So it was a good opportunity to ..
practice on stuff I don't like. Clouds moved in and hid the
mountain once again. But now I had been staring the monster in the eyes, and I
was ready. The hillside up to the glacier was truly agonising, and
I screamed in pure frustration while crossing
one-step-forward-and-two-steps-back scree. The snow, soft as it was, was
an even worse alternative.
Standing in front of the couloir, I noticed that I could
actually scramble a long way on the left-hand side. But I couldn't avoid
snow, so I decided to stick to my original plan. As the soles on my boots
have seen their best days, it felt better with crampons on. After some scary
moments on snow in the past, I've begun to carry two axes. Moreover, the
couloir wasn't very steep. Things looked good, and I looked forward
to get on with it.
The ascent of the couloir ..
was quite fun. Some parts called for extra attention,
especially where I found slab rock 1cm below the snow. Workaround: descend
and move sideways until proper snow is regained. Halfway up, there was a
section where I could just walk, but then I ran into the steepest part,
which was probably around 40 degrees. This section didn't last very long and
minutes later, I was standing next to the summit cairn. The time was now 12:50PM.
The clouds didn't lift. At least not until the afternoon. But
I didn't miss the views. I have had the pleasure of superb views from the
nearby Slogen, Jakta, Saksa, Brekketindane and Kvitegga peaks. Now, I was
just happy about having completing the ascent of this mighty mountain. I sat
down, enjoyed my lunch (yes, I had brought sandwiches!) and just chilled
out.
Halfway up the couloir
(Click for larger image)
Descent
1:10PM, I left the summit. I tried to walk down face
out, but wasn't able to find a good, working method. The snow gave way under
me. I kept sliding and had to go into self-arrest. I chose to descend as I
had ascended, which meant I would have full control, but on the expense of
time. It took me 55 minutes(!) to descend 250 vertical meters down to the
glacier. But I wasn't in any hurry, and it was altogether pure fun. But I
made a mental note about not having a desire to descend anything steeper than 40
degrees, unroped.
Tverrdalen was more enjoyable now that I was filled with
good moments from the mountain. Approaching Instestølen, I tried to be a
good sport and not disrupt a heard of goats down by the river. Quite futile,
as they all came running towards me. But I enjoy goats, although there has
been episodes. 3:36PM, I
was back at the car, having completed a 5,5 hour memorable trip.