The way back

Posted on 8. July 2014 by Rolf Stange

Tue
8 Jul
2014

Some of us decided after coming back down from Beerenberg to return to Kvalrossbukta the very same evening. As far as I was concerned, I was not keen on another 18 km for today and there is so much to see on the way that I felt some rest would be more than appropriate first.

Of course, the wind was picking up as soon as we were lying in our sleeping bags on the black sand, which found its way anywhere. Those who are responsible that we may not set up a proper camp outside from Kvalrossbukta should be happy they were not around tonight. Nevertheless, for me it was the best sleep since we had left Iceland. I guess I was just tired enough.

After some hours breakfast and a breakfast of some kind of green concrete, based on pies, the four remaining ones of us squeezed everything into the rucksacks and went off. A short detour up a little crater provided some very nice views of freshly appearing volcanic landscapes, which must have been active later than ca. 1820 (Scoresby’s visit).

Most of us did not have the right combination of energy and motivation left to make any unavoidable detours, so it was a very small group that first went to Eldste Metten. Remains of Jan Mayen’s oldest weather station, from the days when the island was still no man’s land. Barren rocks and wild surf on a black sand beach under a blue sky.

A second excursion took us into Jøssingdalen and the northern lagoon, where meteorological station and garrison were stationed during and after the Second World War. Certainly one of the more scenic places of the island, one could easily spend more time there, hike to the waterfall in Desemberdalen and up onto one of the many hills … so many beautiful little places, so many historical sites.

The local air force in shape of a Great skua attacked us in Wilczekdalen to defend a nest. In Maria Muschbukta, we saw the remains of the Austrian station from 1882-83 with the grave of the sailor Viscovich-Sturla. All these old stories.

Then the curtain closed. But the timing could hardly have been better. We had just packed the cameras away, when the wind came up and the clouds down. Many good memories from times when only the weather kept us from landing wherever we wanted, but not the law. The photo archive is now filled with many images far better than what I had from before.

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We could well have done without the remaining bit. A bus would have been quite nice. But there was no bus, all we had were our feet and still quite a few kilometres along that dusty road. The rucksacks were getting noticeably heavier and the feet made themselves felt quite easily, but in the end we reached the camp in Kvalrossbukta. How good it felt to drop the rucksacks finally after 32 kilometres! And there was indeed still some lamb stew left … life can be good on Jan Mayen!

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