KIKUT (Dagbladet): In Kikutstuwa, in the heart of Nordmarka, Dagbladet meets a polar explorer and two Swedes who are training for Vasalloppet. They were among many who braved the Siberian cold that swept across Norway on Friday.
– It was delicious!, exclaims Daniel Fagerberg (50) and Caroline Wallman (45).
With frozen, but smiling faces, they traveled on skis from Fraknersetteren to the right of the city and to Kikutstuwa.
– Probably an hour and a half, says Fagerberg.
– Tasty: Daniel Fagerberg (50) and Caroline Wallman (45) training for Vasalophate from Stockholm. Photo: Kristin Svorte
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Steep hills
The two Swedes visit friends in Oslo with a specific goal: to train for the famous ski race Vasalopet.
– Wallman says we are going here because it is hilly.
Stockholm – where both live – has very flat slopes.
– You train on long slopes, says Fagerberg.
The protractor shows minus 27 degrees in the shade.
Despite newspaper headlines about 20 degrees below zero and “shockingly cold”, more and more skiers visit Kikutstua.
– High season
Not surprisingly, manager Einar Haugen (32), who runs The Living Room with Susanne Ögren Andersson (35).
– We live here all year round, but the peak season is now in winter.
Friday is the first overnight stay of the season.
– But how is the cold now?
– That's good. Some called in and canceled because they thought the cold would frighten them, but others wanted to come and eat wooden dishes.
Despite the arrivals, the manager could say that the real high season is yet to begin.
– It's nothing compared to a good Saturday. About 1,500 people will come then. We sell 750 buns and 750 waffles.
HØYSESONG: Manager Einar Hougen (32) runs the Kikutstua runs alongside Susanne Ågren Andersen (35). Photo: Kristin Svorte / Dagbladet
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– I am a polar explorer
From afar—that is, a good distance across Lake Björnsjon—Dogbladet's emissary spotted a moving figure.
– It's a home office, says Inge Meloy (48) – who also traveled to Gigud on Thursday.
– I'm a polar explorer, I've skied to both the North and South Poles. He says it's just food.
He says it gets colder than minus 40 degrees there. His children grew up in Svalbard.
– I have a son who has been sleeping on the veranda for seven years now, Meloy adds:
– It's a pleasure!
“Shock cold”: the thermometer shows minus 27 degrees in the shade. Photo: Kristin Svorte / Dagbladet
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He's been in tough situations – but the polar explorer insists that things can go wrong when you're not careful, as he is now – precisely because you put your shoulders down on “home ground”.
– That's when it gets dangerous and you end up making mistakes. You have to “just trust,” he says.
– I've been on completely normal trips a few times where I've been on the verge of freezing.
It is very cold here
Here are the tips
– And tips to make sure?
– Bring extra gloves, a jersey and a windbag. Sweating is a frequent problem. Sweating causes colds.
Even small falls can lead to critical situations.
– If you sneeze and break your hand, in five minutes you are hypothermic (very dangerous and life-threatening hypothermia. Jour.anm).
However, Meli also thought about Sunday – after Saturday's “Couple Day”. He asks everyone to leave now.
– This is absolutely wonderful now. You don't need to scare people.
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