Archive For July 22, 2024
Kirketaket. The church roof. 1439m. Described by Halvor Hagen in his Romsdalen guidebook as one of the top 10 ski touring peaks in Norway which is quite an accolade. It was 26 March and a perfect, windless, bluebird day with avalanche risk about as low as it can be. And boy was it busy.
We’d hardly seen a soul on our previous tours but here we had families with rucksackless teenagers, dogs, young bare chested men in their prime skinning too steeply with good looking girls to impress. There was a carefree, insouciant air to the outing.
The narrow summit is the roof of the church and a tight fit for all these folks. We were obliged to stop between the hard, slippery slope and the obvious cornice which was not to be approached. All sorts of stuff was going on and there was much to distract one’s attention.
Espen arrived warning us of the huge cornice and that people had been killed here. Seconds after his prescient warning I watched one of the young lads put his foot through it when descending from the summit. There was a rifle crack and the snow in front of us vanished into the abyss. The youth’s rapid reaction was a lifesaving lurch to safety rather than a fall of hundreds of metres down the north face. A call can be no closer. Footprints and ski tracks led to the new void and skis were left sitting on delicately balanced blocks of seemingly unsupported cornice.
This was a poignant reminder that a sunny day with smiles can turn tragic in the blink of an eye.
We had some super ski days, enjoying the mountains of Romsdalen pretty much on our own with the exception of Kirketaket. Quite a contrast to the ski crowds on the mountains further north. The Romsdalen IPA is another very good reason to visit!
A huge, rather unsightly glass-fibre troll stands guard by the entrance of The Grand Hotel, Andalsnes. Somewhat off-putting, its purpose probably to remind the summer bus parties where they are for the night – some 10 minutes from the famous Trolltinden? The Troll Wall.
Step inside The Grand Hotel and all thoughts of trolls disappear with the warmth of the welcome. The staff here are absolutely charming and they did everything they could to ensure we felt at home throughout our stay. It’s often the people who make a trip, those we encounter and those we travel with. The snow and weather could have been a bit better but the hotel staff and skiers made this a delightful week.
In every country there are childhood treats that have survived, reminding us of our former selves, all those years ago.
Kofola is a Czech and Slovak survivor from the communist era and a was a rival to Coke and Pepsi. Kofola took off in the ‘60’s and ‘70’s and is still enjoyed to this day, often served as draft from a keg. Helena likes her Kofola with it’s associated memories and by day two half of the group were opting for this sugar and caffeine filled drink as their after ski rehydration beverage of choice.
We skied on every day bar one and the days were of a descent length so the Kofola was most welcome! The Slovak Tatras are very compact but they have much to offer and I can sense a return visit coming soon. Perhaps a best of both the Polish and Slovak Tatras?