Very short week report...
Peaks visited: (Click on the Peak name link to go directly to the chapter):
| Peak | Height | PF | Location | WCP |
| Slakkafjellet | 855m | 242m | Sogndal, Norway | WCP |
| Hesteggi | 907m | 149m | Sogndal, Norway |
Sogndal, May 13 2019
Monday, Sogndal: I should have gone home to Sunnmøre this afternoon, but only to return to Sogn og Fjordane on Thursday – as we had rented a cabin by Norddalsfjorden for the weekend.
But I didn’t get back home today. I turned the car around after driving 5 minutes, knowing that something was definitely not right.
Short story; After lunch, I had to stop working, as I suddenly wasn’t able to perform simple computer tasks that I do daily. I tried to lay down but my brain was going completely off the grid with all sorts of weird stuff. Most of it nonsense and completely unreal. I got up and decided to drive home. A long drive would surely do me well…
But after 5 minutes, I stopped the car and called Anne. She understood that something was wrong and ordered me back home.
Back in Anne’s place, I felt somewhat better and laid down until she came home from work. By now, I realized that I had experienced another episode of what the Doctor called TGA in 2017. Transient Global Amnesia. A number of factors leading to this condition. Back then, probably stress and definitely a mild degree of hypothermia. This time, for sure stress and not fully recovered from a bad cold.
So why do I write about a medical condition on my hiking blog? Too personal, you think? Well, I kind of find the episodes quite fascinating. It’s chaos while it lasts, but quite clear afterwards. What I remember, that is. There is of course a big black hole, hence the “amnesia” part. I had called a few guys at work, and sent some emails. I did remember doing it, but could for the life of me, not remember a single word I had uttered or written. At least the email has a “Sent” folder. Not so for telephone calls…
I’m gradually more intrigued by the brain as I get older. Brain plasticity, and so on. Fascinating stuff. And I’m thankful I don’t experience what a friend of mine has gone through 3 times. No warning, lights out. Smack, bang on the floor. Waking up in an ambulance.
So it’s definitely a wake-up call. I guess I’m just saying to you fellow 50+-year-olds out there, pushing it. The push can come back and bite you in the a$$. Look out for yourself! No one else does…
Slakkafjellet (855m), May 14 2019
Tuesday: Yesterday’s “episode” had surely done me good. I had gotten rid of a whole lot of stress and looked forward to treat myself with a real workout, by hiking FAST up to Slakkafjellet in Sogndalsdalen.
Now that the stress was gone, there was no combination of things that could come back and bite me. And it was a nice afternoon. Staying home would surely make me miserable.
I parked at the start of the mountain road leading up to the new power plant, but mostly stuck to the old path running below the power line.
It felt so good to be on the trail again, feeling the pulse. And – making sure I remembered what I was actually doing.
The 670 vertical meters and 2,8km to the top was done in 51 minutes. Just walking. Not impressive, but OK.
Upon descent, I was able to find variations to my ascent route nearly all the way, so it was in fact sort of a round trip hike.
And I felt very much alive afterwards…
(Pictures taken with the Iphone, as I had to save my battery for the weekend, now that I wouldn’t be going back home)
Trip statistics: 5,7km, 670 vertical meters, 1h:33m
Pictures (Iphone) from the trip:
Hesteggi (907m), May 15 2019
Wednesday: After working from Anne’s place, I decided to walk the dog on Hesteggi – just outside Sogndal. It was my on duty week, which means that I have to respond to an incident within 2 hours. And 2 hours was exactly the time I reckoned it would take me, to drive from Sogndal to Kjørnes, hike the 750 vertical meters to the top, jog back down and return to the computer.
It was a beautiful day, and I was happy to be back on the trail from Kjørnes. I think Karma was too…
In 2015, I did this route up in 44 minutes, flat. I jogged the whole way until the final hill, where I had to switch to hiking. Those were the good old days. I would have to seek to really exotic drugs to match that time now. I can actually feel I’m getting physically older. For the first time in my life.
Today, I would perhaps jog on the very few flats this mountain has to offer. It basically climbs from the beginning to the end.
Today, it took me 55 minutes to walk (and some minor jogging) the same route. Including stops for pictures. But, I will never stop thinking that I can do this again in 44 minutes or less.
A young man came running up as we were about to leave. Effortlessly. I envied him. But uphill is one thing. I would surely show him in the downhill! The old man isn’t dead just yet. So, I kept a pace down the mountain that I thought would get me down first.
But after 1,6km, the lad came up behind me and vanished within seconds. The nerve! Where’s the respect? But it made me smile, though. I have done exactly the same, so many times over the years, and I know *perfectly* how good it feels.
He was probably around 20. I’m … wait – http://www.myagecalculator.com … 55,5. No, seriously! I never remember this. 53 or 54? 54 or 55? For a split second there I thought I was 56. But I wasn’t. Pu-ha! I should probably stick with picking fights with men at own age…
Back at the computer, all was good and I could look forward to the part of the afternoon where Anne would spoil me rotten…
Trip statistics: 8km, 750 vertical meters, 1h:31m
Pictures (Iphone) from the trip:
May 16 – 19 2019
See separate trip reports from Flora, coming up soon!
