Norway´s oldest tunnel

Today I´ve visited the oldest tunnel in Norway. It is actually 10 minutes by car west of Haukeliseter. I´ve never known this, but a good friend and colleague had been there and showed us the way. It is located on the old road that goes over the Haukelitunnel. This road is only open half the year when there is no snow. Instead of going through the current tunnel, you take the old road from the sixties and park along the road on the top. From there it is only a short hike towards west. The view on the way is also really nice. And it´s an easy hike even for small children.

The tunnel was built in 1886 and is along the old-old road that crosses the mountain. There is another not-so-old road that goes above the tunnel on today´s road and this is the one you drive along to get there.

In the middle, a few parts are broken, but this actually makes a nice viewpoint and lets some light into the tunnel.

The Beard also came along. Her little friend is trying to get her to sit, but she couldn´t care less... :-)

This year, the mountains have been full of lemmings, these little, angry animals related to hamsters. The Beard loves them, both to hunt for them, play around with them and sometimes eat them. It has been reported that some of them have pest, so I hate it when she chews on them. But so far, she´s not been sick...

"What?! Why no more hunting!?!"

Summer 2014

This has been the laziest summer I´ve ever had! I´ve spent it lounging on a sunbed with a book at our summerhouse and lounging on a sunbed at a small island in Greece. No sailing (so far) and hardly any hiking. What is going on?!?!?!?

The summer has been extremely warm - which I think is great! But the Beard has been a bit over heated at times. Good thing she can cool down in small lakes when we go hiking - here from a trip towards Vesle Nup. She looooves to mud bath, which I´m not too fond of, as she often has to shower when we get back home...

I´ve had one short trip to my cabin, which of course was great! 

And I carried up new shutters for my windows, so these are ready to be put in place (not by me obviously!!). They are made by the same model as the old ones made by my great grandfather, with the small hearts on them. And only recycled wood is used. I love them!! Can´t wait to see how it will look when they are put on.

The old shutters still in place, the new ones on my back!

I hope the autumn will bring some more activities than the last few months - stay tuned... :-)

Into the woods

I've left the mountains for a while and am spending some time in Stavanger. Last weekend, I visited my best friend at their summer house at Fister. Long time since summer, but we had a nice little hike in the woods and it is just as pretty there now as at summertime! Even in gray weather!

(sorry for the poor picture quality, only had my iphone...)

They've chopped down parts of the woods, but this poor sucker was left behind, all alone....

Under the ice in Kyrkjesteinsskaret

I was back at the cabin this weekend on a long-planned trip. Luckily, the weather was ok, but winter is definetaly coming. That means skiseason soon, so I simply say WELCOME! :-)

I hiked up by myself after work on Friday with the Beard and her new backpack. Hers was empty, mine was heavy, including rum, coke and a newly purchased airgun. Later in the evening some friends arrived and scared me half to death, and thensome more arrived Saturday morning. Full cabin, great!!! :-)

We went for a hike up Kyrkjesteinsskaret on Saturday. First someone found some bouldering.

Then we ended up going UNDER the ice. Quite cool, got the feeling from the caves at Tellbreen at Svalbard.

Once back at the cabin, we had a shooting competition with the new airgun. I am not going to mention who won, but I definately need some practice... :-)

It was extremely windy Saturday night, and Sunday we woke up to a little white on the ground. Nice! After a late breakfast, some relaxing and one of the guests getting the radio in her head and then the need for some first aid to stop the bleeding, we headed home.

Swedish Mafia at the Cabin

Last week, I ended up going to my cabin on an impulse with some good Swedish colleagues. We were eating our dinner and decided all of a sudden to leave. So we packed some food, put the dogs in the car and fled.

By the time we started the hike towards the cabin, it was quite dusky and about halfway there we had to turn our headlamps on. We arrived in pitch dark. It was quite cool the day after when my colleagues woke up, as they had no idea where they were or what it looked like outside the cabin. Luckily, they were pleasantly surprised!

We had a good breakfast and then had to head back home to Haukeliseter for work. The Swedes left with some of the inventory from by cabin in and on their backpacks...

It was quite rainy and cloudy, but we didn't care. It was nice just to get away on a short trip in the middle of the week. Definately have to do more of this! :-)

Hunting for grouse in Rauland

This weekend I was invited with some good friends to go hunting for grouse together with the Beard. She's been in training for hunting before I got her, so this was a good time to try it out. I haven't been hunting for years and never for grouse before - about time!

I had to take a group of guests out hiking before I left, so it got quite late before I drove off. And by the time I had parked the car and started hiking, it was quite dark. I had never been in the area before and only had a copy of pice of map and an instruction on a text message about where to go. I was informed should take me about two hours to reach the cabin where my friends were waiting (with no phone reception...).

After about 1,5 hours, I saw a headlamp in the distance and one of my friends came to meet me. Nice!
The morning after, I woke up to this view:

We went out hunting after breakfast and the Beard found a few birds, but none that we were close enough to shoot. Great fun anyway to try it out! And the Beard did a really good job, so I'm proud!! :-)

What, go hunting now?! Naaa....

Towards Vassdalseggi

I have a group of guests that wants me to guide them on a trip to Vassdalseggi, the highest peak in Rogaland. A good initiative, but it's a long and a bit challenging trip from Haukeliseter that can take up to 9-10 hours, so I thought it was in it's place to take a look at the conditions there before I take any guests. So today's work has been hiking towards Vassdalseggi together with a good colleague and the Beard - can't complain really! ;-)

I love love love the colours these days, and even if it is cloudy, the light is great!

Kjelatind is hiding in the clouds. 

Up towards Lisledalen - quite foggy. Vassdalseggi to the left, Kistenut to the right. 

Why the sad face!?

One of the bridges across a river was a bit scary to walk on, as the middle section was gone. I didn't manage to watch while the Beard was balancing across on her own (she managed perfectly fine without falling in!).

We ended up deciding not to go all the way to Vassdalseggi, as the visibility got quite poor and it was extremely wet. I'm thinking that this trip is better during a dry summer day or on skis in the winter like last time.