Norway: 2014

Exploration Norway – May, 2014

Part 1

Picture Charleston, SC:  Cobblestone streets, colorful, historic architecture, a town holding fast to its traditional roots.  Picture Seattle, WA: Steep streets, rainy climate, and access to some of the nations’ best outdoor recreation.  Now Boulder, CO, with its abundance of hiking trails and cycling paths; a city designed more for people than cars.  Put them all together and you have an idea of what Bergen, Norway is like.  Situated on the…brisk…waters of the North Sea only a few latitudes below the Arctic Circle, winters here can be cold, dark, and wet.  From late May, however, the town comes alive.  Festivals and holidays follow one another to form an almost seamless celebratory atmosphere.

   

It’s a random Tuesday.  I’m strolling through one of the many parks.  It’s 6:00 in the evening.  “Evening” is a relative term, though, as the sun will not set for another 5hrs--and the sky will not turn completely dark for several months.   The smell of lit charcoal permeates the air.  Every blade of grass is covered with a towel or blanket.  Hundreds…thousands of people are throwing footballs, kicking futbols, playing instruments, swimming, playing with their dogs and cooking all manner of meats on portable, disposable grills. I ask a guy what it’s all about. “The sun is out”, he replies, in perfect English.  “No, seriously.  Is it a holiday today?  Will there be fireworks?”  He laughs.  “No.  This is what we do whenever the sun is out.”  Which, unfortunately, is not that often.  Today it is clear and warm:  probably 75*F.  This is how you do it!  Then I instructed him on how to throw a tight spiral while doing my best Manning impersonation.  I hit “Welker” on a fade rout and he manages some fancy footwork to avoid all the hot coals and bikini-clad fans.

The next day I walked into the hills.  Other than tourists taking the tram to a nice overlook called Floyen, my expectation was that I’d be alone.  Blamanen Mt. Is a tough walk from the city center at first, but provides a panorama of Bergen, the Sea, and snow-capped mountains to the East.  I quickly find, however, that when outdoors in Norway one is never alone.  Tucked back into the hills there is even a coffee shop!  That and hundreds of people hiking, biking, grilling, etc.  I met Bogdan and Solveig who put it this way:  Norwegians are generally nice, but the higher you go the nicer they get.  Those you meet on the top of a mountain treat you like a longtime friend.

Back in town I stopped at the Fish Market for a bite when I notice a timer on the counter.  “What’s this for”, I inquire?  “Freshness” was the response.  Norway does happen to be one of the--if not THE--most expensive country in the world.  One reason is freshness of the food.  Laid out before me were simple sandwiches of shrimp, salmon and other assorted seafood.  Every 90min what has not been sold has to be thrown away!  Then they make all new.  Check the timer.  Come back when it hits 0:00.  And have them slice the sushi-grade salmon right there in front of you!  OMFG!!  I ate ‘til my wallet couldn’t take any more. 

 

I spent several days urban hiking through Bergen, then moved on to the town of Odda.  The Fjords await!

“The world is not in your books and maps.  It’s out there.” --Gandalf

Norway

Part 2

Do you enjoy roller coasters?  Do you like dizzying heights?  Do you enjoy putting your life in someone else’s hands?  Then you should try riding a bus in Norway!  Such a dramatic landscape makes for a hair-raising journey.  Between Bergen and Odda there are no less than 20 tunnels.  One moment you are overlooking a fjord and the next its pitch black.  Add to that that the rout takes you on a ferry and under a glacier…”Getting there” is truly an experience unto itself.

The port city of Bergen was the start of 2 weeks exploring Norway.  My next stop was Odda:  A small, blue-collar town separating Lake Sandvinvatnet and the Sorfjorden branch of Hardangerfjord.  Ok, that was a mouthful.  Essentially, it’s in the middle of nowhere.  However, if you enjoy the out-of-doors and being on the edge, this town is in the center of it all.  Close proximity to Norway’s largest water fall, walks that take you past numerous others, and some serious off-road cycling.  There is climbing and rappelling, skiing, boating, even zip-lines and a bungee jump!  But the main attraction is the hiking.  As with many other parts of Norway, Odda has applied for World Heritage status.  Definitely a town that will be on more maps in the future.

 

My first day I decided to stroll up a hill named Rossnoss starting just out the front door of the Trolltunga Hotel to get the view.  Three hours latter--every step taking me higher--I was rewarded with far more.  Were it not for a gentle bend in the fjord and lake, I could see their full extent North and South.  The vast, brilliant, white expanse of Buarbreen Glacier to the West.  Waist deep snow that I trudged through for the last kilometer behind.  Oh, yeah.  And 1000m of nothing but air between my feet and the water below.  If you take this hike, or any really, do not forget the sunscreen!  You know.  ‘Cause you’re so much closer to the sun!  But it is Norway…in the middle of the week…in the middle of the day.  While at home such a spot would have me equally as far from another human, here I had a chat with a local who was out for his daily exercise.  I was even congratulated—or was it laughed at?—for making the climb without snow shoes.  Then he switched out to his skies and glided elegantly down the mountain.

For my next adventure I took a walk to Buarbreen Glacier…the long way.  As with most hikes here, this one began alongside a water fall.  While most tourists take the road to within a Km or 2 of the glacier, this rout was to lead me around a mountain and past 4 lakes; each one progressively more frozen over.  I should mention that Norway has perhaps the worlds’ best marked trail system.  The ever-present red “T”’s mean you cannot get lost.  Well, that is unless the snow is so deep those markings are covered.  My survival instincts kicked in and I made a concerted effort to stay away from the water lest my footing should fail and I slip in.  I spotted red markers and followed the path: up.  Have you ever had that feeling?  The feeling of, “Oh Sh$t.  I went the wrong way.”  To the East and North the mountain stopped abruptly and I could just see through the clouds the towering escarpment of Rossnoss.  To the West Buarbreen was hidden.  Behind…well…that’s where I came from.  Can’t go that way ;)  Standing atop the only stone high enough to not be fully covered with snow, something occurred to me:  I was alone.  Luckily, it began to rain.

Rain is good.  It makes the snow more compactable.  Rather than stepping through, your steps compress it meaning you do not sink as deep.  My goal lay to the West, so that is where I went; blazing my own trail.  Listening for water under the snow.  Don’t step there.  Staying away from trees.  Snow can gather on the roots and hide awkward footing.  Looking out for larger rocks.  Snow drift will collect on the downhill side.  It may look flat but can often be several feet/meters deep.  At the edge of another lake I could just make out a “T” along its bank.  Thank you Luther E. Smith and Troop 601!!  I wondered how cold the water was.  Dipped my finger in to check.  A few minutes later, after regaining feeling in my hand, I decided it was definitely wet-suit legal.

The path followed along the East side of a river/waterfall, but, again, disappeared.  I was already 7 hours into a 4 hour hike.  Turning back did not appeal to me.  There was no way across the river.  Down…straight down…was the only way.  I’ll spare you the boaring details and just say that in my youth I loved climbing trees.  The best part was climbing one high enough to bend it over and transfer to another, then climb that one back down.  So, I had some experience to draw on.  Back in the cozy confines of my hotel I recounted my adventure with the staff.  “I decided to go down here”, showing them on a map.  “But, you can’t go that way”.  “That is the way I went…straight down to the river.”  “But it’s straight down?  You can’t go that way.” 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost

People have asked, “Why Norway?”  I saw a photograph.  It was of a large rock that jutted out over a lake some 700m high.  I was immediately entranced.  Sitting on that ledge became one of three goals for the trip.  The other 2 were in the same region…and roughly the same idea:  A rock way up in the air.  This one is known as Trolltunga: the Troll’s Tongue.  One of the longer day-hikes near Odda, but something you should do if you have the opportunity.  The walk begins with a few steps up an old railway.  I counted 2538.  The next 11km passes breathtaking scenery that itself is worth the effort.  If you want to avoid the snow, July to September are the better months.  But be forewarned, the rest of the world is finding out about places like this and the path can be absolutely chock-a-block!

I met Shan, from China, at the Hotel and we walked together.  Always a good idea to not walk alone ;).  The weather here in May is unpredictable.  For us, the day could not have been better.  Though there was snow, I was in shorts and t-shirt the entire time.  99% of the walk was through snow so it was easy to follow the well-worn path.  On our return, however, that path crossed what will soon be a lake.  Halfway across, our feet were sinking up to shins in slush.  I advised all others from that point on to go around.  The water.  The mountains.  The sky.  The rock.  Enchanting.  If ley lines and vortexes exist, surly one passes through here. 

On the other side of the Hardangerfjord is a town named Voss.  It claims to be the adrenaline capitol of Norway.  Odda is quickly making its own case for that title.  Then again, the people of Norway and those who visit are all about being out amongst nature.  Which is to say, you could probably throw a dart at a map and find an adventure of your own to rival that which I have submitted here.

Norway

Part 3

Hydro, Geothermal, Wind…Perhaps not the words that come to mind when you think of Norway.  However, this country has consistently ranked at the top of the list for renewable energy.  Actually all of Scandinavia is leading the world:  Sweden, Denmark, Norway and I’ll lump in Finland and Iceland as well.  A bit of an oxymoron then that Norway is also the world’s 6th largest producer and 3rd largest exported of oil.  The city of Stavanger is Europe’s energy center and the town has benefited richly from its offshore deposits.  This also why I ran into more Americans in my one day here than the rest of the trip put together.

My adventures in Norway began in the picturesque city of Bergen.  Next there was Odda with its burgeoning outdoor recreations.  My last stop took me briefly through Stavanger and on to the most touristted spot in all of Norway: Pulpit Rock.  If you enjoy cycling and do not want to test your legs on steep mountains, Stavanger is a very bike friendly town.  They even raised a bike path above one of the major roadway roundabouts.  

Before I put this trip together I researched things to do in Norway.  Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock, in particular kept popping up.  Located on the north side of Lysefjorden fjord, a short ferry ride from Stavanger--thanks for the ride Dan!--is an outcropping of stone.  Like something of an alien heli-pad, its top is almost perfectly square, flat, and only 25m x 25m.  From the water 600m below, you can see that the monolith angles out from the rest of the cliff wall.  I stayed at the DNT (Norwegian Trekking Association) Lodge at the start of the path.  If you have not hiked much be forewarned; the trail may be easy to follow, but it is not easy.  Start to finish you are on a stone path that would make the Incas laugh, but still makes the Gringos cry.  Along the way I met Yvette.  This is one place you will not want to be completely alone.  No selfie camera shot can do justice to the awesomeness of the view and the drama of one’s feet hanging over the edge.

Far to the East—well, far by hiking standards—there is another DNT Lodge and another high rock:  Kjerag.  This was the 3rd of my hoped-for goals.  Sadly, tourist season begins in June and even in mid-May the road was closed:  snowed in.  Even if you are from a place that gets “a lot” of snow, this is ridiculous!  So, that one did not pan out.  “Two outta three aint bad.”  I spent a few nights near Preikestolen.  There is a lake and several other trails to explore.  I think I walked them all.  You can even take a trail down to the fjord.  It was here I decided to get my feet wet.  And you know what they say, “When in Norway…”  No wet-suit on hand so I wore my birthday suit.  I’m still in recovery.

Let me give you some insight as to my accommodations on this journey.  Hostels.  Bunkhouses.  Dorm rooms.  The Ritz it is not.  But these are the places you meet people.  What’s a better ice-breaker than you and the guy from India taking turns hitting the Slovakian with a pillow to keep him from snoring?  And the food isn’t as bad as you might think.  Two large, tender pieces of veal with potatoes, carrots, beets, string beans, corn, onions, mushrooms, collie flower, all in an artichoke pure.  Paired perfectly with Casa Maria Sauvignon Blanc.  My view through a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the lake as the clouds slowly turn the mountains to a solid wall of tranquil grey.   Why did I leave?

“Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground.”—Random Traveler