DAY 0
From different corners of both the world and Norway. The Team has arrived in Alta, and has now gathered at the camping to prepare and pack for the upcoming Finnmarksvidda crossing. All equipment has been checked and testet, and now we sit ready for the transport tomorrow morning.
Cheers from Sindre, Terje, Lars Kristian, Odin, Fay, Torhild, Sølvi and Petr.
X’FINNMARKSVIDDA 2024
FOLLOW LARS KRISTIAN, TERJE, ODIN, TORHILD, FAY, SØLVI, PETR & SINDRE OVER THE PLAINS OF FINNMARK
DAY 0
From different corners of both the world and Norway. The Team has arrived in Alta, and has now gathered at the camping to prepare and pack for the upcoming Finnmarksvidda crossing. All equipment has been checked and testet, and now we sit ready for the transport tomorrow morning.
Cheers from Sindre, Terje, Lars Kristian, Odin, Fay, Torhild, Sølvi and Petr.
DAG 1
There are some windgusts hurrying across Joatkajávrrit as we ski into a white day. Clouds are making the light flat, and it is hard to see the ups and downs in the terrain. We pass Jotka Fjellstue with a determined style of skiing. Then around 1600 the winds set in, and by the time the tents are up, the wind is really testing our camp. Some of the tents needs some work. Several headlamps works hard in the dark with the strong snowdrift blowing all over. Then the moon makes an appearance and says, good luck tomorrow! More wind is coming.
Cheers from Sindre and The Team
DAY 2
The snowdrift was heavy during the night. Big piles of snow had gathered on the tents and we knew we had to face another day in the wind.
With the wind in our face we soldiered on. Through the landscape, across Lešjávri we kept skiing. Sticky snow. White out.
Then the skies cleared and we saw the share size of the lake. This evening we pitched camp in even stronger winds. Good training for the storm that's coming tomorrow.
PS: Due to some unfortunate events, Fay was picked up by a snowmobile. We are looking forward to seeing her at Engholm Husky.
Cheers from Sindre and The Team
DAY 3 - RIDERS OF THE STORM
A beautiful moon is hoovering over the toilet, while low clouds race across the skies. Time to get back to the tent and to get ready. The day of the storm is upon us. As we make our way through the forests around Mollisjok the winds are picking up. Big gusts crash into the team of skiers trying to stay upright. Soon we will be above the treeline. The visibility is pour and the winds are very strong. We are barley moving forward, but still we keep a good momentum. So this day went on. And even now as I write this, the winds are hammering the tents. Inside them, a team of tired skiers are resting.
Cheers from Sindre and The Team
DAY 4
Did we sleep, or just slumber? Maybe it is possible to get used to the sound of flapping tents the whole night? We are not certain, but suddenly it is calm around us. Outside we could see the job the wind had done. Pulkas completely buried, big walls of windpacked snow up against the tents, hard as concrete. Last night was rough.
Tired eyes stare towards the East as the skies are breaking up and the morning sun reaches our day. Suddenly the team was flying across the platou. Time to dry wet clothing on the pulkas. Skiing is easy today. We pass a friendly reindeer herder and his herd of reindeer. "Just pass them slowly" he says. What a nice sight on this sunny mountain platou on a Sunday. Down in the forests surrounding Ravnastua the winds was almost gone. No struggle today. Keep skiing. We are doing great. Up the final platou and camp for the night.
Tomorrow it is Engholm Husky
Cheers from Sindre and The Team
DAG 5 - ENGHOLM - END OF THE JOURNEY!
Staring in into the downhill of Ássebákti, we could feel the downhill staring back at us. With or without skins? It is probably best if the skins stay on. In the morning sun of this perfect Monday, a group of skiers is rushing down a pine-covered hillside. Some ptarmigans are startled and take off into the sunshine. It takes about 1 hour to get to the bottom, and there we step right on to the mighty Kárášjohka River.
The sun starts warming. Then it is back to the beauty of the monotonous existence. Odin is dreaming about the perfect toilet he made at the last camp, and Petr is wondering where Finland is. Just before lunch the Team step in to Engholm Husky Camp and has now successfully crossed Finnmarksvidda. There we meet Fay again, happy reunion, and now it is equipment maintenance until dinner time.
Cheers from Sindre, Terje, Lars Kristian, Sølvi, Torhild, Odin, Fay and Petr.