Back over the mountains

646Sogndal was our decision point: should we continue north to Geiranger or start the journey eastwards back toward home. Geirangerfjord is supposed to be perhaps one of the most impressive fjords in Norway but we decided that we were all fjorded out and opted to take the tourist road over the mountains to Lom instead. This route is definitely worth making part of your itinerary – particularly when the sun is out as it was for us. The views across the Jotunheimen mountain range were stunning.

We had three nights in Lom – mainly just so that we weren’t moving on every day. Unfortunately this is where our luck ran out with the weather. The first day we headed up the local peak of Lomseggen – the top of which was shrouded in cloud when we set off. The path up wasn’t very pleasant and as it became steeper and looser underfoot we decided to head back.

649The following day we headed back in to the Jotunheimen, driving up one of the toll roads to the hotel at Leirvassbu. The plan was to ascend the nearby summit Kyrkja, or at least Christine would as I might decline to carry Emma up the scramble at the end. As it turned out, neither of us made it to the top. After a lunch stop I turned back with Emma as I didn’t fancy the combination of boulders and snow. Christine was then forced back a little further on when the clouds dropped and the hail came down, obscuring the path onwards.

Our last night in Lom was also not the best. My phone rang just before midnight and then a few minutes later there was a knock on our cabin door. It was one of the staff from the campsite cafeteria where we had eaten dinner returning the handbag that Christine had left on the back of her chair. The contents were all still there except for 300 Kroner in notes. A sleepless night was then had trying to decide whether or not to cancel all of Christine’s cards. In the end we decided that it was unlikely that the bag had been through the hands of a hardened criminal, just someone with light fingers, and consequently did nothing. So far we haven’t been proved wrong…

652From Lom we headed south towards Oslo, stopping for a night in Valdres at the winter hut of some friends. This felt like absolute luxury compared with the cabins we had been staying in – perhaps helped by good company and a few drinks. The next morning we all headed up a local hill. Unfortunately the views across to the Jotunheimen were not forthcoming but at least we could say that we had made it to the top of something!

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