over the mountain

Today I get into trouble because Siggi has got me skis and ski boots and the skiers go over the mountain to meet Arktika on the other side in Lónafjörður.

Rakel, Mia, Andy and Björgvin are with mountain skis and I'm with cross country skis which makes my way up much longer. They have skins on their skis. First Rakel makes a short avalanche course and off we go. Arktika leaves in emergent sunshine so there's no way back. On half way up we have a picnic and then I continue for some time, skis attached on my backpack. I sink in snow but it's great to be inside this landscape. Sun draws white patches on the snow that then move away or disappear. Below shimmers the fjord. Up along the ridge is nice and easy until the wind starts to hit us in the face with hail. The wind is very strong up here and fjords on both sides vanish in cloud. Where we should go down is a huge amount of stones that should be covered with snow according to the rules. We trot along the ridge that is narrower and narrower until Rakel deems a place good enough to go down. The sea is very far away and the slope looks more like a wall to me so I walk the first half of the descent. Finally Rakel convinces me to put skis on again and then the mountain gets done scarily fast. I am very far out of my comfort zone but there's only one way down. The sun that has come out disappears into snowfall. I'm as tired as after three days of military exercises.
In summer I left Arktika here in this bay to find it here again now.
Annukka and the kids create a pizza.

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arriving in Hornstrandir
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a day in Lónafjörður

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