-
Fram Museum
What can you do when the weather offers only cold, rain and in the mountains you find winter already? Well, you can stay at home all weekend or go for a walk somewhere in the woods. Living near Oslo has the advantage that you can also explore the capital of Norway. For some time I was planning to visit the Viking Ship Museum (Vikingskipshuset), unfortunately I decided to go there too late. In September it was closed and reconstruction started. A completely new, larger building is to be built and all the exhibits will be moved to a new location. The planned opening will be (watch out, don’t fall off…
-
Hardingnuten
My another mountain destination was located about three hours drive, so I started sometime after five in the morning. The sun was supposed to rise a few minutes after eight, and I got there when it got light. My goal was called Hardingnuten (1,296m above sea level), lied a few kilometers behind Rjukan. When I got there, I noticed that the surrounding hills were already covered by snow. I got to Frøystaul where I found a quiet spot to leave my car between summer houses. I checked the ut.no app on my cell phone about the right path and when I found it, I just started to walk. The network…
-
Steinfjellet 1398m asl
Mælfjell is the name of the mountain massif and its highest peak (1,413m above sea level) in the Telemark region, just outside the town of Seljord. On the south the much larger Lifjell Massif rises, and the two mountain formations are separated only by the Grunningsdalen Valley and the Grunåi River running at the bottom. On the eastern side of the Mælfjell massif are the Blåtønnfjellet and Heksfjell mountains (another Heksfjell was visited by me last year), both also separated by valleys. Out of all the hiking possibilities available, I chose Mælfjell for my next mountain trip. The reason was quite prosaic: it was the highest mountain in the area.…
-
Hardangervidda & Nøtingshovda
Hardangervidda. The largest plateau in Europe (6500km², with average height 1100m above sea level). It is characterized by a cool, alpine climate. One of the largest Norwegian glaciers – Hardangerjøkulen is located on the Plateau. In addition, the extensive net of trails, holiday cottages and tourist lodges makes it an ideal place for outdoor enthusiasts. I realized that this year my foot has never stand on the Plateau. In the previous one, I took two one-day trips in different locations (here and here). Now, summer is over and soon the weather conditions will not be so favorable for mountain hiking. So I decided it was time to go to Hardangervidda.…
-
Numedalshovda & Skirveggnuten
Skirveggnuten, 1381m above sea level, is located in Tinn community. The trail is about 7km one way, but the difference in altitude between the beginning of the trail and the summit is just over 200 meters. On the way there is one more, lower hill, Numedalshovda (1164m above sea level). To get there, I had to go to the northern part of Lake Tinnsjå. A few months earlier, I was climbing Haugefjell and Gjuvhold in almost the same place. Skirveggnuten is only 10.5 km in a straight line from Haugefjell. Encouraged by the forecasts, I prepared myself far too lightly for this trip. I was wearing short pants, light shoes…
-
Rondane & Rondslottet
Rondane is Norway’s oldest national park. Established in December 1962. The area has 963m³. It is located in the Innlandet region adjacent to two other protected areas: Dovre and Jotunheimen. In Rondane there are 10 mountain peaks with a height of more than 2 thousand meters. The highest of them is Rondslottet with 2178 m above sea level. The center point of the area is the narrow, 4 km long Rondvatnet Lake. On its southern shore, there is one of several tourist cabins (Rondvassbu). It is the place where most trails start to the nearby mountains, including the most popular one, Rondslottet. Rondane National Park is closed to motor traffic,…
-
Hike with overnight stay on Prest 1478 m asl
Hiking trip to the Prest, summit 1478m above sea level, one of the many that surrounded the Auraldsfjorden, was supposed to be that day’s second trek. After walking 20 kilometers in the Aurlandsdalen valley, I could go home, but considering how far the journey was ahead and the fact that I will probably not return here soon, I wanted to take the most of the opportunities that surrounded me. These possibilities were precisely the Prest, a relatively easy trail, less than 4 kilometers from the parking lot on Route 5627 (slightly above the Stegastein viewpoint) to the stone-topped summit and about 650 meters height difference. I was hoping to get…
-
Aurlandsdalen
Aurlandsdalen is one of those routes that every Norwegian has heard of, but not necessarily a foreigner. I even read an opinion on one of the Norwegian blogs that every inhabitant of the country of fjords should visit the Aurlandsdalen valley at least once in the lifetime. This place is famous for its unearthly views and fantastic hiking experience. What does it actually look like? I decided to check it in person. The route is 18 km long and can be covered of the way uphill (starting in Vassbygdi and ending in Østerbo) or downhill (from Østerbo to Vassbygdi). The difference in altitude between the start and end points is…
-
Bitihorn 1607m asl
After finishing the Knutshøe tour, I had a few more hours until sunset. And since I was planning to spend the night in a tent in this area, I had to do something about this excess time. Waiting in one of the parking lots along the road 51 was a rather poor option due to the amount of passengers passing both ways that day and stopping at every possible piece of land. I decided that despite the tiredness, it would be better if I go somewhere else. Bitihorn (1607m above sea level) offered a fairly short route, which also turned out to be very spectacular. The parking lot by the…
-
Knutshøe 1517 m asl
Do you remember last year’s trip to Besseggen in the Jotunheimen mountains? One of the most amazing views on that day was a lonely mountain on the other side of Gjende Lake. It’s called Knutshøe, and I promised myself that one day I would go there. Well, that day has just come. The summit is 1517 m above sea level. and there are basically only two roads to it: from the southeast and from the northwest. Slopes in other directions are too steep to lead there any other trails. So, you can go up to the top on one side, go down on the other and come back to the…
