Bagging Summits

Over the weekend some of you may well have seen our Instagram post, which was a prelude to today’s blog.

On both days, and very early morning, I decided to head out and explore some new Summits and some new areas in Maridalen.

You would think that after 13.5 years I had explored the entire Valley. But the joy and wonder of Maridalen is quite how vast it is and how many tiny trails criss cross it.

I had found a website (summitbag.com) which could go back over my running activities for the past six years on Strava and map out exactly where I had explored, and every summit I had passed through and over.

I normally run potential walks during my free time with my dog, so as to evaluate how appropriate it would be to walk groups of dogs there.

But I was more interested in the areas, summits and peaks I had not explored.

And so on both Saturday and Sunday, Minttu and I hopped into the van, before most of Oslo awoke, to go explore.

One on the East side of the Valley, one on the West. Both required a few kilometres of known trails before deviating off the path well trodden, to go explore the unknown.

And unknown it would appear to have been. 4 of my 5 peaks and hill tops had no path to get to the top. That tells you quite how few have attempted these areas.

Crossing marshes, scrambling up rock fields, fighting through thick forest and jumping over streams was all part of the adventures.

We loved it. The new views were breathtaking, as were some of the uphills (more literally).

So if you fancy some new adventures in your life, you could do a lot worse than to check out Summitbag.com

Doggies: Balto, Sara and Leopold