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Search 69,459 Camino Questions

Gudbrandsdalen June 2018

AttheEdgeoftheWorld

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
vdlp (may/june 2015)
Hello all.

I have the luxury of having a couple weeks in Norway to spare before leaving from Oslo to Svalbard for a work trip. I have decided that I will use this time to walk part of the Gudbrandsdalen path. Instead of starting in Oslo, I will take the train immediately to Otta June 1st and start from there. I should have about 15 days to get to Trondheim. I'm hoping to camp most /all of the way. I would love love love any tips or advice that anyone has to offer.

I understand that it has been a rather cold spring in Norway, but I am a rather rugged, west coast Canadian gal with good camping gear and am not too fussed about that, but is the route over the Dovrefjell open/snow free yet? Due to my timing I know I will be hitting Dovre on a Sunday (likely) and the shops will be closed for groceries, I plan just to bring about 5 days of camping food with me from Canada and maybe pick up the occasional meal from the lodges on the way. Does this seem unreasonable to anyone? I usually dehydrate my own for camping here, but will be extra careful to make it vegan as I understand I can't bring meat or dairy into Norway and is not from the EU....just curious as anyone ever tried to bring commercially prepared camp food in from outside the EU that contains meat or dairy and had an issue (eg Mountain House?). Also, I would like to bring my alcohol stove as it is my lightest options. Are methylate spirts widely available? I heard that there is a brand called "Raudz" there that is found is all the gas stations but if anyone has good knowledge about this I would appreciate it.

The one thing I haven't been able to figure out is how to get a pilgrims passport before I leave. I have sent a few emails around that I have gleaned from the pilegrimsleden.no website but haven't got any response (in English mind you, so maybe that is the problem). Any tips?

Many thanks!!
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
I will be walking Gudbrandsdalsleden from Oslo to Trondheim with a friend this summer, but it seems you will be ahead of us. We are bringing some camping stuff - a tent fly, bivvy bags, sleeping mats, bags and silk liners - so we can stay outdoors if we want or need to, and a Jetboil to make hot drinks and dehydrated meals. Getting gas for it is no problem, but I can't help you with the spirits. There are very lightweight stove options like the Pocket Rocket etc if you decided to go for gas. Norway is a land of outdoorsy mountain hikers so pretty sure you can get anything you need. Try searching websites like XXL.no to get an idea of what is available and what to ask for? There is a huge XXL store in Oslo not far from the main station where you could ask and/or shop before you start. Here's a link to the cooking and fuel range. I don't live in Norway anymore so I can't just nip into a petrol station and ask, sorry. I am planning on taking a few dehydrated meals over from the UK because they are cheaper here, but the Real Turmat brand, which is widely available in Norway, is actually very nice for what it is, despite the price. I don't know about the home made meals, but maybe it would be easier to bring ready made ones, so the packets could be checked?

The Norwegian weather service Yr.no is very good and has an English option. You can keep an eye on Otta here. Snow melting has been slow this year but it is starting to improve, and there are amber warnings for floods and mudslides along the valley at the moment. Hopefully it should be getting back to normal within the next month without the damaging flood that was forecast earlier in the year, though it could well be very wet and boggy in places and probably some snow left. If you are on Facebook or twitter, follow @Pilegrimsleden St Olav Ways, they do give warnings and info about rerouting.

You can get a pilgrim passport in several places and I think they post them out too, but if you get in touch with the Pilegrimskontoret (Confraternity of St James) in Oslo, they sell them there. The address is Huitfeldts gate 11, N-0253 Oslo, phone +47 22 33 03 11, email pilegrim@pilegrim.no. Writing in English shouldn't be a problem, but if you can't get any info, let me know and I will ask my walking companion who lives in Oslo to get in touch with them and sort something out. Are you staying over in Oslo or getting straight from the flight to the train?

God tur!
Linda
 
I did the Pilgrimsleden two years ago (aged 66). I just started at Lillehammer, but in July. Linda's information is very good !
Norway is fantastic for camping, you'll have no problems. They have a law that gives you the right , under certain obligations, to camp almost anywhere on waste ground & wilderness areas. Obviously, you need permission to camp on fenced off grazing & arable land. Recently planted forestry is off limits. You must camp well away,out of sight, from any dwelling or holiday hut. No open fires in the summer. Practice good sanitation.
I camped as much as I could and always found somewhere. Theres plenty of streams. I used chlorine tabs, but high up the water is pretty pure. One exception, theres an area near the fabulous little Olskasket hut (free!) where the water is naturaly polluted by the geology ( not knowing this I drank from the old well & survived).
Meths alcohol is as available as gas. You ask for red spirit (Rodsprit?)I used both, having a pepsi can stove. The garages are excellent places to get provisions, and hot dogs, and they open on Sundays. The Norwegian Sunday closing of supermarkets is something to watch out for! However I eat very simply in Norway, its so expensive. I believe a packet of "Bixit" in your coffee sets you up for the day. You may not. Yes, "Turmat" is the best dehydrated stuff in the world.
I thought the most strenuous bit of Gubrandsdal was the few days before Otta, so its a good starting place, surprisingly full of shops, nay, shopping centres. I thought the climb up the historic mountain track above Dovre to the plateau was a bit of an amble. Nothing like some Norwegian mountain paths. However my guess is there'll be loads of snow until mid June. Like Linda says, the Norwegian weather service is excellent.
Take care not to get lost on the high Gammelkjolen heath before Mellingsaetra. Nobody else did, but I managed to, in hail.
You'll love it. Its so beautiful, and so is the Cathedral, and the new Catholic one.
I got my pilgrim passport from the guy who runs this site. Theres an efficient Pilgrimsleden site as well, based in Oslo,from which you can download maps. If you wish,contact me at neilowork.nw@gmail.com for even more enthusiastic detail!
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
Ooh, enthusiastic detail sounds marvellous! You could share it here too? That way more people can find it and you get a bigger audience to enthuse to? I have made a note of your warnings/comments.
I didn't get the rødsprit thing, sorry. I only use the small gas canisters for my Jetboil and mostly walk in Spain where I don't need to camp or cook myself. But yes, rødsprit is widely available.
Oh and our three extra letters/vowels æ, ø, å, are pronounced like the vowels in bad, worse, horrible.

We are planning on a mix of hotels and B&Bs, huts, campsites and random shelter, playing it by ear. In fact looking at our proposed lodging list it just occurred to me that I will need some durable trousers that can handle sitting on rocks, logs, heather, concrete benches etc, and that will keep me warm in the evenings with or without merino tights under - I doubt my thin rain trousers will last if I use them for all this. I think (hope) that was the last bit of the kit. Less than a month to go!
 
Glad to continue enthusing publicly! On the Pilegrimsleden I used gas most of the time, using a tiny 25 gm burner head from China, which I didnt entirely trust, so took my 12 gm. Pepsi can alcohol stove as well. Which I was able to use for a day or two when I couldnt get gas, and bought rødsprit.
Quick drying , light, hi tech breathable synthetic trousers are what I always use now. They used to be sweaty, but not these days. Theyre tougher than they appear. In wet weather I wear homemade "chaps", simple tube leggings.
If you can afford it, a good mix of accommodation is certainly available on the route. Since you, "Nidarosa", are doing the whole route with your friend, I would recommend staying at the little hut at Skar, 600 metres up, beyond Ringabu. Its cute. I camped, to save money, and anyway ,my Scottish bank wouldve charged a fortune for me to make a cash transfer (you pay for the hut using your phone to get the combination for the key).
Sorry if I told both of you stuff you already know, as I now realise re-reading your posts. Im not "Mr Magoo" for nothing!
 
No, no, keep it coming. I haven't lived in Norway since 2000 though I do go home several times a year, but I haven't done any serious walking there. Hence the 'oops, I need decent trousers' moment. When I walked from StJPdP-SdC in 2012, I actually wore out my Craghoppers - well, the material was starting to fray so I had to get new ones in Astorga. Fjällräven seems a better buy, or should I say an investment. I am back on the Camino in September so they should last well into my next adventures. Also they can be weatherproofed with wax if needed. I normally walk in a skirt in Spain so this will be different.
 
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I have those Craghoppers "Nosilife" pants, which have done a few trips in various places. Norwegian mosquitos can't bite through them but they seem to have no problem walking all over them to socialise. Fjällrävens are more classy, and so scandic. And well made (more to the point). The wax thing is interesting, Ive seen the little blocks of it on sale in Norwegian hiking shops. I believe its how people waterproofed linen fabric in the middle ages, it was called " cerecloth".
Rennebu is worth a visit. Good supermarket, interesting little museum and unusual Church. I wish my non existent Norwegian was as good as your English Nidarosa (I'm assuming youre a "Norsky"). The intelligent young student girl who showed me round the Rennebu church said how she pitied English speakers, 'not having a secret language of their own'.
 
Thank you so much for your all your replies, Mr. Magoo and Nidarosa.
Great to know about the rødsprit. ? I love the simplicity and the silence of the alcohol stoves....not to mention the weight or lack thereof. Can you buy this Turnmat anywhere or just in the outdoor shops as I will have no time in Oslo as I'm to land at noon and hope to catch the train at 1400 or 1600h. For this reason, I will also email the person you suggested and see if there is a way I can get a passport enroute, maybe in Dovre. I really don't have a day to spare if I hope to finish. That said the

I tend to hike in similar quick dry pants, but also in tights. I find the latter they don't get the clingy-when-wet feeling (tights are tights after all) and dry surprisingly quickly when you are on the move. I have a pair of Fjallravens with the waxed cotton fronts which are awesome and I wear for more of my work outdoors but not so much for multi-day hikes as they are bulkier and heavier in my pack. This trip is the first of a five-month journey so I'm trying to stay pretty minimalist...the less weight the better.

Keep the tales and tips coming! They are excellent!
 
@Mr Magoo Yes I am Norwegian, born and bred, and Trondheim is my home town, hence the nick. Your friend was right; it is nice to have two languages. I used to wear the Nosilife trousers too, but they don't last, I use them all up. I prefer walking in a skirt and tights now but Norway and camping equals proper leg covering, I think.
@AttheEdgeoftheWorld There seems to be a pilgrim (info) centre just before and after Otta - one in Hundorp and one in Hjerkinnhus, but none in Otta as such. Maybe you could get one posted to you at the station or somewhere convenient so you can pick them up on arrival? Though I assume you would have time to get it delivered in Canada too. Or you could use a normal pilgrim passport, Ivar sells them here and I suppose the Canadian confraternaty do too. I'm sure you will get one in time, if not let me know and I'll see what I can do to help. As far as I know the Real Turmat is available in sports shops and probably other places to along the walking routes.

Funny enough I was just looking at the Fjällräven hiking tights today for the same reason - they also go easily into my paclite rain trousers when needed, but it seemed to be an awful lot of money for a pair of tights. Who knows, I might still change my mind a few times before I go. Trying to keep the FSO pack weight under 10 kilos though so still pondering options and combinations.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Ok A.T.E.O.T.W. !., some detail for you!Yes, less weight the better. Mossies can bite through tights, and theye not wind resistant, but, then , to save ridicule(elderly male) Ive never tried them. Youll get "Turmat" in Otta if its not Sunday ,and your Rødsprit alcohol. (And you can get "Bixit" everywhere!). Theres a little garage that sells basics in Nord Sel. It was great to stay at "Jorungaard"(just before ) ,the medieval village filmset , if your schedule allows .For a small amount (by Norwegian standards), you can sleep in a facsimile 14th century guest room. Theres a little campsite shop at Vollheim, Dovreskogen. Good value campsite. Dovre's big supermarket will be closed you rightly say, if its Sunday. Hageseter Turisthytte has good value cafe.Kongsvoll is a pricey, historic hotel, but worth treating yourself at. Nice atmosphere.The unstaffed little Ryphusan hut has some provisions.(Pay into honesty box) Likewise at the nice hut at Plasstugu . This had drinks satchets but I cant remember if it had food. Oppdal is a substantial place, no problem getting anything,petrol station supermarkets, chemist. Cant remember if a sports shop, probably is, being Norway. Riding centre at Langklopp likes to cater for pilgrims.Accomodation & camping, really good meals served. Voll ,where Rennebu church is, has supermarket like I said, where I got Rødsprit. By the way, the bottle they sell this in is light,flexible & tough, with a small top that pours o.k., if you're wondering whether to bring a container. Its only ever in 1 litre amounts in Norway, so initially a lot to lug, but you can always give some away. Like I did to a couple of girls.
By the way, between Stamnan & Voll you can save a lot of time by staying on the quiet road. The uphill very twisty trek to the viewpiont, through the woods, where there's no view, I felt was a waste of time.
Meldal is fairly substantial. Lots of old folk,big supermarket & place to sit outside & eat heavy juicy stuff like melons. Olskastet hut is really sweet, and entirely free. Write about your adventures in the book. Theres nothing else. Theres a lot of iron in the local water, & other stuff.Lokken Verk has reasonably big supermarket,and filling station.
The next stage is one of the nicest I think,even if I did spend the night lost in the heath. My guidebook (English) by Alison Raju was spot on when she warns you to" look out for the markers & not daydream".
Skaun has a big supermarket. Big hike up up through the woods & down down, and finally very down as you slip& slide hanging onto the ropes, into Buvika, which has everything, sort of in the middle. Øysand is a big campsite, but I thought it quiet enough. Basic provisions & ok café. Quite a few people opt for the rowing boat ferry, phone for it & stay at Sundet. I think the guy who does that is onto a good thing. Sea eagles are common round here.
For the last leg I hiked into Trondheim following the very quiet cycle path, because I'd hurt my hip, & because it was quicker. Youre supposed to go over the hill to the North. Theres a possible area to camp near Froset(a couple of women were going to do this). In Trondheim I stayed two nights at the pilgrim hostel, which its best to book. You get a special deal. By Norwegian standards.
The dorm accomodation is like a good albergue. Trondheim is a bit like Norways Venice & Oxford . The Cathedral is a blend of original medieval, built under the supervision of the master mason who built Lincoln cathedral in England, and 19 th century gothic. Its elegant. St. Olaf, for whose honour you do this pilgrimage, is definitely buried somewhere there. But no one knows exactly where.
I had a letter from my bishop asking the pilgrim centre to give me a cold beer, but they said the bar was closed for the season. Hopefuly its open when youre there!
This just reflects my journey of course, theres other places to shop at & stay on the way.
 
Haha, I am glad you found Norwegian cuisine to your liking! I tend to go for savoury rather than sweet so am aiming to have mackerel in tomato sauce (big yellow tins) for lunch when I can - that and cod roe caviar are the only things I absolutely *must* have from home still. I can see us munching our way through a packet on a sunny afternoon pit stop though, with instant coffee and mountain views. Or digestives with brown cheese ... My friend has read the new Norwegian guidebook from cover to cover twice and made notes of where we can shop, or shop and immediately eat outside the shop so we don't have to carry it. I seem to be in charge of packing list planning, so am interested in hearing about any surprising must-haves or redundant items compared to a camino walk.
We will be walking late May and June, so we are a month ahead of you weather-wise. This means we are packing the whole range from thin tech tops via merino to a light down jacket, with weather protection in the form of goretex boots, trousers and jackets, lightweight ponchos for pack covers and summer showers (and picnic blankets/ground sheets), and the fly and bivvy bags if we need or want to sleep outside, or even just sit inside it for a while for a break if it rains all day. Pretty sure we will encounter every kind of weather along the way, so we will need to cover them all, and preferably without carrying too many spares. Layering is key! And weighing everything and keeping an FSO weight tally in an Excel spreadsheet is normal behaviour, no ...?
 
The 2024 Camino guides will be coming out little by little. Here is a collection of the ones that are out so far.
For AtTheEdgeofTheWorld: this is what an empty "Real Turmat" packet looks like. Amazingly durable and useful pouch, Ive had this for many trips. Theres a quick boil rice thats popular in Norway, 10 min if you boil it. I mix it with boiling water in one of these pouches, close the excellent zip thing at the top, then let it stand for 1/2 hr or so after Ive wrapped it with my spare fleece & put my hat on top. " Conservation cooking. Tinned fish(as Nidarova describes ) is good with rice I think.
Works with pasta too. I often did spaghetti like this, breaking it of course, then putting sliced cheese in. (Cheese is reasonably priced in Norway). The Rødsprit is stocked in some of the supermarkets, also in diy, decorating & hardware shops, as its used as a solvent, etc. If you see a "Claas Olsen" shop itll have it. This is the favorite shop of all Norwegian middle aged men I was told, also good value.
For Nidarosa: at Varphaugen, South of Otta where the Pilgrimsleden comes down to the road& river, once again, theres a rafting centre. I went there to see if they had hot dogs and ended up being given a huge amount of stew, salad, juice , bread, that was surplus , for a token payment, once the lady realised I was a pilgrim.
Ive been mountain hiking in Norway a lot, 20 times, but mostly only in Summer. Even then Ive had sleet, frost at night, and heatwaves. So your layers, for late spring, sound sensible. And your tent fly/bivy idea. Ive done that. I now use a big d.i.y. poncho, with a Paclite panel, as a tarp, with a cuben fibre porch that zips on. Fun to design & make, but your idea is probably more sensible if youre sharing the fly &poles. Your lightweight ponchos will be useful additions. I take a very light additional one as something to wear when I pop out of my shelter, as a porch groundsheet, when it rains in town, and so on. Also d.i.y., made from a Heatsheet. A lot of my stuff is d.i.y., so I'm never worried about anyone wanting to steal my stuff!
My 45 litre Osprey pack, weighed at the airport with 3 days of food in it, was 12 kilo. I'm getting on a bit, so I mostly did short days. A couple of 25+km days, the rest about 15 +. And 2 or 3 days 0km watching people go past.
I like to start early, especialy when high up to avoid afternoon lightning. On one stretch, Kongsvold to Ruphausen, which is high & open,there was lightning with the afternoon rain.I take lightning seriously, as I work outside, and have had close experiences.
Nidarosa, I hope you are going to see Bjerkabek , Sigrid Undsets house, now a museum ,as you go through Lillehammer. She made Gubrandsdal world famous with her writing. Nice coffee& waffles there as well!
20180429_170659.jpg
 
I would never have thought about re-using the Turmat bags, but now I will! Hurtigris, basically dehydrated rice, would work well in those, with some stuff added (depending on mood and available stuff). Good idea!
I am making notes of all your tips here and will try to present them to the Navigator in the geographical order. Will be listening to the Olavs Saga on audiobook and look forward to really focusing on my country and its nature and history as well as just enjoying a good long walk.
I am glad to hear you managed with a 45 litre pack - ours are Osprey Talon 44s, so lightweight, comfy up to about 12 kgs and hopefully large enough for everything. If not we will have to shed some more ... Pack weight on paper right now, without food and water, is about 8 kg. Hope this will work out OK. Tomorrow I will be outside in the rain all day so I choose to see it as a good opportunity to test out my rain gear!
 
Yes, thats the rice I meant, and its a 44ltr "Talon" which I have.A very popular pack. 8 kilo pre food is lighter than I managed, so thats good.
When I spent two nights in the free Olskastet hut "Johnny" the German had such a big pack he hit the rafter as he swung it onto his back. He had an axe strapped to one side and a net full of onions on the other and wore calf high Meindl boots like a winter hunter would have. He couldnt care less and was having a wonderful time.
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
Maybe you know this one pretty well Nidarosa. This is a link to a jolly Norwegian Folk song about Nidaros. The picture of the medieval town showing the cathedral & river Nid, is nice. I like the verse about the rower from Orkney. My ancestors were from there.
 
Oh, maybe doesnt work. I'll write out the URL.
 
Down bag (90/10 duvet) of 700 fills with 180 g (6.34 ounces) of filling. Mummy-shaped structure, ideal when you are looking for lightness with great heating performance.

€149,-
Oo thank you both for the tips.

Mr. Magoo, Thanks for the photo!! Now I know what to look for. I often reuse my camp meal bags and also have made a little lightweight sleeve out of reflective insulation material (it looks like foil coved bubble wrap). I have made a cozy for my pot too. It works brilliantly and weighs nothing.

I will be making many notes in the margins of my guidebook with all your tips and suggestions.

I am carrying a bigger pack partly full but I do have to have more room for the continued travels that I'm doing (but I'm leaving that gear in Oslo). They are by a US company called ULA, they are great their pack sare ultralight so even though it is a bigger back I should be able to keep my weight down. I'm a rain kilt person as I find I get pretty hot in rain pants and I find it easier to take on and off. It also doubles as a great little groundsheet for lunch picnics.

Nidarosa, try the website lighterpack.com it is a bit easier to than excel and your travel partner can just click the link you send and it will always be the latest version, so you don't have to keep emailing new files.
 
Screenshot_2018-04-30-23-22-44.pngScreenshot_2018-04-30-23-22-44.pngScreenshot_2018-04-30-23-22-08.png
As you see theres an " Intersport" shop in the AMFI shopping mall in Otta, and this sports shop chain claims to sell Turmat. Theres another sports shop as well. I remember arriving very early & looking in a shop window that had hunters stuff. (apologies for my clumsy attatchment skills by the way. Using a smartphone)
 
St James' Way - Self-guided 4-7 day Walking Packages, Reading to Southampton, 110 kms
Possible source of Rodsprit near Oslo rail station Screenshot_2018-05-01-20-33-34.png
 
@Mr Magoo Did you walk on the east or west side of lake Mjøsa? We were planning, weather and ground conditions permitting, to walk on the west side and getting the steam paddle boat across to Hamar on the east side and carry on from there.
Kit wise our packs will be lighter as we will camp less and share a lot of things, and I had a whole day out standing and walking on tarmac in the rain and wind and cold yesterday with my layers - one never came out of the backpack! Feeling cautiously confident that I will be (mostly) warm and dry in Norway too. Now to decide if it's worth taking the boots that weigh 300g more for the pair ...
 
I started from Lillehammer (came there on bus from Bergen), so was at the end of Lake Mjosa, on East shore. to begin. However I met a few who had started in Hamar, it seemed to have been a place worth seeing. Your plan sounds good then, the steamer trip should be memorable, and maybe the section you do on the West more interesting. Glad you happy with your gear after the Mayday rain.
Yes, when you're moving with a pack you dont actually need many layers. Up in the Norwegian mountains ,1000mtrs +, mid june to mid September, I found the most I ever needed was a merino short sleeve vest, two loose thin fleeces (100 polartec or similar)and a windshirt. Most of the time wearing just vest & shirt. Then fleece ( extra big) over the lot when stopping. I guess your downie would be handy in camp & for a light back up. I'd say be optimistic, but treat the mountains with respect.
I too wondered about boots choice. My solid but lovely Meindls or light Salomons? I took a chance on the latter & was fine. They were mid high, so more waterproof in mud & puddles than low runners( like you'd want to wear in Spain). I did get blisters. On my little toes because the Salomons were too narrow ( theyre famous for this ) . I just Compeeded them, & kept going. The boots expanded & eventally opened out & came apart at the little toes. I sewed the gaps together with my big needle, mini pliers & dental floss. By this time my feet were tough as anything. After two weeks or so you develop pads of fat on them, its interesting to observe the change. On the last very wet boggy bit I wore plastic bags as waterproof liners, for a short period. It works. I now have nice wide Keen boots. But, overall, having light boots was good.
Yesterday, for us, was a beautiful day. My workmate and I took the day off and walked over the hills to the site of a crashed WW2 plane. A Mosquito type that ran out of fuel on its way back from a raid on U-boat pens in Nazi occupied Norway. I read the memorial plaque and was suprised to see it was Trondheim.
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Ah, yes, the boot question. I initially wanted to wear my lovely goretex Salomon shoes but chances are it will be too wet and boggy (nice idea though). So boots it is. I have now found a pair - wide toebox Salomons actually - that fit my foot perfectly but they are relatively heavy and get very hot. I have two problems on long walks: pressure blisters along the heel and plantar fasciitis. Hot and humid boots create more blister problems and these don't seem to breathe very well, unfortunately. But they are perfect for my PF, so I know I can bring them and just make sure I air out the tootsies often enough. However I will probably use them up on this trip and need another pair for my September camino with my husband, we are starting in Estella again a year to the day after he had to stop after an accident in an albergue. So I managed to get a pair of Hoka eVent boots that are also very comfortable and 300g lighter. Knowing I have a pair of boots that work, I can take a chance on trying the Hokas, maybe the eVent is more breathable than the goretex? With Hokas at least I avoid the PF flaring up mid mountain. I understand there is quite a bit of tarmac/asphalt walking and that makes it flare up if my boots are too hard. Decisions, decisions. Strange how packing light can be so complicated!
 
Yes, there was a fair amount on asphalt I seem to remember.
 
For AtTheEndofTheWorld. Even if you have to skip the Dovrefjel section beause of snow conditions or tight schedule, the hike from Oppdal is still really nice. It was more interesting than I realised it would be.
Or maybe you can get a bus from Otta to somewhere like Hjerkinn to begin there.
And like I said, I had no problem ordering my Pilegrimsleden pilgrim passport from Ivar.
Thank you both anyway for re-awakening pleasant memories for me!
 
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Cor, I see what you mean, ATEOTW, I just tried checking out getting a Pilegrimsleden Passport. Not so easy these days it seems. I found this Swedish online store ( maybe you did too) Screenshot_2018-05-02-11-30-19.png
 

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I can get this site by typing in " St Olavsleden shop "
 
There you go, ships to Canada. Add "tictail" to what you type in , & hunt around a bit & youll find you can type in your country.Screenshot_2018-05-02-13-23-39.png
 
New Original Camino Gear Designed Especially with The Modern Peregrino In Mind!
For both of you. Good blog by French couple who did Pilegrimsleden in 2016. " Oslotrondheim 2016.blogspot.com"
 
Thanks so much for the advice. I hadn't seen the Swedish site, but have ordered a passport now. I'm might not arrive in time but I have a regular pilgrims passport from this site anyway and hopefully, that will suffice.

I'm just getting into assembling my kit now. Trying to pare down as much as possible. It looks like things are heating up in Norway a bit which will be nice but I think I will be opting for hiking books as opposed to my usual trail shoes, in case things are a bit sloppy in areas. The heaviest things is food by far at the moment given my timing and start location. Mr. Magoo how long did it take you to get over the Dorvefjell? The books seems to suggest close to a week, but that seems a bit long
 
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Hi AtEotWorld ! To go from a campsite an hour or two south of Otta to a gapahauk North of Oppdal took me 8 days. So you could call this 7 days, town to town. I was going at an easy pace as I had some hip pain. ( A German I met at Hagester gave me a Voltorol , which saved me ) .And like Ive said, I'm getting on, I was 66 at the time, and did fairly short days.
I was able to get basic provisions at the campsite shop half way between Sel and Dovre. I camped just beyond there , got provisions again at Dovre (which you unfortunately pass through on a Sunday), and then went up to to plateau & camped down in some marshy scrub south of Fokstugu. Next day about 20km to Hageseter. The good cafe here did an excellent "solid frokost". This is the famous big Norwegian breakfast. All you can eat.Lots of eggs. You can get packed lunch as well. I will try & check if it will be open. Then 19 km to Kongsvold. I camped just above there. Famously pricey , but pilgrims get a discount big breakfast. Next stage for me was to Ryphusan. There were basic things there, crispbread, tinned fish & that. Next day I went down to Driva, where I camped by a railway bridge, by a nice pilgrim hut, which just had drinks. However, if I hadnt been in pain & had wanted to, I could have easily got to Oppdal on gentle going.
This is maybe more detail than you want. However, I can sympathise as I was also concerned where I would get food. In the event, by buying meals, at Fokstugu & Kongsvold, I actually had surplus. Mostly Bixit.
I'm sure your ordinary Camino passport will be acceptable once you get to Trondheim (you WILL!). Its not busy at the centre & Norwegians are pretty laid back about formalities, I find.
God Tur !
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
Hageseter, according to their site, is open. 240nok to camp, it seems, actually not unusual for Norway, but according to my notes the Frokost was good value.
 
Just reread what I wrote. A mistake, I didnt buy food at Fokstugu, I meant to say Hageseter. However, you can get food at Fokstugu according to their site.
 
There are webcams along the E6 road going over Dovrefjell, which give an idea of conditions 900 metres up. Looks pretty snow free to me.
 
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Thank you so much for all your info, @Mr Magoo , it is very much appreciated. Webcams on the E6 - who knew? I am in the last throes of packing now and am dithering over minimal and not too heavy and still warm enough and what boots ... but I'll get there. On Monday evening, in fact! We start walking on Weds morning and will try put the butterflies to good use. Exciting!
 
I too am doing the last of my packing up. My basement currently looks like I detonated a bomb, but things are coming together. Now is the pair down to essentials game with the mantra "less weight" repeating in my head. I have in contact with the pilgrim office in Dovre and they are hopeful that some of the floodings will have subsided and we will be able to get through when we arrive around the 4th of June. I have convinced my friend to drop everything and come with me, so that should be fun. Mr. Magoo, I have just spent the last little while marking down all of your little details in my guidebook. I"m sure it will of the utmost value on the trail.

Good luck Nidarosa!
 
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Glad youve got a fellow pilgrim ! Wishing you all the best, & as I said before, thank you both for reawakening good memories. Alt fra Norge ! Alt fra Olaf !
 
The one from Galicia (the round) and the one from Castilla & Leon. Individually numbered and made by the same people that make the ones you see on your walk.
@AttheEdgeoftheWorld, if you are still starting today, god tur! We got to Brumunddal yesterday where I had my second bout of heat exhaustion, and the heat is forecast to last another ten days, so we have sadly decided not to carry on for now. I hope you get good walking weather and look forward to hearing about your journey!
 

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