Once Jan Baalsrud reached the top of the mountain, his companions left him under a shed to wait for the men who were supposed to pick him up to complete his journey to Sweden. Baalsrud was still confined to the sled and was injured, frostbitten, and starving. A storm prevented the men from picking up Baalsrud as planned, and he was left alone for nearly a week before someone came and discovered that he was still alive. He was given food and other supplies and continued to wait there for nearly a month. Eventually, Baalsrud was able to complete the final leg of his journey to Sweden with the aid of men who used reindeer to carry him across the border.
Once in Sweden, it took Baalsrud nearly two months to recover from his formidable experience. Exposure to the elements and frostbite had caused permanent damage and he had to learn how to walk again. Once well enough, Baalsrud continued to work for the resistance and eventually was able to return to Norway. Baalsrud was in Norway when the war ended and he was finally able to reunite with members of his family that he hadn’t seen in five years. His incredible story of survival has captivated the hearts of many people. He was honored with awards in both Britain and his home country of Norway. Every year in Norway, a group of people spend nine days retracing the steps of his journey. His story has been published as a book and has also been turned into a movie.