Storm on the mountain

Still and mild weather at Levajok is a big contrast to the storm the mushers encountered on the mountain from Sirbma. Strong winds and snow reduced the sight to nothing for periods of time. Several mushers reported of bad marking of the trail at some places where you couldn’t see the next pole.

It was complete whiteout sometimes and very fresh out there to put it mildly, “wild man” Lars Monsen could tell at checkpoint Levajok.

After several hours without indication of movement on Ketil Reitan’s GPS, it was decided that it had to be investigated. One of the snowmobiles drove out from Levajok and the reports from the mushers turned out to be true.

Up on the mountain the wind was so strong that it was difficult to stand up straight. The lost marking poles turned out to be broken from the wind or blown away. I tried to make the most out of the situation and put up new poles as best I could, says snowmobile driver Jørn Losvar.     

Photo: Jørn Losvar.