Rain, rain, sun

After a 40 minute car trip we took a boat across a fjord. We have our backpacks loaded with our camping stuff and warm gear. A short 20 minute walk and we are at base camp. The next morning was raining off and on as we hiked up to the glacier. We put on our crampons, roped up to each other and with ice axes in hand we set out up the glacier. That was a lot of fun. I hadn't done that before and it was interesting to see how all of the equipment worked. The guy that was roped right in front of me slipped and fell off of an ice cliff right next to the route we were taking. I got to arrest his fall; he was a little shook up but unharmed. I thought it was fun and showed everyone that the equipment really did work. The glacier is so beautiful. The ice is blue and it really shows in the deep cracks and holes that you come across. The glacier is called Svartisen and is the second largest in Norway. We went back down to base camp for a dinner and a soggy night. The next day we were supposed to hike up to a back country cabin that has a reputation for amazing views. The weather was just too bad though and everyone was already wet. We packed up and went back to the base and then to an indoor swim place. They had a sauna too and that felt really good. Friday we hiked to the top of the peak that was pictured in my last post. It was so beautiful. Much of the way we were hiking in alpine meadows and the tundra was so thick and soft it was like walking on pillows. The view from the top was amazing. All the islands in the fjord and the little farm houses. We want back down and had a BBQ and bonfire on the beach.