RTW Leg 134

RTW Leg 134
Early Morning
EDGM-ESUT 431 nm.
Oslo-Hemavan. Scandinavian Lakes, Valleys, Mountains and Forests. Lillehammer, Ostersund.
ETE: 3 Hours.
Terminal Departure and Terminal Arrival

NARRATIVE

Today we head northward to edge of Sweden's bit of Lappland. This is ski country.

First we head north out of Gardermoen along Lake Mjøsa which, with a length of 62 miles (100 km), constitutes Norway's largest lake. On the right is Hamar, Norway's biggest inland town. On the east coast, just north of Hamar, you can see (?) the ruins of a cathedral built in the 12th century. The use of Mjøsa by both tourists and municipal water systems was endangered in the 1970s by algae growth, but a program completed in 1980 to eliminate the inflow of untreated sewage improved the quality of nearby rivers and restored swimming to the lake. It's deep waters now exude a richly satisfying blue.

And about 40 miles further along, near the MESNALI VOR, we can spot Lillehammer where the Lågen river flows into Lake Mjøsa--at the southern end of famed Gudbrands Valley. Lillehammer is the commercial center for the valley and a popular year-round resort with both a summer and winter appeal. Its open-air museum, Maihaugen (founded 1887), features Norwegian art and architecture, displaying complete farms, peasant cottages, workshops, and handicrafts of the region. The town gained world fame as the site of the "ecological" or "green" 1994 Olympic Winter Games. During that month the weather remained 25 degrees below freezing--giving the world a taste of the harsh beauty of the Norwegian winter. And in December of 2001 will host the World Cup.

We then follow the Lågen up the Gudbrandsdalen ("en dal" means "a valley) named after the powerful Gudbrand family who lived here. This is one of the oldest settlement sites in Norway--some farms are being managed into their 25th generation. The valley runs 100 miles (160 km) to the legendary Dovre Mountains in the north and is flanked by the Jotunheim Mountains on the west and the Rondane Mountains on the east. Beyond Lillehammer, the towns are small. Like other Norwegian valleys, Gudbrands Valley has developed its own culture and dialect. A historic trade route and site of ancient graves, it is associated with several sagas and legends, including that of Peer Gynt. From the air we can follow the main Oslo-Trondheim railroad and highway that pass through the valley. The area is rich in agriculture and timber, and many large hydroelectric power generating stations have been built along the Lågen.

We proceed part way up the valley to the town of Otta and then turn north east (at the waypoint RDANE). Of immediate interest is Rodeslottet at 7,146 feet (2,178 m). This is the highest peak in the Rondane National Park-- established as a nature preserve in 1962. The terrain is mountainous spotted with small glaciers and a number of other impressive peaks, . Vegetation is comparatively sparse because of the poor soil, and the few trees scattered about the landscape are mostly dwarf birch and conifers. Lichens (especially reindeer moss) predominate nearer the ground, giving the mountains a yellowish-white color.

Then eastward to the old mining town of Roros which, preserving its legacy of a bygone era, is on the UNESCO's world heritage list of cultural treasures. We cross the border into Sweden, perhaps spotting a few wild bears that are absent in Norway. It turns out that the Norwegian government continues to subsidize local farmers who, after all, occupy and preserve the land. In Sweden, on the other hand, such subsidies have been eliminated with the consequence that much rough land, once farmed, is nowadays uninhabited. To the delight of the local bear population.

Flying over a mix of rivers, forests, and lakes, we then approach Ostersund and its nearby Lake Storsjön – or Great Lake. This is now an agricultural and tourist center that provides rail connections with Trondheim, Stockhollm, and Oslo. The city itself, at 65,000, constitutes the largest city in northern Sweden and boasts a technical, engineering, and scientific university. Near the bridge that connects the town with Frösön, an island in Lake Storsjön, is Sweden's northernmost runic stone, dating from the 11th century and telling of Jämtland's conversion to Christianity. With a life expectancy of 86 years, the locals proudly claim that the region's natural beauty and clean air provide an exceptionally high quality of life. When it became possible that the 2002 Olympic Games at Salt Lake City might be moved, Ostersund joined Lillehammer and Innsbruk as competitors to replace the Americans--demonstrating the ambition of the local leadership. Musher Egil Ellis is well-known in these parts. ( http://www.sleddogcentral.com/interviews/ellis.htm )

When flying over Storsjön, it might be useful to get the camera out in case of a monster sighting. (See below.)

Geting into Hemavan (ESUT) can challenge as the weather can be dicey. Take care with the approach.

When we reach Hemavan we might take advantage of the resort atmosphere. Snow is the operative word.


Challenging slopes make the region a memorable trip. Go for the downhill.

Nearby there are a number of ski runs that provide a world class challenge. Especially well known are those near Tärnaby, just south of Hemavan. The region has developed stars like local legends Ingemar Stenmark, Stig Strand, Bengt Fjällberg, and most recently, Anja Pärson. Why? Consider the snow: it is consistently a meter to two in depth and lasts the season long.

And of course, north of the Arctic Circle there is the usual snowmobiling, husky sledging, and lake ice fishing.

Of course, if the season and weather permits you might visit Fjällbotaniska trädgården--the world’s northernmost botanical garden. Here you can see some 400 species of alpine mountain plants in their natural settings. The garden both makes the alpine flora accessible to the general public and also provide a genetic bank for endangered species.

Fjällparken Hemavan is the starting point for all manner of hikes and excursions in the area, including the Royal Trail (Kungsleden).

Flight planning and narrative by
Jozef Kusters and Mike MacKuen
RTW Pilots #038 and #039

Please note that these RTW Narratives are produced using materials from various sites, in print and on the web. They are intended for the private use of the RTW Buzz pilots and are not meant for public dissemination.

OSTERSUND, Sweden, Feb 2 (Reuter) - Swedes are trying to drag their equivalent of the Loch Ness monster into the international limelight.

Cloudy sky reflected in
Lake Storjön's still waters.
See anything odd?

While the mystery creature in Scotland's Loch Ness has won Hollywood roles and lucrative merchandising deals, the other 250 plus lake monsters reported globally lurk in relative obscurity -- including Sweden's Great Lake Monster. The Storsjo monster is said to have lived in its central Swedish lake for at least 360 years and 150 sightings by 450 people have been recorded since 1635. Yet stories of the creature have remained largely confined to its home county of Jamtland, about 600 km (370 miles) northwest of Stockholm.

"If this had been America, I would be wearing a T-shirt saying "I have seen the monster'," said Bibbi Hogstrom, head of the tourist bureau at Ostersund on the banks of the Great Lake, who saw the monster when she was 13 years old.

"We have really not exploited the lake monster and that is typical of this area and of Sweden. We don't think it is something really special so we keep quiet about it."

But as unemployment in Jamtland creeps up and tourists shun central Sweden for more exotic locations, local authorities are becoming more aware of the potential value of their own trump card -- the lake monster. Sten Rentzhog, chairman of the Society for Investigating the Great Lake Monster that was set up in 1987, said a conference would be held later this year to design an action plan for promoting the creature. "This conference will give the monster more publicity," said Rentzhog, who is also director of Jamtland County Museum.

Sightings of the lake monster date back to 1635, according to Ulla Oscarsson, who has written one of only three books available about the creature. The other two were published in 1899 and in the 1950s. The first written mention of the monster was in a parish register kept by Parson Mogens Pedersen at nearby Herdal. He said a magic rune stone created a big serpent. By the late 19th century the frequency of reported sightings of the monster in Sweden's fifth-largest lake rose. In 1894 a group from Ostersund set up a company, called the Company to Capture the Great Lake Monster, to track down the animal, using traps baited with pigs and live calves. Sweden's then king, Oscar II, known for his interest in science, became involved and contributed funds to the company.

In recent years, sightings continue regularly. Last July a group of pensioners on a pleasure cruise on the lake made a 30-second videotape of the monster as it appeared above the water in what was said to be a three-minute sighting. "On the video you can see some strange waves moving in a strange way but it is not really very clear," Oscarsson said.

Oscarsson said witnesses' reports about the monster fall into two distinct categories: a large eel about three metres (10 feet) long and one metre (3.3 feet) wide that is grey-brown or a large serpent up to 14 metres (46 feet) long with humps and a small dog-like head.

"People report seeing some movement in waves on the lake and then other waves or humps appearing," Oscarsson said. "Those who see it from a long distance tend to say it has humps that could overturn a board but those who see it close-up say the monster is short but thick."

Hogstrom, now aged in her late 30s, said she was with two other girls when they saw the monster about 200 metres (yards) out. "We saw something come up to the surface of the lake and swim fast, like a thick eel, grey and slimy, definitely not a fish. It turned quickly and then disappeared," Hogstrom said. "It was a very calm happening. But when we told people what we had seen they just laughed so we kept quiet about it."

The rise in the number of sightings during the tourist season in Ostersund has caused some sceptics to mull over the power of public relations on people's eyesight. Hogstrom, however, was adamant there was no connection to a PR push or to the fact the picturesque, lakeside town of 60,000 has one of the highest ratios of bars per capita in Sweden.

Local authorities have taken the monster seriously enough to declare him -- or her -- a protected species. In 1986 the county administration of Jamtland declared anyone trying to capture, injure or kill the monster could be prosecuted under the Nature Conservancy Law. It was also made illegal to remove or damage the Great Lake Monster's eggs, spawn or nest, whichever is applicable.

Researcher Olle Nattsson, who is helping organise this year's conference, said there were numerous theories to explain why such lake monsters exist. Like Loch Ness, one theory is that during the Ice Age 15,000 years ago, the monster became trapped in the lake. A common pattern true for most of the reported lake monsters around the world is that all the animals are found in lakes and river systems that are either connected or were once connected to the sea. "But we really do not know much even about this lake or the monster," Nattsson told Reuters. "Unlike at Loch Ness we have not done any thorough searches and we need to investigate the lake then set down a definite search plan."

One website on cryptozoology - the search for and study of animals whose existence is disputed - that concentrates on lake monsters, claims there are up to 600 worldwide. (http://monsters.webjump.com/)


Approaching Hemavan and the regional airport.