Slagavallen, December 30th, 2022
On a cold and clear December morning, we decided to go on a skiing trip to Rivallen, a small mountain cabin at the foot of a mountain that we had hiked to in the summer.
We have explored many places on our small adventures, trying different seasons and activities. Skiing and then snowshoeing up to a peak is one of the new activities we have discovered since we got our mountain cabin.
We started a bit late, but the sun was still low in the sky as the days are extremely short up here in the North at the end of December. Nonetheless, winter is partly bright at this time because the snow lights up.
We set off from where we knew the trail started, but immediately had to navigate with Topo GPS, an incredibly helpful map application that we have used for the past 4-5 years.
The untracked snow was unusually loose, and we sank quite deeply with our touring skis. The tips disappeared under the snow and got caught if the person in front, who was breaking the trail, didn't press the ski diagonally upward in each step. This meant that it was both tiring and time-consuming.
After about 1.5 hours, we realized that we wouldn't make it there and back while it was still daylight, so we decided to have lunch and then turn back once we reached the bridge over a small stream that we would pass after just over half the way.
We had lunch from our thermoses, which contained a hot bean chili stew. After coffee and a small piece of chocolate, it was high time to turn back. It had clouded over and was already starting to get dark outside, and we reminded each other for at least the tenth time to bring headlamps when hiking during December and January to avoid the risk of getting lost in the dark, which we had experienced a few times before.
The way back was significantly faster since we had made tracks and didn't need to navigate. However, it was still a three-hour trip. When we returned to the cabin, we felt satisfied with the excursion and determined to make another trip to Rivallen in the snow when the days were a bit longer, and the snow was firmer.
We ended the day with a sauna and a dip in our little cold spring, which we could still hack the ice off. A nice little everyday adventure.
