Let it happen
October 17, 2025
Monday 23th of Februariy - Røros
On the way to Røros we can already see that there is plenty of snow. That’s one thing we don’t have to worry about this year. In fact, it has been a very good winter, with stable cold temperatures since the end of December. When we pick up the group, we immediately sense that this trip will work out just fine. For the first time we have a group with almost the same profile: five women and one man, all between 50 and 55 years old. The connection is instant, with menopause becoming the first topic of conversation on Tuesday morning. We listen along with a smile.
A tough start
The weather forecast predicts snow on Wednesday—lots of snow. That will make for a tough start, but that’s exactly how we like it. Let the first day be the hardest so the tone is set right away. When we leave our basecamp, there are already ten centimeters of fresh snow on the ground. Goodbye warmth, goodbye chairs—from now on we’re heading into the freezer for a week.
It snows heavily all day. We push through the fresh snow, trying not to sweat. By the end of the afternoon we see the energy drops for some of the participants. We look for a place to pitch the tents in a dense birch forest. Setting up camp is an extra workout this year. We sink almost to our hips in the snow. For the participants it’s quite a tough start. Everything is new, and the deep snow makes it even more challenging to set up the tents and keep the pulkas free of snow. But what a wonderful group. No complaints, no grumbling. Just smiles, pride, and a sense of accomplishment. They are doing so well.
Day 2
The fresh snow has erased all the tracks from the past weeks. The landscape is untouched, a pristine blanket of white. Everywhere we go, we have to make our own trail through the deep snow. Uphill or downhill, it makes little difference—the pace is the same everywhere, slow and steady. Light snow drifts down throughout the day while the sun tries to break through the thin cloud cover. Towards the end of the day, the sky slowly begins to clear behind us. Patches of blue appear and the snowfall stops. At the edge of a lake, we pitch the tents in the glow of the setting sun. A faint ribbon of northern lights appears in the sky while we sit together around the campfire, melting snow in the large pot hanging above the flames.
Day 3
A fresh wind makes the morning feel cold, but in the distance we can see the sun slowly pushing the clouds away. After an hour of skiing, we present the group with a choice: the beautiful but demanding route over the mountain pass, or the easier route through the valley? Almost unanimously, the group chooses the route over the pass. And as always, good choices are rewarded. The sun breaks through completely. In T-shirts we push our way uphill through the snow. It’s almost windless and the views are spectacular. We sit in the sun and enjoy a summery couscous salad with orange. Life on a winter expedition can feel surprisingly luxurious. The only downside is the sticky snow under the skis, although some people don’t mind at all since the descents happen at walking pace anyway. Towards the end of the afternoon, a herd of reindeer suddenly appears right in front of us. Not much later we pitch the tents, enjoy the sunset, and light a campfire as the temperature slowly drops to –12°C. The picture is complete.
Day 4
–13.5°C, the thermometer reads in the morning. The trees are wrapped in a beautiful layer of frost. Everything sparkles. The sun is already shining in the sky, and one by one layers of clothing come off as we ski. The water in the river even looks tempting enough to jump into. Hello spring—that’s what it feels like! It’s a wonderful day on skis. The snow isn’t sticking, and the snowmobile track even makes the skiing easy. After three nights in the tent, we’ll sleep in a cabin tonight. Everything can dry and air out for a while, we can sit on a chair, take care of our feet, and walk around in T-shirts. A simple cabin feels like incredible luxury.
Day 5
A new layer of snow lies on the lake. It’s misty. The sky and the lake seem to blend together into one endless white-grey landscape. “If you could be any animal, which one would you choose?” Katrien asks—a question to reflect on while we cross the lake. In silence we glide forward: swish, swish, swish. On the other side we follow a snowmobile track up through the forest. It’s magically beautiful, and when the sky finally opens as we reach the top, we see the magnificent mountain peaks in the distance. This group certainly can’t complain about the amount of snow and sunshine they’ve had.
Sometimes it's just perfect! As one of the participants said during the week: "I feel so much alive here. We wake up, pack the tents, ski all day, set up the tents and sleep. Life is so simple, but yet so fulfilling. Simple can be perfect!"
The forecast predicted strong winds from the morning, but when we wake up it is completely calm. Long, stretched clouds cross the blue sky, creating beautiful patterns over the untouched snow landscape.
We know this is one of the most beautiful places of the entire expedition, but participants rarely get to experience it under such perfect conditions.
As we climb above the tree line, the wind begins to pick up. Expedition mode on!
We descend towards Femunden, cross the lake straight across, and search for a sheltered place on the other side.
50+ toppers
As if it belongs to this week, the sun shines brightly again on the last day. We ski the final eight kilometres across the lake and then, at last, click out of our skis.
We still have to wait about an hour for the taxi to pick us up, but in the bright sunshine that feels like pure luxury. We almost forget the snowstorm we set off in on the first day.
Just as quickly as it begins, it’s suddenly over. What a beautiful week with such a wonderful group. These adventurers, all 50+, have once again shown that adventure has no age limit.
So strong, brave and positive. Thank you!
