Karma had surgery
Index
| Date | Peak | Height | PF | Location | WCP/FP | MAP |
| 24.03.25 | Karma, surgery | – | – | Ålesund, Norway | – | – |
| 25.03.25 | Huldrehornet | 271m | 113m | Herøy, M&R, Norway | WCP | MAP |
| 26.03.25 | Anne came up | – | – | Brønnøy, Norway | – | – |
| 27.03.25 | Øyrahornet | 417m | 42m | Herøy, M&R, Norway | WCP | MAP |
| 28.03.25 | Gjøna | 531m | 163m | Sande, Norway | WCP | MAP |
| 29.03.25 | Garnestua | 654m | 417m | Ulstein, Norway | WCP | MAP |
| 30.03.25 | Blåtind | 697m | 697m | Ulstein, Norway | WCP | MAP |
Karma, surgery, Mar 24 2025
Monday: I didn’t sleep well the night before going to Ålesund for Karma’s removal of the uterus. I woke up 3am and couldn’t sleep. How would the coming weeks be? Would the surgery go well and what kind of dog would I get afterwards?
I left the dog in the very best hands at Kjæledeggen Dyreklinikk in the morning. They kept me updated and eventually texted me that I could pick her up.
The dog was – as expected – confused and in distress. When we got home, she was wining and complaining even though she was heavily medicated. I didn’t know if she was in pain or just very confused.
It got better in the evening, and she slept sound through the night. In her superwoman suit. It was important to not give her access to the wound and stitches. As I didn’t want to let her out of my sight, there was no hiking for me today.
Huldrehornet (271m), Mar 25 2025
Tuesday: Karma spent all day in her bed, staring at me like a zombie. No complaints, no wining, no drinking, no eating, no nothing.
I called the Vet about the drinking, but they said she was probably well hydrated after getting intravenous liquid during the surgery. I shouldn’t worry about that now, they said.
In the evening, things improved. She drank a little, ate a little and did her thing while walking around the block. She seemed very relaxed and stabile and so I allowed myself a very quick hike up and down Huldrehornet.
She was sleeping when I got back. I’m not sure she really noticed I was gone…
Trip statistics: 2,8km, 250 vertical meters, 0h:43m
Hospital + Anne came up, Mar 26 2025
Wednesday: Karma’s progress was just fine. I followed the medication program the Vet had set up, and she started to show signs of being herself again.
I had to go to the hospital in Volda for an examination in the morning. I brought Karma along in the car, just to reduce the time away from her.
In the evening, Anne came up, which was of massive help. I had now gotten a very strong headache and really appreciated the help, even if I still had to carry Karma up and down the stairs every time she had to go outside.
It’s been a lot lately – high pressure at work, the trip to northern Norway for my mom’s 80-year birthday, Karma’s surgery and now the hospital examination. I think that there was a built-up tension that just got released and flooded through my veins, causing the headache. No hiking today, and besides – the weather was awful.
Øyrahornet (417m), Mar 27 2025
Thursday: Karma didn’t have to wear the suit in the morning hours, as Anne felt sorry for her and sat by her all the time. The dog didn’t seem to turn any attention towards the wound and stitches, which was good news.
The headache persisted all night, and I spent most of it in a chair. I just hate starting my working day with a headache. I cancelled a couple of meetings, cooked a full pot of coffee, took a few pain killers, rubbed my back and shoulders 300 times against a wall with a tennis ball in-between before diving into my world of programming challenges. A couple of hours later, I felt quite OK.
I felt even better after work and decided to go for a quick hike up Øyrahornet – in the rain. Anne would be looking after Karma – which was doing better and better. I would say she was bordering to acting normal.
For some reason, I decided to go off-trail to Øyrahornet, along a very cumbersome route. Whatever mojo I had when I headed out, it was all gone by the time I reached the top.
But it was very nice to be outdoors again. Karma won’t be hiking anytime soon, but we do that she gets in normal shape before our Easter break.
Trip statistics: 3,6km, 405 vertical meters, 1h:01m
Gjøna (531m), Mar 28 2025
Friday: I didn’t wake up with a headache, but I got a headache as soon as I woke up. I guess that counts for something.
After a couple of hours work, I was off to see the dentist. A loose filling. Back home, it was time to remove Karma’s bandage, covering her belly stitches. The stitches looked fine, and she was really looking more and more like herself. Still, the Vet’s advice is to take it slow and easy for at least a 10-day period.
I was really a mess after work and took a nap after work, while Anne took a trip to Ulsteinvik. When she returned home, I decided to go for a hike up and down Gjøna. It had been raining all day, heck – it had been raining all week, and now there was a glimpse of sunshine that I didn’t want to miss out of.
My favorite afternoon hike is parking the car, then go 600 meters (or more) straight up, without any hiking *towards* the mountain first. Gjøna doesn’t offer 600 meters, but I can live with 530 when feeling crap.
I was dizzy. Maybe I took too many pain killers. This particular route is not a good one to be dizzy on, but I knew I would be OK.
I took a little detour as I was approaching the top, and I was curious if I had done this route before. Turned out I had…
Eventually, I reached the top and enjoyed the sunshine. It was windy, but I had been hiking in the wind shadow all the way up.
As I looked forward to spending Friday night with my family, I only stopped for pictures before heading back down.
Looking forward to going hiking with my little family again!
Trip statistics: 3,7km, 520 vertical meters, 1h:17m
Pictures (Canon EOS RP/Iphone 13 Pro Max) from the hike:
Garnestua (654m), Mar 29 2025
Saturday: The day started with breakfast, a couple of hours of work, a trip to Ulsteinvik with Anne for some errands. Once back home, I was completely wasted and had to lie down for a whole hour. I felt even worse after the nap, and I knew that there was only one thing that would make me feel better. A hike.
The choice fell on Garnestua. I was a little nervous about rain showers, as I had brought headphones and my camera.
It was impossible to predict how the weather would evolve…
I enjoyed bringing the headphones. I rarely listen to music when hiking, but I made an exception today. Probably because I felt crap. I chose to put on Kendrick’s GNX album. I am a huge Kendrick fan.
I wasn’t sure what was wrong with me. I felt crap, but hiking was easy. I think there is something terrible “off” in my neck and that makes me feel the way I do. It hurts when I turn my head, and it hurts when I touch my neck muscles. The headache makes me feel I have the fever. A hike typically makes me feel much better or much worse. I hoped that today, I would feel better.
I hiked from Garneskrysset and up to lake Garnesvatnet. I missed my dog, but she would just have to let the stitches heal before coming along.
When I reached Flåna, it was a little windy and the hood came on.
I was happy to reach the top of Garnestua without having been “rained on”. I could feel a few drops every now and then, obviously being in the outskirts of “the weather”.
I chose to descend via Ringstadhornet and the route down to Haddal. Which meant that I would have to follow the main road back to Garneskrysset.
The weather remained OK.
Approaching Haddal, I tried my luck on an off-trail route, which wasn’t a very good idea. I had to backtrack to find easier terrain.
Once back home, the dog was super-happy to see me again and Anne was busy preparing a gorgeous middle east inspired meal. I am so fortunate to have this small, wonderful family.
Trip statistics: 8,3km, 740 vertical meters, 2h:05m
Pictures (Canon EOS RP) from the hike:
Blåtind (697m), Mar 30 2025
Sunday: After breakfast, Anne went for a bike trip around the island (Gurskøya) while I spent a couple of hours working. During Karma’s reconvalescence, we have to go on separate trips. Anne’s trip was a whopping 47km, but it was on an E-bike.
When she got home, I decided to hike Blåtind, via Svenskevegen.
Entering the nature reserve, the sign was barely showing. I must tell Anne to fix it. It’s her job. Or – she can read it here…
I like the Svenskevegen route, but the only problem is the ticks. Maybe, just maybe, they haven’t come out of the diapause yet.
About halfway to the point where Svenskevegen takes a sharp left turn and climbs steeply up to Eiksundsætra (400m), I decided to find out if it was possible to get up along a random route.
Worst case, I would just have to turn back around.
The first half went just fine. The terrain was steadily getting steeper, but I had no problems.
As I closed in on the upper part, it looked really, really steep. Two things calmed me. Aurora on the headphones and deer poo. Why would there be deer poo this high if they didn’t use this ridge as a route?
Eventually, I reached the crux. It wasn’t difficult, but a fall had to be avoided at all costs. I think I would have been able to get Karma up here.
Once above this point, I could relax and just focus on the remaining 200+ vertical meters to the top.
The weather had been OK so far. I felt a few raindrops down by the fjord, but now I could see a snow shower coming my way.
The snow shower came upon me 10 minutes before reaching the summit, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
In any case, I looked forward to get back down, before the next shower (rain, hail or snow) came along.
I decided to stop by Grøthornet. With Karma’s situation, I was not able to maintain my goal of 500 vertical meters per day in average, and so every meter would count…
But with Grøthornet, if I had done the math correctly, I should get 750 vertical meters out of this hike.
The plan was to return to Gjerdet, as close to the car as possible.
The Gjerdet route required that I found the old, overgrown route through the juniper bush jungle, and I did find it!
The 400 vertical meter descent in the steep, birch forest was just fun. I had hiked down this forest a couple of times before, and new that there were not any challenges along the way.
Once back home, Anne announced that she would be going to Runde on “bird patrol”. Someone has to make sure the photographers keep their distance from the puffins. Which, is expressed in centimeters…
Trip statistics: 6km, 750 vertical meters, 2h:10m
Pictures (Canon EOS RP/Iphone 13 Pro Max) from the hike:
