Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal
Haddalshornet - my 1st ski-trip, Feb 23 2011
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My skiing route
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The time had come for my first ski-trip to Haddalshornet. I had been thinking about it for quite a while, but I never seemed to get past the thought. The conditions were not the best, as there was hardly any snow left below Hammaren (the antenna) and moreover - the mountain seemed to be either glaciated or full of wind-packed snow. But it was a gorgeous day, and none of the other local mountains tempted me more...
I headed out from my usual trailhead at Haddal and made my way up to Hammaren with minimal snow under my skis. As soon as it got a bit steeper, I started to feel adrenaline. There was no longer any natural protection (ledges, etc.) that would arrest a fall, as everything was covered with snow. I found myself in terrain that was a mix of ice and snow collapsing under me, and I allowed myself enough time to determine whether I should proceed or turn around.
I decided to move on, and headed up a very cold and windy mountain...
Harsh conditions
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At one point, I stopped to take a picture, lost my pole, and in the process of retrieving it, I lost balance and almost fell down a slope full of ice. It was a useful reminder; don't be clumsy!!
The rest of the trip up to the summit went fine, although the wind blew straight through me. I had forgotten my gore-tex jacket (yet another reminder...) and had to escape the summit within a couple of minutes.
I looked forward to the descent. After all - this was the main purpose of the trip. I'm not a good enough skier to blaze down a mountain in these conditions (or even in good conditions), but I still enjoyed it my way.
The whole trip was 5km and 550 vertical meters. Just above Haddal, there is a field that field that allows for some real Telemark skiing, and just as I was heading down, I scared up an owl. The owl flew alongside me for a few meters, then disappeared into the forest. That was so cool! I've never seen an owl up close before...
A tiny signature
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