After reaching the strange little mining town of Knaben, it was finally time for a shift: my first real mountain plateau. The goal for the day was to reach Ljosland, a small ski village — and the place where I would officially enter the marked trail network of southern Norway.

Compared to the brutal “Southern Jungle” I had been stuck in for the past few days, this felt like a whole new world. Progress was finally faster — at least two to three times faster — while using the same amount of energy. I was finally moving through real mountain terrain: open landscape, scattered lakes and boulders, some trail markings here and there, and an actual horizon. A massive relief, both physically and mentally.

But of course, there’s always a catch.

I lost six hours of the day to social media. Four hours in the morning in Knaben, and two more in the evening in Ljosland — all spent editing the reel Out of the Jungle. It’s clear I can’t keep doing that. It eats too much time. But telling the story of those first wild days felt important — and sometimes, when your legs hurt, editing feels like the only thing you still have energy for. Still… this has to change.

The day started with some solid porridge and quiet gear prep at the car. After breakfast, I packed up and started the 30 km journey toward Ljosland, through wide, rocky highlands and countless lakes. No real trail, but finally the kind of terrain I can move through efficiently.

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While Petr was off running, I (Stina) packed up the van, organized the chaos a bit, and then headed to Knaben Camping to shower, wash clothes, and charge all the gear. It was definitely one of those days where support work felt like a full-time job. By the time everything was ready, I started the three-hour drive to Ljosland — where we’d planned to meet.

Unfortunately, I underestimated how fast Petr would move in the new terrain, and I arrived late to the meeting point. That delayed everything.

When we finally met in the evening, he still needed to finish the video edit, eat, and pack his backpack for 1–2 days in the mountains with Čenda — including food for the little guy too, of course. Everything took time. Before we knew it, the clock hit 22:30.

We still managed to squeeze in a short 6 km push before stopping for the night. I stayed in Ljosland to sleep in the car and prepare for tomorrow’s logistics. Petr and Čenda were officially back on the trail, heading deeper into the mountains.

We’re getting there. The line is slowly but surely stretching north. It’s still messy at times — late starts, miscalculations, too much editing — but we’re learning. Every day, we adjust, improve, and figure out what works.

Slowly but steadily. One step at a time. Consistency is key.