Following a Gebirgsjäger Trail

The european heat wave finally reached us here in the far north. Suddenly it went from autumny temperatures to around +25-30 Celsius, and for northerners not well versed with such temps this spelled low energy levels and a strong urge to sit in a lawnchair with a freezing cold beer under a shady tree.

Even so a certain level of activity was maintained resulting in a day out searching with the metal detector together with Baard early in the week (more about that later) and yesterday a trip to explore some Gebirgsjäger mountain positions in the south of the Lyngen Line together with the GirlfriendWife.

It had gotten too warm down in the valley and with the inferno of pollen released from the vegetation and the black clouds of bugs hungry for pale skin it became unbearable.

We packed our stuff late friday evening and early the next morning we began walking towards the mountain.

Nearly two hours later we reached the tree line and and hour thereafter we were on the mountain. Here was no pollen hanging in the air so I could breathe freely again, the temperatures were perfect and a light breeze kept the bugs away.

Along the route we had seen a few traces of the "road" the Gebirgsjägers had laid and we found a hook from a gondola lift.

Hook from a gondola lift.

How many tons of equipment were transported up these steep hills?

In November 1944 der Führer ordered these positions built to become an unpenetrable fortress, but as we know the war ended the following spring and all the sweat and blood that had been shed on the construction of these positions were for nothing.

Approaching the area we had decided to explore, we had a small hill in front of us and we could see it had shelters built from rocks and wood around its base. Very exciting!

On the top we established our base for the day and ate a little lunch before running around investigating and photographing the site.

Hillside specked with shelters.

All the shelters had been torn down and destroyed, and most of the original german fighting positions had been built up and upgraded by Nato during the Cold War, when they re-named it the Fröy Line, and were all closed off now.

Around the area rubbish from the Gebirgsjäger troops were strewn. Lots of food tins, broken bottles, rifle ammo, field gear, building materials and oven parts. And a lot of barbed wire.

Whats left of a backpack.

We spent the whole day up there in the calmness of the mountains and it was pure bliss. We had brought a drone and flew around with that a bit, and lifted it up high so we could see many miles ahead where we plan to go another time to check out the positions laying there.

On our way down in the afternoon we got spooked by a bear, which actually was a big root and we re-acquainted ourselves with the insects.

Getting closer to the tree line the temperatures rose and we cooled down by filling our hats with water from the cold stream and putting them on our heads. Refreshing!

When we reached the car my feet were glowing and pulsating, screaming for a rest, and today I can feel the walk a bit but we are already looking for a new place to visit very soon.

German rifle ammo.

All the shelters had been destroyed.

Part of a snowgoggle.

The ruins of a MG position.

Many rusted stoves are still laying around.

A ski, cut with a saw.

The view ahead of these positions.

Some of the shelters seen from above.

Rubbish laying in small ponds.

The shelters and bunkers seems to have been skillfully built.