[English] Geilo - Finse - Odda -- Good tour for 15+ days in Hardangervidda?

[pikaro]

Hi,

I hope it's OK to post in English - I got the recommendation after my questions didn't get any response in an English-speaking forum. If there are any additional requirements to start new threads, please tell me.

I'm planning to do a long-ish route through the Hardangervidda in August for which I'll have a total of 21 days including arrival and departure, leaving a total of ~18 free. Thus I'm currently calculating with ±15 days of walking 15km per day, for example by combining these two routes:

https://www.outdooractive.com/en/route/hiking-route/hol/geilo-finse/122741564/
https://www.outdooractive.com/en/route/hiking-route/ulvik-herad/norway-finse-odda/113639455/

I only selected these as examples because the start and end points feature commonly as recommended stations, though - I've never been to the Hardangervidda itself. So first off, is something like that a feasible plan for an average hiker with some alpine experience (mostly Alps and Tatra)? From what I read, the Hardangervidda is fairly easy in terms of terrain and climate, even if it fluctuates wildly throughout the day. My gear is also quite decent and mostly quite new so it should be up to the task.

However, my longest hike so far was 7 days (fjell part of Femundsmarka) so I'd like to make sure I'm not overestimating myself. Furthermore, I'm not sure if I can restock in Finse and Dyranut - I'll be staying in a tent and not in the cabins and food is heavy.

Can someone clarify if this is a good idea, or maybe recommend personal favorite routes that fit within the timeframe? If you can recommend any English- or German-language books that feature good routes and tips, I'd also be grateful, as well as for any additional tips and notes you can give.

Thank you!

Endret 20. juli 2020 av pikaro

[REJOHN]

Almost everyone in Norway speaks English, but not everyone writes in this language. It can therefore be difficult to answer in part.

You will survive 15 days on the Hardangervidda. You will be lonely. You will get wet and cold. You will find some experiences for life.

The Hardangervidda is higher than most mountain peaks in Scotland. Bring winter gear, wool, and longjohns. Always have a cap and mittens in the jacket. 

15 days with 15 kilometers per day is doable. It is possible to go on 15 long day marches, but probably not without a couple of rest days in between.

 

It is possible to buy food at the self-catering tourist cabins. The selection is not like in a store, but you will find something to eat. (The food must "survive" for a year at the cabin…)

Check Ut.no or dnt.no for routes and cabins

[varmtvann]

REJOHN skrev (20 minutter siden):

It is possible to buy food at the self-catering tourist cabins.

But just beware that at the moment it's not possible to drop in and stock up on food due to Corona restrictions, you would need to pre book. Information in English here:

https://www.dnt.no/covid-19-english/

 

[+Luesveis]

varmtvann skrev (12 minutter siden):

But just beware that at the moment it's not possible to drop in and stock up on food due to Corona restrictions, you would need to pre book. Information in English here:

https://www.dnt.no/covid-19-english/

 

Actually it is allowed, according to the Norwegian page: you can resupply, but are not allowed to stay at the hut to cook, dry clothes, etc.  One probably will have to use his/her own hand sanitizer / soap  before being allowed into the hut.

Currently the only option for resupply at Finse is the newly opened self service hut Brebua.

It is much more snow in the mountains this year than normal.  This means more walking on snow, which will take more time and energy than walking on snow-free paths.   It also means that rivers and streams are bigger than normal, but from updated information from DNT, it should be no problem crossing them. A few bridges between Finse and Rembesdalsseter have been destroyed by the snow, and according to information a week ago, these are planned to be fixed this week.

@pikaro;You should check these kinds of details with DNT when planning the trip. 

 

 

[Friluftsnoob]

hello Pikaro, 

Great to hear you wanting to do a trip in Hardangervidda. 

This is what i will bring on my trip that i start August 15. (only 5 days)

A strong 4 season 1 man tent (can get windy)
Sleeping bag rated to T(-6) (for men).
Multifuel (if it gets Cold)

Travel gear
Water resistant Gloves and wool hat
Wind/water proof jacket that you know can withstand the Cold Winds.  
Good leather boots or hiking boots. Can be wet. 
Dry camping gear (not to be used while hiking).
This includes a dry pair of wool socks, wool underlayers and perhaps a light Down jacket. Wool hat. You must use It is important that you use Your wet walking clothes when you walk (dont be tempted to use Your dry camping gear). if you do, the NeXT day all will be wet. 

Water: You can drink it all (but ask locals if there is alot of "Lemens"). If there are, then you must boil water. 

 

In regards to travel distance. You know yourself what you are capable of so that is up to you. The terrain is easy going, i would say 3-4km/h. But i would surely say having 1-2 days extra is good. You never know if you get bad weather that will force you to have rest days. 

 

 

[pikaro]

Hi,

thank you very much for the responses and sorry for the delayed answer! I thought I'd get a mail notification. Don't worry about the language skills, I'm not a native speaker, either!

@REJOHN, it's good to know that 15km it considered a long march there - here in the Alps, I'd consider that a half-day hike. I'll try to find some ways to shorten the route a bit - one or two days of planned rest might be a good idea, plus ~3 for safety so I don't miss my flight. I'll also ask the DNT what the precise options for restocking and potentially sleeping are, it's great that they're not completely closed down due to the pandemic.

It's also strange to imagine that you still have snow at just ~1100m - summer hiking seems to be quite different up north, it's almost too hot here. My tent is a Vaude Hogan SUL 1-2P and my sleeping bag is a Vaude Kiowa Basic rated to a -4° limit. I hope that's enough?

@Friluftsnoob, with T(-6) you mean -6°C? That would be slightly out of range but presumably OK. (Extreme limit is at -21°.) The tent isn't explicitly 4 season but I've had very good experiences with the durability of Vaude tents so I'm not worry about just (non-tornado) wind. And good idea that I should keep a separate set of dry clothes - I've never done that, but even fast-drying camping gear might not fare too well under these conditions.

Lemens are Lemmings in Norwegian? I only read that I should be careful about the water quality when sheep are nearby but that's also a good point. I'm looking forward to seeing some of them, though!

Endret 23. juli 2020 av pikaro

[pikaro]

Oh, and one more thing - what kind of edible fauna can I expect? Unfortunately, I don't hunt or fish, and I only know about identifying mushrooms which probably isn't going to be useful. Are there any particular plants I should learn to identify as edible? Everything is better than a dry or canned meal, after all!

[+Blindgjenger]

pikaro skrev (13 timer siden):

Oh, and one more thing - what kind of edible fauna can I expect? Unfortunately, I don't hunt or fish, and I only know about identifying mushrooms which probably isn't going to be useful. Are there any particular plants I should learn to identify as edible? Everything is better than a dry or canned meal, after all!

There's not much in the way of edible flora. Some blueberries and crowberries if they have had time to ripen, and maybe some mulberries, lingonberries and alpine bearberries, but hardly enough sustain you. Technically I guess the alpine bistort is edible (again, if the seeds are ripe), but you would have to spend quite some time to collect enough to make it part of a meal.

Alsoremember that inside the national park you wouldn't be allowed to harvest edible plants even if there were any (beyond picking berries and mushrooms, that is).

I think the only realistic way to harvest fresh supplies along the way would be fishing.

Edit: The bog bilberry is another edible (although not necessarily tasty).

 

Endret 24. juli 2020 av Blindgjenger