Author: Lars Peters

D.I.Y. running trousers & Blefjell

Homemade running trousers

This week some of the fabrics that I had ordered for work arrived. When I was scrolling through the web-shop of Extrem Textil. I saw some windstopper four-way stretch DWR fabric that would make for a fantastic running trouser. On Saturday I started working on the fabric. I used some of my favorite running tights to create a pattern for the new winter trousers. The fabric was easy to work with and I didn’t take long before I had the new pair of running tights. On Sunday i had a urge to get out on a run so i could test my new creation. I drove up to Blefjell and had a amazing day in the mountains.

Just some tips if you ever think about sewing your own garments:

Stage one idea board:

Collect images of- or your favorite garments and have a good lookout they might have been made. Think about what you like about this garment and if you could create the same features in your own design. Look at what type of fabric that would suit your needs.

Stage two Patterns:

Making a pattern can be the hardest work. It is easy to copy panels from garments you have at hand, however adapting these to a different size, or creating completely new panels from scratch can be a head-scratcher. I like to use a slightly robust transparent plastic to create my pattern as this makes it easy to see the fabric below and it does not stretch. Sometimes I use scrap fabric at hand if I have some laying around. When creating a completely new pattern I always cut it with a large allowance around the edges so that I can adjust it later. It becomes a sew a bit, fit it, adjust, sew some more, until it’s perfect. Make a copy of all the panels in plastic or on scrap fabric as soon as you’re done so that you always have the Pattern if you would like to make one more.

Stage three Cutting:

When you’re cutting the fabrics it’s good to pay attention that is lying freely, not stretching anyway. I sometimes use heavy books to weighted down the fabric so it doesn’t run off the table. Some fabrics are two way stretch so that they only stretch in One Direction. Make sure your panels has their stretch in the direction you would like them to have when you’re cutting two-way stretch fabric. I’ve used rotary knives or conventional scissors to cut fabric. Rotary knife are so very easy to use and I would definitely recommend investing in one if you are going to sew more in the future.

Stage four sewing:

Alright there are a lot of different techniques when it comes to sewing. I’m not going to cover this thoroughly as it’s just too much, just Youtube away! A lot of sewing machines have different stitch patterns, special ones for stretch fabrics and so on.. Is important to remember that a normal straight stitch does not stretch. Always use a zigzag stitch on anything that you would like to have some stretch properties. Choosing the right size of needles can also be quite important. Use fine thin needles on fabrics that are on constant tension or that you would like to have as waterproof as possible. This because of the whole site the needle tears in the fabric. Heavier fabrics like Condura or kvelar require thicker needles two puncture through.

Blefjell

I wanted to test my new creation so badly. The report said that the sun would be out but cold sub-zero temperatures. Blefjell has always been on my list on places i wanted to visit for some running. it’s about 1,5 hours by car from my house. By the use of a toll -road you can drive quite far up and park your car at about 630m above sea level. the highest top on Blefjell (‘Store-Ble’ or ‘Bletoppen’) is about 1345m so it still leave some hundreds of meters uphill ready to be ran.

The trial was well marked, i choose to sort of run in a 8 figure with the slackest trails up & the steepest down. This also gave me a slightly longer flat trail to start with so i could warm up my body & prepare it for the hills to come. There was more ice on the trails then i thought, shame i left my spike studded running shoes at home! sometimes i had to run up or down a bid to get past a large slab of ice. its strange how big small streams freeze!

I was amazed how easy i ran. i was a bid i doubt if i was motivated to run, i even brought some earphones to play some music to keep me going. But they have been in my pack troughout, somehow i just hit the flow zone as soon as i got going. It’s mindbogglingly how much i can think of while on these runs when everything just works by itself. ha ha i probably make like three life plans in my head. When i got back at the car my head was cleared and i was satisfied. I’ll be back next year Blefjell. The route can be found here.

To the west!

Last week i went to a farm in the west of Norway, Bergo in Eksingedalen to be precise. I usually travel here in the Autumn once a year to have a little reunion with my old class mate Anna, her fiancé Jørgen, Hobo (the dog) & Leo the leopard! just kidding the cat.. Once a year they host a traditional ‘Smalahovesviing’ event at the farm, where they burn the hair of sheepheads (yes dead ones) to prepare them for the traditional dish of ‘smalehove‘. After the hair in the head is removed by burning they go into a bath of salt & will be smoked before they are ready. We also build a shelter up there in 2016 wish was in dire need of getting its roof properly turfed.

On Monday i woke up my landy and sat a course to the west over the mountain road the E143. There had been a LOT of rain the previous days. Some of the roads at Odda where closed because of flooding and smaller land slides the previous day. Luckily things calmed down quickly on Monday and the roads opened up again. Some of the waterfall were still going strong when i drove past providing some free car-washes along the way!

A stop at Haukelifjellet

On my way up i made a stop at Haukelifellet along the E143 to do some running. The sun was out and the weather was exceptionally mild for the time of year, as the snow that had fallen previous had melted away and the trails where dry. In the old photo’s you can see how much snow there usually is on the ground at this time of year. After staring at the map for some time i settled on Verjesteinsnuten, a rocky mountain with a steep cliff down to the valley. I informed Anna of my plans and that i would be ”slightly” delayed.

I stated up Nupsdalen wich was just incredible, Steep walls, big boulders & a nice stream running trough the valley floor. I quickly make my way up & out of the valley thus arriving at the moon-landscape. With little to no earth, only boulders, rock-slabs & snow, progress got slower. After winding my way up to the top going around snowfields made it to the top. It was time to make a decision, go back the same way or trying to find a route down the steep cliff. There was a promising ledge leading to a rock basin just below the cliff but it looked a bid sketchy as it was filled with loose rock and it still was quite steep.

By running a little to the east i found a way to get down to the rock basin. The first part was doable but there was a part at the end close to the river where things got pretty steep again. I had to be careful with where i placed my feet so i wouldn’t trigger any rock that where loose. This took some time but i make my way down to the safe grassy slopes & followed a sheep trail back to the car. I used a little over an hour more then i thought so i just had to start driving. the route i ran can be found here.

Bergooo o Bergoo

At Bergo we set on getting the shelter roof turfed. Jørgen & i went up on Tuesday to start hammering down the plastic lining & supports. Work progressed rapidly are where where cutting turf in no-time. we started with small 50/50cm square but we slowly went to bigger and bigger slices. At the end of Wednesday they became heavy soaking wet man long rectangles (that i couldn’t lift, hehe) as i had started to rain, not a uncommon occurrence in western Norway. We finished the turfing that day with just minor fixings left before the shelter has its roof properly in turfed the Norwegian way. Later that day we brought the sheep’s in the barn as the forecast predicted colder weather was coming soon.

On Thursday i went to a place they called Nestet on the other side of the lake to start cutting down some logs for a future Goathi, ‘Jord Gamme‘. Jørgen and Anna starter a little outdoor company, ‘Bergo Fjellflyt‘, that offers canoe & kayak rental with overnight stays at the lake. They are developing several camp sites around the lakes. At Neset Jørgen wants to clear a place for a large hanging tent, a Goathi & a area to hang your hammocks. I spent the day clearing some of the trees & burning a fire to get rid of the many branches.

The Smalahove sviing was on Saturday, lots of people turned up for the event and some other students from Bø turned up as well 🙂 that day just blew past so quickly, as good days always do.

Kvitanosi

ow yea Kvitanosi on Friday almost forgot! I just had to take a run as there was so little snow in the mountains around Eksingedalen. I did however misjudge the run a tiny bid.. First of all i made a little error taking the a wrong trail at the start. i thought i would run the Marked trail first and make my way back down on the smaller unmarked trails. This however turned out quite positive as the marked trail made the return trip a lot easier then to the top. second error was to not bring any food.. i was hungry for about half the run, i found this single piece of old wine-gum in my pack. haha a mini Cola bottle and it was covered in sand as it probably had fallen out of its packing on a earlier run. Never tasted anything better that that sandy piece of wine-gum 😀

There was some snow and ice on the upper part close to the top of Kvitanosi but it was doable. I was happy that i brought my spiked shoes, the provided some gripp on the thin layer of ice on the stones. The worst was the fog/rain, the higher part of the route has in the cloulds making it hard to keep my orientation. i had to use some maps and compass on my phone to keep me on course. as soon as i popped out of the clouds again things went smooth.

I was however still craving food and i knew the DNT cabin of Torvedalshytta was on the route (tiny detour). The have a provision chamber with a small stock of beverages inside, i hallucinated the inside of that room at that point. To my surprise there where guests at the cabin, some people from DNT Voss that where getting the cabin ready for winter nonetheless. The cabin was nice and warm and we chatted for about an hour or so & some warm porridge with raisins pepped me up again! With a full belly the last km’s back to the car flew by. i think i used about 3 hours more and i thought on those 26km.. with the cabin stay included 😉

Bergo Eksingdalen Haukeli Kvitansi Verjesteinsnuten

Visitors, Walks & Runs

Gygrestolen - pinacles Gamla to the left Gubben to the right

I’ve had some visitors this week a friend of mine that has walked from Røros to Nordkapp the last few moths. She left the 21th of June and arrived on the Nordkapp the 25th of September. Her car was stored at my house in the meanwhile so she can back to pick it up & to do some walks in the area around to slowly detox from a summer on the trails. We went on a couple of day-hikes to some small lunch cabins of Gvarv Turlag in the area just north from the Town of Grarv in Sauherad.

Ran two rounds in Bø these weeks that have been logged and published on the site; Gygrestolen and Astridnatten.

I’ve been at Gygrestolen soo many times it’s a perfect round run of about 6,5km. Little steep on the way up, amazing views and perfect trail to cruise down afterwards. It never disappoints 🙂

Astridnatten was a longer project. The official marked trail only goes one way up to the the top. I wanted to explore some smaller unmarked trails to see if i could make it a round trip out of it. The smaller trails in the map where better then expected and it became a neat round. two parts just after the top and further down the valley that where without a obvious trail. There where some tracks but i can imagine you’ll need a trained eye to see that there has been a trail there. luckily there just short parts in-between good trails and above the treeline its easy to so your destination anyways 😉

I’m going west next week! To a farm at Eksingedalen to be more precise stay tuned!