He has just returned to civilization after a day and a half cooped up in a tent in a blizzard and without food, when ST speaks on the phone with Eirik Skjevdal from California.

The fusion is traveling 4,300 kilometers along the west coast of the United States, from Mexico to Canada. The route is called The Pacific Crest Trail, “PCT” among those in the know, and the path is routed near the highest parts of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges.

On April 1, Eirik embarked on this adventurous journey, after three years of planning. For five months, he will hike through a wide range of nature experiences and degrees of difficulty. The route passes through 25 national forests and seven national parks.

Hit by a blizzard

“I am in civilization today, but I am busy purchasing goods and shipping them. I will contact you the next time I come down from the wilderness to buy goods.”

ST contacted Eirik on Messenger, and this was the response we received on May 14. On Wednesday of this week he got back in touch, and then it was time to make a phone call to be interviewed by the local newspaper.

– Now I’m taking a break in Mammoth, California, a town the size of Orkanger. The last step was hard! It was a 24-hour stage in deep snow and blizzards. I ran out of food and had to spend a day and a half in a tent with an American I met. We had to warm up, said Eirik.

When he speaks to ST, he is safe, has booked a room in a hotel and has gotten his hands on all kinds of food.

– Were you afraid in the blizzard?

– No, I was just focused on getting through it. Navigation was difficult, so we had to take shelter.

Biggest dream

The American he speaks of is a peer he met on the road. The two men decided to tackle the most demanding sections together.

– What made you embark on such an extreme journey?

– I got the idea when I saw the film Wild four years ago. I was inspired, I enjoyed the journey – the challenges and the varied experiences.

– But from the idea to its implementation… Are you the type to do that?

– I guess I’m a special chimney like no other! Eh…

Eirik is a qualified teacher and managed to work for six months as a contact teacher for the 5th grade at Rindal School before going on the trip.

– I told them about it during a job interview, and the manager agreed, says Eirik, who was determined that this was the time to make his dream come true.

– I wrote a list of things I want to do in life, and this trip is top notch. But first I had to finish my studies and work a little.

Walk in the desert

The first month the journey was through the desert, and then the challenge was having enough water. Eirik always had to carry six to seven liters of water in his backpack, and the backpack can weigh up to 30 kilos at most.

Only 15 percent of those who embark on this spectacular journey complete the entire route. For those who endure the first month in the desert, the prize comes in the form of variety and spectacular mountain scenery.

– It’s gone extremely well so far! I live in my tent. The first week was hard, I had to get used to the fact that it takes a long time to walk. At the beginning, I met a lot of people, but there are fewer and fewer. Now a week can go by without me seeing anyone, says Eirik.

When ST speaks to him, he has walked 1,500 kilometers and completed a third of the journey. The highlight so far was when he first caught sight of the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.

-Then I knew I was done with the desert. I saw the great white-capped mountains before me, and it was a wonderful sight!

Scared by the rattlesnake

However, things take longer when he now operates in more demanding landscapes. Where he used to be able to walk more than four miles a day in the desert, he now does two or three miles a day.

– I start walking at 12 p.m. in the evening and continue until 3 p.m. during the day. That’s when it’s best to walk on snow. During the day it’s just slush. I like to arrive at the peaks at 6 p.m. and admire the sunsets with me.

Eirik says he feels safe and hasn’t been scared yet during the trip, with one exception where he was a little scared:

– When I first met a rattlesnake.

At home, his girlfriend and her family sit and follow his route using GPS. They have complete control over him at all times. His students at Rindal also track his movements via GPS.

Watch a movie in the tent

– What is your goal in pushing yourself through such a demanding journey?

– There are three things: Experiences, new experiences and the feeling of mastery. Here, I feel a sense of mastery every day. The sense of mastery I felt the first time I was in Trollhetta, I feel here every day.

One of the biggest challenges is getting enough food along the way, and Eirik estimates he’s lost between 10 and 13 kilos so far on the journey. About ten days pass between each time he has the opportunity to buy food, fill his backpack and send rations to more distant addresses.

– I only have the most basic things with me. I have a sleeping bag, a mattress, a GPS, clothes – two boxers and three pairs of merino wool socks, so it doesn’t smell, a rain jacket and a thin down jacket. And I have an iPad that I can watch movies on in the tent. I need to relax a little.

Luxury with bed

When asked if he’s missing anything, his girlfriend is naturally mentioned first. However, he does not want to focus on the loss, but on the great joy of what he is experiencing.

– When I come to cities like this, it’s a luxury to be able to sit on a chair. It’s luxury with a bed and a pillow. It’s good to know that such ordinary things mean more to me.

– Did you have any problems with your body during the trip?

– There will be a few scratches that I will repair. I change my shoes every month, then you have to put them on. I mailed myself shoes and food, which I pick up from ranger cabins along the way.

No wonder it took a long time to plan the trip. He used notes from others who had made the trip and at the same time realized that he had to do things his way. The weather, the challenges you face and the speed at which you go are individual.

Find courage

– What do you learn about yourself during the trip?

– I learned that when I am so determined, I find the courage to make it happen. It can be uncomfortable when everything is wet and I’m lying in the tent, but then I manage to keep my spirits up. Even when we stood there warming up and ran out of food in the blizzard.

The day after the conversation with ST, Eirik had to postpone the trip for another eight days due to snow, before the rest of the trip featured summer weather.

– I will now walk from the mountain and down towards the forest with some mountains on the way. It will be more of a Norwegian terrain, almost like that of Trollheimen. The party I am currently with is the most extreme.

– Is there anything you would like to say to those waiting for you at home?

– I want to say hello to them and tell them that I miss them, including my students. I hope to have the same course when I return, he said.