Table of Contents
Start: Randsverk
End: Tynset
Section distance: 153,4 km
Hiking days: 6,5
Total distance: 542,6 km
Day 36 – 37: Randsverk – Otta
20.06. – 21.06.2022 | 14,1 km | 22,3 km
Walking alone again feels strange at first. We soon got used to the pleasant company. Our route now takes us towards Otta, from where, after a day’s rest, we plan to continue towards Rondane National Park. It takes us another two days on small paths and side roads. My feet hurt again. It’s always wrong. My knee is getting better now, but I have the feeling that my feet are at their limit.
On the way, we get an unexpected animal visit: two free-roaming horses pass right by our campsite. They are very curious and interested in Lando. He doesn’t quite like that and we have our hands full trying to keep the horses away from him.
Fortunately, we have a rest day ahead of us in Otta. When we arrive in the evening, we move into a small hut. As the campsite is just outside the town and we don’t feel like walking another two kilometres each way, we order pizza tonight.
Day 38: Rest day in Otta
22.06.2022
On our free day we visit the local vet. Hey says we can leave Lando’s blood ear as it is for now. The doctor could also puncture it, but as this has to be done under anaesthetic, he can’t fit us in that day. And he closes his clinic the next day – for good. So we are lucky to be able to talk to him at all. He assures us that the ear will heal and that there is no risk of Lando’s hearing being affected. At most, the ear will be slightly deformed and look different from the other side. That’s something we can live with.
After a visit to the vet, shopping and doing the laundry, the rest day is over far too quickly. In the evening we meet up with Sophie and Markus, who are also walking the NPL and with whom we’ve been chatting over the past few weeks. Now our paths have finally crossed.
Day 39: Otta – Rondvassbu
23.06.2022 | 24,4 km
The next morning we have a delicious breakfast of oatmeal, strawberries and blueberries. A dream when you rarely get fresh fruit and vegetables when hiking. Then we set off for Rondane National Park.
It’s a steady climb, the sun is shining a little too much for our liking today and sweat is pouring down our faces. It’s about 25 degrees and Lando thinks it’s much too warm. He slows down more and more and eventually Manuel ends up carrying Lando’s bags a good third of the way. So it’s a good thing that the path is otherwise quite easy to walk today. Even after the sign marking the official boundary to Rondane National Park, we continue on a road towards the cabin. When we arrive at Rondvassbu, the largest mountain hut in Rondane, a small campfire awaits us. The Norwegians celebrate the longest day of the year on the eve of St. Hans.
Day 40: Rondvassbu – Straumbu
24.06.2022 | 19,1 km
The next day we continue through Illmandalen, which is said to be one of the most beautiful valleys in Rondane. The sun is shining brightly, but after a few hours I start to feel dizzy and drag myself downhill to the next cabin, Bjørnhollia. There we finally find some much-needed shade, buy a coffee and take a long break.
However, we have decided to continue and so we find ourselves back in the sun a little later. We leave Rondane National Park just behind the cabin. When we finally reach the tree line two hours later, I am able to think more clearly again. Rarely have I been so grateful for some shade and a good birch forest.
As we pitch our tent, the mosquitoes are already waiting for us. We use our mosquito spray for the first time on this tour. Then we bathe in a nearby stream to wash off the sweat and sunscreen. Although we get dozens of mosquito bites, we feel better immediately.
Day 41: Straumbu – Sølnsjøbekken
25.06.2022 | 23 km
The following morning, we have breakfast at a nearby rest area by the road to avoid the mosquitoes. There is a roof terrace, a toilet and even a small café. What a luxury for the hiker’s heart. With the weather expected to stay good for only two more days, we decide to turn north and take an unscheduled rest day at the Tynset campsite instead of the planned route which would have taken us further into the mountains. It’s certainly better to sit out the predicted thunderstorms in a cosy hut. On the way we rejoin Sophie, with whom we walk for half a day. After a cool drink at the Breisjøseter cabin we go our separate ways again. Although we will meet Sophie again the day after tomorrow, each person on the NPL has their own route.
On our way we pass a cliff face where a rough-legged buzzard is nesting. Screeching loudly, it keeps flying over our heads and we follow it with fascination. As we had no internet at that moment, we could not identify it until the next evening at the hotel.
But first we spend the night in our tent in the mountains. We are camping in a valley and a threatening cloud is hanging in the mountains above us. From time to time a few gusts tug at our tent. We secure all the tent pegs with stones in case the weather moves in on us. But it stays calm.
Day 42: Sølnsjøbekken – Alvdal
26.06.2022 | 26 km
It is not until we take down our tent the next morning that the cloud comes closer. We hurry and by now every move has been practised. Without a word, we have everything stowed away in no time and the downpour hits us just as we are putting on our rain jackets. We are a little surprised ourselves at how smoothly the packing went.
The path leads us back to the road and we continue on gravel for many kilometres to Alvdal. The route takes forever today and when we have internet again we book a night in a hotel.
Without this goal in mind, we probably wouldn’t have made it the 28 kilometres into town. By evening I’m so tired that even the short walk to the hotel lobby seems endless. But my growling stomach motivates me. I sleep very well tonight. And the hotel duvets feel so heavenly. You always have to bring your own sheets to the DNT huts, so sleeping in a freshly made bed tonight is something very special.
Day 43: Alvdal – Tynset
27.06.2022 | 24,5 km
A final stage to Tynset now still lies ahead. 25 kilometres, a good part of it on asphalt, the rest on side roads, literally fly by. It’s warm and thunder is already rumbling above us. The thunderstorm eventually reaches us and a heavy rain pours down. We arrive in Tynset quite wet and make ourselves comfortable in the small hut we find there.
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