Hattfjelldal to Krutfjellhytta. 30km 8hrs.
The trouble with luxurious hotel rooms is that they are difficult to leave… I had a lazy start, thinking today would be easier than it was. Nothing is easy in the deep freezer it seems. After speaking to Statskog (forest service) about open cabins in the area I was away mid-morning. I walked North to pick up the ski trails heading to Røssvatn lake, the 2nd biggest lake in Norway. Once out on its vast frozen surface I took a break and considered my options. Most skiers go North directly at this point, skiing the entire length of the lake. 😱 With the weather so good and being ahead of “schedule” I decided to head up into the mountains again. It would be less direct but definitely more interesting. It would also mean staying at my first Statskog open forest hut. I had no idea what it would be like… maybe pretty basic? At least the Statskog man said it had plenty of wood for the fire. I broke east up Krutåden and started climbing, past steep imposing cliffs baring entry to Krutvatnet lake. The cliffs swallowed the sun early and plunged the lake into the shade… and me with it! With the temperature rapidly falling, and feeling tired, hungry and increasingly cold I upped my pace churning through the snow to reach the cabin on the north shore. It stayed in a tiny patch of sunlight as I approached, until finally that was gone too… Thankfully the extra effort warmed me up and I soon arrived at the perfectly positioned cabin. What a gem it turned out to be!