Day 8,13 Jan 2016

Snakes and ladders

Expeditions have always been like snakes and ladders, with set backs and solutions. Yesterday's thin ice and unconsolidated snow was a definite setback, but today brought us a new "ladder". We slipped down the snake to our previous location of Sviendal and made the decision to head to the colder East. We then journeyed up the beautiful and cultural valley of Setsdal as we headed North again. At -10C we could stride out without over heating , despite pulling our 35 kilo sled. We were pleased to achieve 37 km, despite finishing in the dark. The valley is a Mecca for fishing, with white water rafting and kayaking. It was magnificent. The roaring falls provided us with magnificent contrast with the snow and the dusk of the evening. The bodies are definitely aching but we feel we are getting acclimatised to the cold and physical challenge. A special thank you to Viewranger who provided I-Phone maps, that certainly helped us today, when the change of plan took us off the paper maps. Tomorrow is a scheduled rest day with clothes washing and a chance to understand the culture of this valley. The photo shows Hilary activating SPOT our tracking beacon that reports our daily location.