Døvre to Grimsdalshytta. 30km 7 1/2hrs. Today I passed between the Rondane and Døvrefjell, through the Grimsdal… which is appropriate because the day started pretty grim. The kind of day it would be easy to roll over and go back to sleep… little visibility 40kph winds and snow showers. No challenging navigation, a snowed-up road, tracks then a valley floor all the way to the next hut. #noexcuses So I go, waterproofs on for the first time in days… it’s amazing how quickly good weather dismantles your guard. Strastrugi, rime ice, water ice, deep powder snow, snowdrifts, no snow, frozen gravel… today had everything and very windblown! I’ve been working hard on my double pole lunge to the side to counter particularly vicious gusts… it works… it costs energy. The morning had little visible, a bubble of snow texture in the big windy flat white… yesterday something from the outside world interrupted my peace of mind. It set me thinking about letting go of the things which aren’t contributing to my wellbeing or happiness. They exist in my life, like I’m sure in everyone’s lives, possessing the potential for so much joy… but also so much sadness. A friend once brought the beautiful words of #alessandrobaricca to my attention. “It’s a strange grief.. to die of nostalgia for something you will never live”. The wind pushes me around some more and I don’t fight it so hard, my double pole side lurch becomes a bit more graceful, strange dance steps down the grimsdal. The big windy white encourages me to let go… and it feels right, I feel lighter… and I let it go. The wind begins to ease, and the visibility improves and the sun puts in some fleeting appearances. This Grimsdal isn’t quite to grim after all… 😉