A summit to remember

23.07.21

When we received the offer to my brothers cabin/recreational home in Surnadal, we immediatly said yes. Surnadal and Rindal are the gateway to Trollheimen and up in Vindøldalen there is a hiking terrain that can take your breath away, both literally and because of the view.

Several years ago we were taken up to Vindøldalen by my brother and it was a fantastic sight. In 2019, we ended up here when plan A which was going to Innerdalstårnet failed and we had to come up with plan B, which turned out to be no bad compensation at all (even though we have not yet been in Innerdalen.) Without having any plan we ended up on a path that eventually led us to a nice old seat. More about that trip in another post.

This year we went up again after the day before we had seen a mountain that would very possibly be relatively easy to climb for the undersigned. My foot is something of a mystery, but now I was tired of not being able to walk in the mountains and reaching tops. So no matter what signal that foot was going to give, I was determined to reach a summit. The choice of all the mountains fell on a small on,Bollen, summinting only 809 meters above sea level.

Blue dot: Exit from the main road.

Yellow dot: Parking.

Red dot: The top.

This is what Bollen looks like.

After paying tolls for using the road, you are taken up many meters on a winding gravel road. It is steep down towards Vinddøla, and Bolldalen itself is also very steep. The gravel road is good and wide enough so that it is easy to meet traffic. The bowl can be seen up to the left when when driving into the valley and is easily spotted since it has a mast on it. We drove a good distance before we found a large pocket to park. From here it was just to cross the road and start on the path that leads up, it is well marked and easy to find.

Beautifully prepared hiking terrain - much due to cabins, but also to save nature.

The day promised well. It was cloudless and would get warmer throughout the day. We therefore changed from long pants to shorts right away before starting the hike. From the road, the trail starts on bumps (wood planks) as there are a number of cabins up here. It is not very steep, however countless of stops are required as Martin has required a break every 15 minutes to avoid overloading the foot. I brought a nice folding chair / stool so that I could rest my foot during these stops. Nevertheless, I'm obsessed. I'm going to get up, no matter the cost and. I have decidet that my foot no longer should dictate what I can and can't do.

When whe have gained some height we take a rest and just looks out over the valley when we suddely spot an eagle gliding at the same heigh as us. Martin gets a video of it being chased by two ravens / crows which maybe tries to protect a nest with chicks in it or something. It is a spectacular sight to see one of the world's largest birds of prey soar in a cloudless sky with high mountains towering in the background. We stay for a long time and follow.

There are some funny treesup here. Dead pine trees can take on some weird shapes and one reminds us of the tree that stands dead on top of Minas Tirith, The White City i the Lord of the Rings. Other dead pine trees look like mutated rodents. We snap away as we leasurly move upwards.

Mountains always fool you. You think you're in front, but no then. You come up with something and see that now you have to go down a bit again before we go up again. So it was here too. But it does nothing. We enjoy ourselves. Still, I am convinced and say this to Martin, that there are "little" trolls living just below the top of the mountain who lift up the top as they see people coming walking and moving the top a bit. That's why it takes so long to reach the top. Martin just laughs at my suggestion, but nods in agreement.

Just before reaching the summit we see the bird which has the saddest song in the world, namely the Heilo. It is close to us and we get to take a video. On the ridge before the top, we get a great picture of high mountain peaks with patches of snow on them, blue skies and white dots lying on the mountain ridge. Sheep. Khaleesi wants to go and say hello, but she is not allowed - of course.

Now, the top is right in front of me and Martin lets me reach the summit first. I stretch my arms in the air and grin broadly. I'm finally up on a mountain top again. This means a lot to me after 2 surgeries and lots of boring training and many difficult moments where my mind has been buzzing if I can ever go for a walk without being in pain. I'm not in pain now. I have a lot of adrenaline. Martin shares my joy as he has have been standing firmly by my side through all the stress, agony and doubt. We are ecstatic that managed to reach the top and starts a photo bonanza and and eats lunch. It is delightful. Life delivers. We lie on the moss and relax a bit and enjoy the heat and the summer holidays. We would not be anywhere else right now.

The trip down goes smootly. The temperature has risen and we are sweating. At the valley floor the river flows beautifully with many waterfalls, and it is very tempting to dive into it, which we of cours do. It is so delicious and refreshing and gives a euphoric and energetic feeling in the body. We feel that we have really deserved this. Afterwards it is a real pleasure to get in the car, drive to the store to buy some dinner and come back to the cabin and just relax the rest of the evening.

And you know what? I did not have pain in my foot.