Day 157 - Skali Skåla

We arrived at Stryn at about 7.40 am. The rain didn't go away. Took another bus to our campsite.

Keng Rui's 2 man tent (green colour) vs the three men tent + porch we shared (blue colour)

It was the first time camping for Evelyn and I. Keng Rui and I somehow manage to figure out how to pitch the 3-men tent in the drizzle. "I can make it through the rain....."

A little short rapid near our campsite. It's quite scenic: one side faces the lake, and it is bordered by this river. Downside: we're in the trough of the valley. Which means super strong winds and cold air descending at night. It's already near 10°C in the day. Not quite used to it from London's mid 20°C weather.

Got any water descending in a vertical manner, must take photo with it. Bo Bian lah, we have a waterfall chaser.

Looks manmade, but it's still pretty aren' it? At the entrance of the campsite.

We treked to the base of Mount Skåla, which has a descend of about 1km and a peak of 1.8km. It's the highest peak in don't know where. Traditionally believed that the air up there is good for your lungs and cures TB. Then again, like one of the signs said, if you have the lungs to climb this, chances are, you don't have TB in the first place.

First waterfall we chance upon during our ascend.

2nd water fall. I'm kinda numbed to it?

But it is still a vertical descent of water...must take photo....

Our dare-devil approach a slippery edge.

hoping for better weather.

Snow melt tributaries. Future lessson material.

What is the point where 2 tributaries joined together called?

a) Convergence

b) Connection

c) Convergence

d) Who cares. Take group photo first (it's convergence by the way)

more rapids. Future lesson material.

Glory of snow melt tributaries. Geogasm alert.

We took a break halfway. "You see that mountain? you must put it in this square....."

Yup, that's the lake our campsite faces. Approaching the snow zone.

As we track the slipperly melting hardened snow......

Freeze-Thaw action

Another break.

We went on and on, and realise that we're tracking on hardened snow, which is quite dangerous given how we don't have proper equipmen. Besides, rough rocks and cleavages lies beneath the snow, and we've sunk our feets into some of these spots a few times. Doesn't help that the path is being obscured also. We no longer know if the route we're taking is safe.

The peak. Evelyn and I decided it's too dangerous to continue. Our Daredevil went up to recce.

While we enjoy the scenary......

Paranomic view.

Our resident daredevil returned. Conclusion: Too dangerous to go to the peak. Can't see path. That's where we turn back.

One last look at the gorgeous view. At least the clouds cleared and the sun came out for this scenary.

Aren't no joke going down the slipperly slope on snow. But it was kinda fun sliding.

Finally we've reached the bottom. It was like 7pm already. That's Skäla on the right.

The suspiciously man-made waterfall in much better lighting condition.

I last opened this bottle at the highest point we stopped. Notice the pressure difference?

And so, we ate our biscuits. Correction, I ate my biscuits, they ate their Green Giant corn (I still can't appreciate it). Hot Shower cost NKR10 for 3 minutes. That's like £1-2? We gave it a missed and just washed face. After all, the temperature is seriously dropping to sub 10ºC that we couldn't really take the cold anymore.