Veresstua to Gaundalen Fjellgard. 36km, 9hrs. Today dawn indecisively. Overcast, flat light, snow showers and a cold wind greeted me as I left the warmth of the cabin. The weather forecast has been changing almost hourly, first predicting bad weather, then good, then something in between… it looked from the sky that the fight was still on. The snow conditions are good so I set out on what I think will be a long day, taking me deep into the heart of the Blåfjella-Snækerfjell National park, very close to the Swedish border and to a very remote farm owned by infamously hospitable Steiner Gaundal. I soon regret not putting my windproof trousers on and shelter behind three lonely pines to put that right. On go warmer mitts too. -10C and a stiff breeze takes its toll quickly. The snow is firm and fast… a smooth surface of easy glide, then I change aspect and I’m into a frozen sea of sastrugi… I experiment with different tacks and find the one that works, and glide up and down rhythmically across them. I feel pins and needles on my face but can’t see it snowing… I look at my arm to check and see tiny crystal shards falling from an increasingly blue sky. In the final hours of the day the wind drops and the sun predominates… the good weather gods are winning… I keep looking behind me at the sun, the endless mountains… until I see Gaundal farm across the valley and my heart, mind and body turns to thoughts of a warm cabin and hot food…