Just before I left the campsite in Haugesund, I asked the receptionist if he knew where I could get some camping gas, he had some that had been left and gave them to me for free. Within an hour of leaving the skies brightened and by midday the temperature was around 20 degrees. All in all it seemed like a good start. The weight of the backpack started to get to me later in the afternoon and I started to feel the extra 25kg on my back, hips and feet. With hindsight I took to much food but I also should have slowed down the pace to allow my body to get used walking with the added weight.
The views were stunning throughout the day and I only came across a handful of people despite only being a short distance from Haugesund. By far the most impressive view of the day was from Krokavassnuten, where I could see mountains stretching into the horizon. By the time I reached Stakkastad at around 17:30 I was exhausted and my back was sore. I passed thought the village and continued for a few kilometres until I reached a spot where a footpath and river crossed. The location was beautiful and was just at the foot of Valhest (another rather large hill). I made camp, hung my socks up on my walking poles and used my water filter for the first time in the wild.
I was in bed by 2100 and slept like a baby through until about 5 in the morning when the wind picked up and the rain became heavy. I snoozed for a little longer and then got up and had some muesli with water and milk powder. By this time the rain had become torrential and the thunder above was deafening. I wasn’t concerned at this point, presuming it would pass. I finished breakfast and packed my kit whilst inside the tent. When the rain subsided I made a break for it and left my tent, just in time to see lightening strike within 100 metres. The skies were dark as far as the eye could see and the rain came on again with a vengeance. I made the decision to head back to the village and wait out the storm in a shelter I had seen the previous evening. The paths that I had walked up the previous evening had turned to streams and I was soaked to the bone by the time I reached the main dirt track. Sodden and squelching I reached the road to the village when a van came past. The driver stopped and flung open the door, shouting something in Norwegian which I couldn’t hear over wind and rain, not that I would be able to understand anyway. I moved closer and said something in English and he shouted back to get in and that I couldn’t walk in this. I wasn’t going to argue. He was a very friendly retired farmer and he offered me a lift back to Haugesund. I accepted and laughed half the journey about how stupid I was for not checking the weather.
I am now back at the Haugesund bus station, and literally couldn’t be any closer to where I started unless I went back to the airport. I’m going to catch a bus to Bergen, and then to Odda which is smack bang in the middle of Folgefonna national park and the Hardagervidda which are my two main destinations in Norway. I’ll count today as a practice session and laugh it off, it certainly has given me a story to tell.
These first few days have taught me quite a bit, particularly about pack weight and weather forecasts. I’ll hopefully be blogging again soon.
Bye for now
