Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal
Fatigue in Trollråsa, Mar 21 2008
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Sukkertoppen summit
(Click for larger image)
This trip report is published..
mainly to remind myself what an as.. err.. donkey I could be, from time to time. The day had been spent on the other side of Romsdalsfjorden, and I had skied Kvannfjellet (980m) with Siv & Jørgen. Once back home, I decided to take my dog (Troll) to Sukkertoppen, without changing my wet clothes or having anything to eat or drink. After all, it had just been 10 hours since breakfast..
Since I have to ...
carry Troll to the top anyway, I decided to head up Trollråsa, which looked interesting with fresh snow. And except for the wind, it was a beautiful day. I felt strong and fine when I parked the car by the aquarium. But five minutes into the Trollråsa route, I had no energy left.
First of all, the snow was deep. And because I graduated the Donkey School with honors, it was only natural that didn't bring gaiters and dry gloves. In addition to being tired, hungry and thirsty, I was now also cold. A promising scenario, with 250 vertical meters yet to climb. And then the dog began howling about needing to go to the bathroom...
Everything was upside down..
The harder parts of Trollråsa were now easier because of the snow, and some of the easier parts had turned slightly tricky. For the same reason. In the upper part of Trollråsa, I was up to my waist in snow. And now the wind had become an issue. This is how life was at 900m earlier in the day. It wasn't equally bad at 300m elevation, but it was equally cold. The sling on my ice-axe had frozen and the axe now had a silly L-profile.
I reached Sukkertoppen summit 18:25PM. The plan had been to descend the normal route, and walk along the road back to the Aquarium. But the plan had to change. I was fed up, and the dog - struggling with his descent - seemed fed up too. I called my friend Olav, who lives at the base of the mountain, and asked him if he could drive us back to the car.
It's not a long distance to walk, but the fact that I made the call should give those who know me a hint about my mental condition that evening. And - thanks to Olav for helping out a fellow hiker in need..
