KIKUT (Dagbladet): At Kikutstua in the heart of Nordmarka, Dagbladet meets a polar explorer and two Swedes who are training for the Vasaloppet. They are among the many who have braved the Siberian cold that swept across Norway on Friday.
– This was delicious!, exclaim Daniel Fagerberg (50) and Caroline Wallman (45).
With frozen but smiling faces, they have made the trip on skis from Frognerseteren right next to the town and into Kikutstua.
– It probably took an hour and a half, says Fagerberg.
– DELICIOUS: Daniel Fagerberg (50) and Caroline Wallman (45) From Stockholm training for the Vasaloppet. Photo: Kristin Svorte Show more
Steep hills
The two Swedes are visiting friends in Oslo with one particular goal in mind: To train for the legendary ski race Vasaloppet.
– We go here because it is hilly, says Wallman.
In Stockholm – where the two live – there are much flatter slopes.
– You get practice on long slopes, says Fagerberg.
The protractor shows minus 27 degrees in the shade.
Despite well over 20 degrees below zero and newspaper headlines about “shocking cold”, more skiers visit Kikutstua.
ICE COLD: The guards stand outside the castle in the cold and show how they keep warm. Video: Magnus Paus / Dagbladet TV. Reporter: Bendik Hansen. view more
– High season
That does not surprise manager Einar Hougen (32), who runs the living room together with Susanne Ågren Andersen (35).
– We live here all year round, but the high season is now in the winter.
Friday is the first opening day for overnight stays for the season.
– But how is the cold now?
– It is fine. Some people called in and canceled because they thought it was scary with the cold, but there were others who called in and wanted to come here to eat wooden dishes.
Despite the attendance, the manager can say that the real high season has not quite started yet.
– This is nothing compared to a good Saturday. Then around 1,500 will come by. We sell 750 buns and 750 waffles.
HØYSESONG: Manager Einar Hougen (32) runs Kikutstua together with Susanne Ågren Andersen (35). Photo: Kristin Svorte / Dagbladet Show more
– I am a polar explorer
From far away – that is, a good distance out on the lake Bjørnsjøen – Dagbladet’s emissary discovers a figure that moves.
– This is a home office, says Inge Meløy (48) – who also made the trip to Kikut on Thursday.
– I am a polar explorer, I have skied to both the North and South Poles. This is just food, he says.
He says that it can get really cold there, over minus 40 degrees. His children have grown up in Svalbard.
– I have a son who has been sleeping on the veranda for seven years now, says Meløy and adds:
– This is just a joy!
“SHOCK COLD”: The thermometer shows minus 27 degrees in the shade. Photo: Kristin Svorte / Dagbladet Show more
He has been through rougher conditions – but the polar explorer emphasizes that things can also go wrong when you are not careful when it is like now – precisely because you lower your shoulders on “home ground”.
– That’s when it’s potentially dangerous, and you end up making mistakes. Typical is that you “just believed and just had to”, he says.
– The few times I have been on the verge of freezing have been on completely ordinary field trips.
Blast chill is here
Here are the tips
– And the tips to make sure?
– Bring extra mittens, a jersey and a windbag. Sweat is often the problem. If you sweat, you get cold.
Small falls can also lead to critical situations.
– If you sneeze and break your hand, you are hypothermic (very dangerous and potentially life-threatening hypothermia. Jour.anm) in five minutes.
However, Meløy has thought out Sunday as well – after a “couple’s day” on Saturday. He urges everyone to get out now.
– It’s absolutely wonderful now. You don’t need to scare people.
2024-01-06 06:57:37
#Polefarer #joy
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