The reason why we are in Norway is finally upon us – to hike Trolltunga to fundraise for Sarcoma UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.
We knew when we were planning the trip that Trolltunga is not a hike to dabble with. It is known as a black hike so for all those skiers amongst us, you’ll know it is the hiking equivalent of a black run. So we know what we are doing then? Err, that will be no!
It is suggested the hike takes approximately 8-10 hours to complete so we had already decided to spread the hike over 2 days and camp overnight somewhere. Choosing to do this meant we would have to carry our camping gear but it also meant we could take our time (& possibly avoid the masses trying to do it in 1 day) and if John needed to stop he could.
We woke that morning to a very damp, drizzly and grey day. It wasn’t looking good for us. Everyone in the campsite was there to do the hike and many were being advised against it, especially those who are obviously not experienced. The Trolltunga hike has only been open for a week and according to locals, summer has been late this year (sound familiar). The weather in the mountains is interchangeable at a moments notice and it was obvious visibility was going to be an issue; we couldn’t even see half the mountain 100 metres away. Add this to the rain which was gradually getting heavier our hopes of starting the hike today were disappearing fast. I was also conscious of John and his leg. He had set his mind on completing this hike but I was worried he was going to slip and hurt himself. The wound had only just closed but it was the bone I was worried about. Radiotherapy can cause micro-fractures and whilst these don’t generally cause any problems, an unexpected slip on wet granite might be enough to snap his remaining lower leg bone. It was time to put the sensible hat on and decide to wait it out for a day, hoping the weather would clear overnight.
Instead of staying around the campsite, we took ourselves off on a small hike around the mountains and fjord around us. Typically, as soon as we set off all geared up for the rain, it stopped and the sun started to tease us with a short appearance. Oh well, it was now too late in the day to change our minds and head back to the campsite to got to Trolltunga.
It was good to be out of the car and exploring on foot. As we climbed up some steep paths, using the rock as steps up the mountainside we eventually made it to the top. The view opened up showing us the fjord below and forests and more mountains around us. The trucks travelling on the far side looked tiny, so much that we couldn’t really make out the cars. John had coped well with the hike and climb so as long as the weather cleared, everything looked good for the next day to do Trolltunga.
