Now I would go the second leg of the plans in 2014. Hardangervidda 2014. From Dyranut to Haugastøl.

It was predicted nice weather 1 week. I took the train to Geilo and the bus to Dyranut Tuesday, August 18th. Started to go at 13:30 against Kjeldebu. It was very windy, but nice weather.

It was quite exciting as the path to Rembesdalseter was reorganized due flam. Now walked the trail down to the dam and over the and so on a construction road up towards the path to Hallingskeid. Had received a map and an explanation of DNT. It was not marked properly there yet.

Having gone an hour I hit 4 hikers who had passed from Rembesdalseter to Kjeldebu. I think there were two Dutch and two Belgians. They were really frustrated. They said it was okay to go from Rembesdalseter down to the dam construction on the road and over the dam, but up there it was nasty steep and very slippery. Snow field they encountered was not okay. They recommended me not to walk this stretch. When I came to Kjeldebu I saw the map they had received. It was not like that I had received. They had not gone tilted towards the north from the dam, but almost straight up. It was a bit strange.

Cabin guard by Kjeldebu would not recommend this trip so I sent from me to go to Rembesdalseter.

Day 1. From Dyranut to Kjeldebu

Started to go at 13:30 against Kjeldebu. Was very nice weather. but strong winds. It was very much up and down from Dyranut to Kjeldebu, but very pleasant terrain. It is eight years since I walked this stretch last.

I so Sysenvanet clock 3:50 p.m. and was promoting at 16:00. I actually felt a little tired after the trip at 9km. The cabin was really nice down by the river, and the cabins were very nice with bedrooms and a common room. I was with 3 ladies in one cabin.

I thought I'd move on to Krækkja and thence to Heinseter, Rauhelleren and boat on Halenfjorden to Halen mountain lodge. This would be a very straightforward and easy ride.

Day 2. From Kjeldebu to Krækkja

I got up at 8:00 and started to walk toward Krækkja 09:15. I went down to the suspension bridge and then I went to the east oposite side of the river upwards.

I ate clock 10:10, and come to Skardtjørnane at 10:30. It was nice terrain up here. The clock 11:50 I came to the river in Kjeldedalen. Here I had to go below the trail where the river was widest. I went on the stones out of the midst of the river and walked up and down and got me over on the stones. Passed Hemsta Olavsbuvatnet. This was a huge lake.

It rises gradually upwards here. It is about 270m from Kjeldebu to the highest point on the route. Looking down on Krækkja clock 1:20 p.m. and is advancing at 14:00.

This is a cabin that they are working to restore. It was very grounded and not neatly outside the cottage, on the ground that they were not finished yet. But what I reacted to was that it was not possible to buy some food before dinner. There came people from the road by Fagerheim that maybe was going to buy a vafel or a slice of cake. This was bad for one of the greatest cottages to tourism association.

Got a nice room here and ate an OK dinner and breakfast. I thought it was very good that they started with breakfast at 07:30 in the morning.

It had been nice weather and about 15 degrees warm and sunny on the trip here. I had also met some hikers on the trip.

Here I learned that Heinseter was closed. One had to book accommodation in advance. So now I beat from me this trip as well.

I would go to Finse, Hallingskeid and Geiterygghytta.

Day 3. Krækkja to Finsehytta

I started to go at 08:00 in fine weather. Walked along Drageidfjorden. It was okay terrain to walk here. Was in end of the fjord at 09:00. Here was also Larsbu. Proceeded on north side of Andersbunuten.

Went over summer bridge that went across the river Svartavassåi. The river went pretty big here.

I now went past the water I lay in tent in 2005.

Now had a nice view down against Drageidfjorden. The trail now went steeply down against Finnsbergvatnet. Went on the east side of the lake and had the mountains Finnseberg on right hand. There was a little short steep section to go up from the water.

I went so along Jøkleelva. Had it at left hand. Here was also Søre Midnuten. It was very nice landscape here with river and many small lakes. Further northwest across the western edge of the Northern Midnuten where I was at 11:15. Here there was a little short steep section up. Then I go north west and passed Torsteinsvatnet and Major Hansbunuten.

After I was on top at 1420m it went down towards where the path splits Finse - Kjeldebu. On top here, I met a German with a little girl of 5-6 years. They would go to Krækkja. I had spent six hours there and the clock was 14:00. I asked if he would manage to arrive before dark. I said I thought they would not do it, but they went ahead. They could always have a tent.

Come soon to the summer bridge over Hansbubekken. Then I went down to the bridges over Styggelvanee. The first summer bridge and the last is all bridge.

From here to the northwest over Finsefetene before the dam. Path splits to Blåisen before the dam. Is promoting the cabin at clock 3:45 p.m..

It had been nice weather and about 15 degrees Celsius on the trip. I had met two men and two families.

Got a nice room here and ate an OK dinner together with 6 nice ladies who had come from Iungsdalshytta, Kongshelleren and Geiterygghytta.


Day 4. Finsehytta to Hallingskeid

I shall follow Rallarvegen to Hallingskeid. It is approximately 21km.

I starting at 8:40. There are many who bikes to Fåm. In many places there was snow so they had to trundle bikes. I walked past where I came down from Rembesdalseter in 2012. Come to Sandå clock 10:15. This is a guards Housing from 1913. Passed also Slirå. Here I sat down to eat. The road was very bad in several places.

I passed the highest point in time at 11:30. Fagarvatn at 1343m. By Fagervatn guard Housing they have lovely waffles and coffee. It was good. Passed also Grjotrust guard Housing.

I came to underpass to the train where the path toward Geiterygghytta goes through on a stone filling at 13:30. Now it was just 4-5km to go. Walked past the cottage by Høghellervatnet. Here it was really nice landscape.

I was arrived at Hallingskeid 2:46 p.m. clock. It had been down most of the way from the underpass.

On Hallingskeid there was a female cabin guard with 2 girlfriends. Nice ladies.

Weather on the trip had been fine with a powerful tailwind. On the trip I met a bunch of bikers where one had run off the road and damaged leg and wrist, but he would ride on. The road from Hallingskeid to Flåm should be shown snow free. It was very nice view from the cabin.

I made me stew for dinner and hid something as packed lunch for the next day.

Day 5. Hallingskeid to Geiterygghytta

Should now go towards Geiterygghytta. I started at 5:45 in the morning. Had ca. 5km to go on my way before one came to the trail. When I started, I had a terrible headwind. I wondered how this would go, but the wind gave up eventually. There were quite a few cyclists who had turned up tent along the road last night.

I was at the underpass at 07.00. When I entered the trail was very poor labeling. One could not see much of the trail. I came to a slope with many streams that had plenty of water. I looked at the chart that I could go up to the old railroad tracks and follow them in an arc that entered the trail again. How I came past all the streams. I came to Fokstova clock 07:20, and is at Svartavatnet right afterwards.

In the end of Svartavatnet I had to wade. It was pretty powerful current here and very cold water. I tried to go up a slope when I saw a snow field up on the creek, but I had to go down again when there was no snow bridges there.

It had been fairly flat terrain here, but now began the climb at 08:30. I have seen mountains Såta at 1558m Ever since I went under the train underpass. This is a nice sign to follow when one should go close to this mountain on the right hand. I hit a difficult river to where I had to go further up the trail. It was not broad, but quite deep. It was a snow field other side that I had to climb on.

There were now many long snow field to go on. They went up and it was pretty heavy going. I passed Såta 9:50 o'clock and now it began to go downhill. When I approached Omnsvatnet it started getting less snow and easier to walk. Was at the end of Omnsvatnet clock 11:50. I saw the trail from Finse other side of the river, but I could not get over there. Come to Bakkahelleren clock 12:30 and Geiteryggvatnet 15 minutes later. From Omnsvatnent it was better marked, and the trail was OK. So Geterygghytta clock 12:55

I went over the suspension bridge at the gravel road 1:20 p.m. clock. I did not like it because it was more rotten table there. It was a little bad that they were not replaced. Had reached the cabin at 13:30.

I got a nice room here and a shower was now delicious. The sanitation here was very good. They had a delicious dinner and breakfast here too.

I talked to a couple of Sørkedalen and 2 ladies who would go Aurlandsdalen the next day. Had a nice evening.

Day 6. Geiterygghytta to Geiteryggtunnelen

I ate a lovely breakfast and went against Geiteryggen tunnel at 08:30. The bus went clockwise 9:55, so I had plenty of time.

I followed the gravel road. It went up slightly at first, but then just went downhill until the tunnel. The weather was fine and the landscape was fine down. But all the power lines destroyed much. I was promoting the tunnel approximately at 09:30 and took the bus to Ål and train to Oslo.

This had been a trip with changes. The tour I was going to go, was canceled because of the problems down to Rembesdalsvatnet. But it was a nice walk anyway. From Dyranut to Kjeldebu I went in 2007 and from Krækkja to Kjeldebu I went in 2005.

I had never stayed at Kjeldebu and it was a welcome surprise. The cabin was very nice and it was good food there. The trip to Krækkja was OK. Not the grandeur of the terrain, but OK.

Krækkja was a slight disappointment when it was very ugly outside the cabin because of renovations there. Poor that they not served anything between meals. The rooms here were fine and the food OK.

The ride to Finse was really nice with terrific mountain and I had OK weather on the trip. This was a trip with a lot of rise and quite heavy going. Finsehytta was as I expected. OK food and they had nice rooms here.

To go along Rallarveien was OK, but one had to constantly watch out for cyclists. It seems that most of them had very little time. They rode like crazy and did not have time to look at the scenery. I took many pictures of mountain flowers here. Hallingskeid cabin was nice and one could take the train to Oslo and Bergen here.

The trip to Geiterygghytta was OK, but there were quite a lot of snow to go in. It was hard for the legs. I think this had been a nice stretch to go with less snow when there was a fair amount of rocks to walk on. The last stretch towards Geiterygghytta it was very much sheep dung to go in.

Bridge at Geiterygghytta had a few rotten table, and it seems I was not nice. Geiterygghytta stayed I in for the first time. It had nice rooms and the sanitation was very good. The food here was the best on the whole trip.

One thing I not liked was that the catering cottages not had alcohol-free beer. It seemed that they wanted people to drink beer with alcohol. I may drink a regular beer, but prefer alcohol-free. On Finsehytta said that root beer was alcohol-free beer, with it's nonsense.

The following day I went down to Geiterygg tunnel and took the bus to Ål and train to Oslo.

When I look at the distances I have passed, so it's very difference when I apply online where long distance is. I see that the distance I draw on the GPS map, I must add ca. 20% for it to be correct. This I have tested by walking the same distance and saved tracks. When showing trace is about 20% longer distance. I see that forexample from Hallingskeid to the underpass at the train tracks stands 4km, but I've actually get 5,9km on my GPS map.

It had been a great trip with very nice weather.