Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal
Garneshornet (454m) via Garneselva, Dec 7 2010
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The route - same as on 15/6/2009
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Inspired from climbing Storelva by Folkestad 3 days earlier, I went up Garneselva this evening. I had gone this way once before, and knew that there are no particular steep sections. Nevertheless, I brought crampons and ice-axes for this after-dark hike.
At first, this was not fun at all. Garneselva was full of thorns, bush and fallen trees. A bit higher up, things got easier. The temperature was 0/+1, but the ice (barely) held my weight. It was snowing, the sounds from civilization faded and I felt a big sensation of solitude.
Up Garneselva
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I hadn't brought anything to eat and drink, and halfway up the river I felt tired. Just as I was pulling the camera out of the backpack, I noticed a tiny bag of raisins (from the Christmas calendar that I got from Anne). Man, did they come in handy! My strengths came back in full and I moved on, now fully enjoying the hike.
Garneselva detail
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The crampons were useful, although not crucial. The ice-axes were just overkill, as most of the river (creek) walk was just a snow plod. At 370 meters, I left Garneselva and headed up to Garneshornet. Even if it was snowing, I could still see the lights from Garnes. The question was now if I would be able to follow the path (hidden under 15-20 cm of snow) back to Garnes.
Having been up here 3-4 times, I had become quite familiar with the terrain, and following the path (although I never saw it) wasn't difficult at all. There was only ice on the path, so if I fell (which I did repeatedly), I knew that I was on the right track...
I returned to Garnes 1h:45m after heading out. The hiking distance was 3,1km.
Lights from Garnes
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