction. I reached a wide ridge, where the wind was blowing all over the place, with no obstacles that would stop it. The slope of the terrain here was almost zero, so I only fought the wind. Soon, quite unexpectedly, I saw the buildings of the lodge. It turned out that there are two cabins there. One is old with a classic architecture and a new one with a futuristic shape. Behind them was a small lake, Høgevardtjenn, and behind the lake was the peak of Høgevard. I saw the footprints that led all the way towards the summit. The mountain seemed to be just around the corner, but with such winds, reaching the top was a quite challenge. There was no chance for a rest and relaxation or even a longer photo session. As soon as I got to the top, I had to go back immediately.
I returned quickly to the lodge and took a break on the stairs, sheltered from the wind. I had eaten my sandwiches and made my way back. This time it was much easier. Not only that downhill, but also the wind blowing in the back. Soon I got to my car and left these thoughts behind me. It was time to go home.
