Petr:

I woke up after six hours of deep sleep in the wonderful DNT cabin at Kringlevatn. Even though the warmth, shelter, and solitude of that place made it tempting to stay, I knew I had to move. There were still about 60 tough kilometers ahead of me to reach the valley before Haukeliseter.

The path was wild. Absolutely packed with rocks, slabs, boulders, pebbles—every shape, every angle. And it wasn’t just the trail: I was running around this massive, partly artificial lake called Blåsjøn, or "Blue Lake," which sits deep in the heart of the Setesdal Highlands. The place is surreal. Remote, quiet, and completely bizarre in its layout and atmosphere.

I climbed a huge dam wall—a monster structure that made me feel tiny. It was like entering another world. But soon after, things went downhill. Not in terms of terrain—that kept going up and down—but physically. I broke my fourth pole (yes, fourth!) and somewhere along the route, pulled my left hamstring. Every step after that was painful.

The only thing I could focus on was getting through the day and preserving my body for the final push to Haukeliseter tomorrow—45 kilometers left in this unsupported section.

The sky was wild too: thunderstorms all around, but I somehow threaded the needle. Rain came and went, but the lightning stayed in the distance. Lucky.

After midnight, I finally descended into the valley where the Jonstølen cabin lies. I had covered just over 60 kilometers and 2,230 meters of vertical gain. Energy-wise, I still felt decent. But my hamstring? Torture. Still, the goal is the goal. Onward.

Stina:

My day started very calmly, waking up next to a peaceful river. I made myself a proper breakfast, and Čenda was chilling in the grass, fully enjoying the sun. He might have gotten a few pieces of cheese. Maybe. No comment.

After a few slow hours of recharging, I packed up and started driving northwest toward Haukeliseter, where I would meet Petr next—after his massive 150 km unsupported mountain crossing.

On the way, I stopped in Hovden, a nice little village where I found a fantastic place with top-tier iced coffee. Game-changer. It became my mini base for a few hours: I got a lot of work done, charged our battery stations, and refilled the water tanks.

Later, I continued deeper into the mountains and found a quiet spot for the night. A peaceful end to the day, while Petr was still out there somewhere in the highlands, battling boulders and thunderstorms. The contrast of our roles felt especially clear today. But we’re still in this together, always.

One more big day to go in this section. Let’s see how the body holds up.