Day 21: Toftemo to Dovrefjell

I had every intention of having breakfast at my lodgings this morning.  Despite waking up well before 5am, I hung around in my room, did Wordle, read a bit of my book, checked the weather.  At around 7.30am I thought I would pop down and investigate.  If they were going to start serving breakfast at 8am surely there would be some prep going on. Maybe I could just grab a coffee from the machine and a few cold bits and be on my way.  The whole place was locked up, with not a member of staff anywhere.  Another guest, who was coming back from a run, commented that the staff turned up at about 8am - breakfast actually happened a bit later.  I decided not to wait.  I filled my thermos with some instant coffee and set off.

It was a 2k hike back to the trail, but at that point I knew there was a petrol station with a small supermarket.  I picked up breakfast (a disappointing croissant), lunch and, because I was going into the mountains, ‘emergency’ Tangfastics and some fudge.  I then hid the Tangfastics and fudge so deep in my rucksack I’ll probably never find them again.  It is the only safe thing to do.  As I sit here now every fibre of my being is resisting the urge to open one (or both) packets.  Once that happens I will just inhale them! 

There has been a lot of talk about how hard today’s stage would be.  The route goes up into the high mountains.  I had a welcome distraction in the very early stages, a ‘phone call from my friend Richard who is walking the GR5 at the moment.  We compared notes, he wins in terms of size of mountains and number of other walkers met.  I think I win in terms of number of mosquito bites!

About four and a half kilometres (all up hill) in I passed the place I knew that Jasper, Anne and Robert had stayed in. They’d be well on their way by now I thought, only to spot Jasper as I came around a corner.  He’d left late as he was only walking 14k today.  We walked together for a while, but he is from the Netherlands and about 8feet tall and I more closely resemble a hobbit!  My poor little legs would have to work triple time to keep up on this initial, steep, hill so I told him to go on.  

A short while later I came to a picnic bench, it would be churlish not to use it, so I sat for a while,  only to be joined slightly later by Anne and Robert.  We chatted for a while, catching up on who had seen who.  It struck me that every time you say goodbye on this sort of journey you do so in the knowledge that you may not see that person again.  And it is always such a pleasure when you do bump into them.  

The first part of today’s stage was quite steep.  The sort of steep that forces you to stop often to admire the view!  But after about 10km it levelled out a little, it was still uphill until 1210m, but it was much gentler.  Added to this the path was less rocky and there were no face high nettles and brambles overgrowing the path. 

And the views!  The views were phenomenal.  The weather was perfect. Sunny, but with a steady breeze that prevented overheating.  Rivers and boggy bits were crossed. It was one of those exceptional walking days where every view takes one’s breath away, the terrain is just challenging enough and the distance isn’t too far. 

I’ve checked into Dovrefjell Lodge for the night. I’ve done my washing and am crossing my fingers that it will dry (a late start this morning means less time for clothes to dry in the afternoon) and I am about to investigate dinner.