NPL Day 26 & GB Day 2

Day 26: Wednesday 12 July 2023

South of Rr292A-North of Rákkasgurajávri via Isdalen, Rostahytta

Got up around 7:30 and we had some wind so we were really happy about that. We stopped for breakfast by a creek where there was less wind, just before the border to Norway. Then we continued our hike in Isdalen, a truly beautiful place with magnificent mountains, icy waters, waterfalls and snow.

So it went slow, not just because of the terrain but also because we stopped for photo breaks like all the time. Talking was hard today because the wind was strong, and throughout the day we passed some patches of snow and also a lot of rivers and creeks. Several quite rapid ones.

One in particular was especially tough, so we passed where it was widest which meant having our feet in the water for quite some time. The water was extremely cold, and both of us screamed out loud in pain afterwards as we tried to recover.

We continued in the valley, rounding Isdalsfjella which changed shape and colours as we went. We went down in a green valley toward Rostahytta and the wind subsided. There weren't so many mosquitoes this time but a lot of flies and horseflies. Since we saw that the hut was open, we went inside to say hello. There was a family there, staying for a few days. We also checked the Hyttebok and wrote there ourselves, and found Hervé had written in it.

Still no sign of the two ladies starting Gröna Bandet just an hour before us, and we realised that they must have taken the other route past Pälstastugan and therefore we had not seen them (or anyone else for that matter). We sat down and had an early dinner with the horseflies outside and Lukas also met a nice man from Wales.

After the break, we continued uphill on the other side of the valley. The view while hiking up the hill and turning around was amazing. We also met a Norwegian fisherman on the way up, and a long-distance hiker from Spain who was going from Oslo to the North Cape. He had been out for two months now, and had also met Hervé a few days earlier in Pålnostugan. Only person we've seen with a small backpack except Hervé :)

We talked to him for some time and then continued up the hill. The plan was to camp by one of two lakes, but when we got to the first one we wanted to continue a little bit longer, also there were no really nice tent spots there.

So we continued.

The terrain got worse and worse, more and more rocky, for km after km. We passed the second lake and here there were absolutely no camp spots, just rocks everywhere.