This story begins in the late 90s. At the time I was in the service and Capt. in the Swedish army. The salary for a officer at this time was nothing to brag about. I have to take extra job at the weekend for being able to buy a pair of McKinley hiking boots at Intersport. So when I got a scholarship from the army for a well done work with training the SWE UN unit for Bosnia among other contributions in field exercise’s, I was excited to go for a mountain tour.

Said and done, one early morning I was sitting on the bus from Stockholm towards Oslo. Almost eight hours later I was sitting on a train bound for Otta. I have booked a cheap hostel in Otta where I was supposed to stay. Three and a half hours later I was checking in at a small familiar hostel in the small Norwegian village. Early next morning I entered the bus bound for Lom and there I have to change to another bus for Juvasshytta. When the buss arrived I walked around the mountain station for a while, when I realized that you must buy a ticket for rope up in a rope-team. With quick steps I went to the booking office. When it was my turn I asked to get a ticket. The women in the ticket desk looked up and told me that the ticket for 10 a clock rope team was sold out. So I could by one for the 11 clock tour. I calculated fast that it would be to late for caching the bus bound for Lom, further towards Otta. I looked at the women in the office and told her that I have got from Sweden just for this occasion, and that it would be to late for my bus back, if I would take the late tour. She looked at my desperate eyes, and whispered: -Ok, you will get a ticket for the 10 tour. I thanked here so much and went up for roping up. At this time it was Sherpas from Nepal leasing the rope-teams.

We roped up and went out on the glacier Stygge-brean (Bad-glacier). After we entered the bergsground we could chose our own pace. I quickly ascend towards the top. After just a half an hour I reached the top in fantastic weather condition (think about how many days it is perfect weather on a mountain).

After enjoying the view I started my descend. Soon I was back on the bergsground and back towards Juvasshytta. Just 20 minutes before the bus was leaving I was back. In the afternoon I was back in Otta and could have a nice dinner a refection over that I have been up on the highest peak in the Nordics. Early the next morning I was back on the train towards Oslo again. When passing Lillehammer, the locomotive driver miss to stop so we had to reverse the train back to Lillehammer platform:-). 12 hours later I was back home in Stockholm again. There was not much reserve in that planning but I reached the top and everything went very smooth. So it has been a real special experience you can imagine…

Galdhøpiggen 2469 fra Juvasshytta – Aug 21, 2012 – YouTube

See ya tomorrow…