Having spent three past New Year holidays in the cottages of the Vålådalen region, I seem to have established a pattern of doing it every other year. Since it was now two years since last time, I started considering extending the pattern, and eventually decided to do so. I was in Lunndörren last so that was out, but I did some thinking whether or not to try for Stensdalen – on the one hand the reduced service level because of the fire might scare people off, but on the other there might be a crowd in case everyone thought that everyone else thought like that. Complicated, yes? The "problem" was solved by my warden colleague Emma who had let me know that she would be managing the Vålå cottages this time around, and I decided to pay her a visit.

This time it would not be possible for me to remain in place on the first day of the year as I like to do, since I needed to get back to work, but as I had time off the week before instead I intended to visit Stensdalen first and make use of the sauna.

My packing list was as follows:

Add to that a scant liter of hot water in the thermos, and a half-liter bottle of cold water I carried in the anorak's chest pocket.

Here, then, is the full account of what transpired during the subsequent three days. Each section has a header consisting of a short overview of the stage in question, complete with a map showing the route travelled. A ring marks the starting point, a square the lunch break location, and a star the destination. Vertical distances have been calculated from the map and have an accuracy of 10 m. Cottage breakfasts consisted of oatmeal porridge, tea and a sandwich, and all lunches of two cups of instant soup and a sandwich.