Wooling Our Way to the Top (Hiking in Norway)

The kindest fiber of them all

The most important lesson we learned in Norway was the value of wool socks. We spent a considerable chunk of our visit fighting our way to the top of mountains and back down again, and would definitely have broken down on several occasions had it not been for our toasty warm feet. These things are miraculous – whatever snazzy microfiber you can name can’t compete with nature’s original furball.

We hiked a lot more than we originally planned to, largely because the stunning scenery all around us was seriously inspiring – but also because that just seems to be what you do in Norway. The outdoorsy lifestyle seems to be part of the national culture, even in the cities, and everywhere we went paths were crowded with bundled-up kids, teenagers, and grandparents getting their daily exercise. Even in Oslo you’re only a few paces from a solid hike no matter where you go.

Major hike 1: Trolltunga

This was a 23km out-and-back climb we had set our sights on while back in the US. While the distance sounds fairly modest, the 11-12 hour guide completion time hinted that this might be somewhat challenging. On top of this, we arrived the night before in the pouring rain, and a nervous check of the forecast revealed that the next day would be near-continuous rain. Not to be deterred (or perhaps too full of inertia to change the plan), we responded by stockpiling cup noodles and soup for our inevitable soggy return the next day, and packing everything we could ever need for the hike (including some fashionable trash bag backpack covers). We were very, very prepared. And of course none of this was necessary, since the conditions turned out to be great and we actually arrived back at the bottom a little too hot.

Gathering provisions / using a frozen cod as sporting equipment (Ethan’s latest fish encounter)

A large amount of preparatory muesli at the hostel (and veggie sausages for later) at the totally reasonable hour of 5:45 AM

Before pictures (false bravado)

We dragged ourselves out of bed painfully early to ensure the best possible start, and by 7 we were scrambling up the muddy lower slopes. By 8, we were still scrambling up the muddy lower slopes. And less than 2km into the hike.

Initial ascent

Still going strong

First look back (standard issue Norwegian hydropower plant behind the fog)

Fortunately, things did get a little easier after that, although the generally wet and slippery conditions combined with our mud-caked boots meant that we had to move extremely carefully. Use of bandanas for sweat absorbing / conjuring feelings of ninja strength was key.

Balance beaming

Approaching the first ridge

Hiker chic

Things were really helped by the fact that the views just kept getting better and better. At some point, we also became engaged in an unspoken hike-race with another couple around our age. After that things sped up quite a bit. There were a fair number of skipped rest breaks and furtive glances backward to see if they were gaining on us. But ultimately we vanquished our foes thanks to the power of our furry toe cushions and Jess’s competitive drive.

So this is what we bought the camera for…

Cue Lord of the Rings music

Note the unfocused eyes, a good indicator of fatigue

This is why the Norwegians are into their nature

We had seen pictures of the “Troll’s Tongue” at the top previously, and naturally we had not expected the reality to compare in terms of beauty. In fact, it surpassed every expectation. Photo credits for the following go to our arch hiking adversaries turned good friends at the top. After we beat them, we shared our clementines with them, and they gave us Norwegian chocolate in exchange.

Exulting

Pondering

Of course, after the elation of reaching the top we had to trek all the way back down to the bottom again, through what was now a fully fledged swamp. The mud was everywhere, our knees were giving up on us, but we ended on a total high.

I’m not doing this without a life preserver

Those who sank remain buried to this day

Feet still cozy

Rejoice, we conquer (postgame pic)

Victory beers are the best kind of beers

Major hike 2: Besseggen

The other big hike we did was Besseggen Ridge in Jotunheimen National Park. It’s one of the most popular hikes in all of Norway because you get an amazing view of two lakes on either side of the ridge, one green and one blue – or so we were told. While this was an excellent hike in terms of the physical challenge and we enjoyed some great views on the way up, we lamentably spent most of the day inside a cloud. That being said, we felt pretty happy about the whole experience.

The view from the top (not pictured, Knights who say ni)

Jotunheim was recommended to us as the most beautiful terrain in all of Norway and we were not disappointed. Even the drive into the park is something totally unparalleled in either of our previous experiences.

Not sure even Wagner could do the drive justice as a soundtrack

We exited the car into drizzle, a fair bit of wind, and surprisingly frigid temperatures. Amid some optimistic predictions that the rain / clouds might blow over, we decided it was worth a shot – we agreed that we would hike until we hit the clouds and then turn around once it stopped being fun.

Our furry friends sheltering from the wind

The terrain is beautifully rugged. It’s very hard to actually hike without stopping to take pictures every minute.

The beginning of the climb

A bit higher up. Water isn’t generally this color outside of tropical islands in our experience

After this, we entered the clouds, and stayed there for most of the rest of the hike. We found ourselves cursing our decision to leave the gloves at home as we scaled increasingly vertical rock faces with less and less feeling in our extremities (although wool socks make great gloves too!). To add to the fun, we encountered a full-on hailstorm during the descent. Fortunately, our spirits were cheered by a set of Norwegian 8 year olds who were absolutely crushing the hike and singing / giggling the whole way down. We were quite impressed.

Urban hike 1: Fløyen in Bergen

We hiked the main mountain in Bergen one afternoon which was fantastic since you start in the middle of the city and basically just keep walking up the hill until you find the whole city revealed below you. And of course, beers at the top.

Starting in the city

The view from above

Hmm, seems like there’s a pattern to these hikes

Urban hike 2: Mount Ulriken in Bergen

Ulriken is the taller mountain above Bergen which is generally visited via a nice, warm, speedy cable car. Eager for another physical adventure, one morning we sought to scale it as a workout. When we went out the door, the plan was to run it based on the highly civilized (largely paved) Fløyen experience. But as we rapidly discovered, Ulriken is considerably more rugged, and our run rapidly shifted to a hike, which is perhaps still a bit charitable. More importantly, we learned how rapidly you can shift from “this feels like a great workout” to “low-grade survival training” as weather conditions change.

“Running”

Ascending. The view is stunning once you get a look at the city

Feeling triumphant at the top

Once we got to the top, we were still in a semblance of the workout mindset. So we figured we might as well take advantage of the nice outdoor gym at the summit.

It’s all about ze pump

For those of you familiar with the outdoors, you can probably imagine what happened next. Combine two sweaty, exhausted people in thin workout clothes with a Nordic mountain summit, a bit of light rain, and solid windchill and you get a rapid shift from sweating to shivering. We quickly swallowed our pride, abandoned Muscle Beach Arctic Station, and hustled down the mountain for some hot drinks (amid a number of disapproving “tsks” from well-prepared local hikers we passed). Over-prepared beats under-prepared every time.

Bonus hike: Brekkefossen waterfall in Flam

This was a very short hike that we did in the afternoon near Flam, which is a favorite cruise ship destination at the end of a narrow fjord. The waterfall is absolutely stunning and we were fortunate to have it nearly to ourselves that day.

Looking up at the falls

Looking down at the fjord

Hiking up through the forest

Nothing like a fjord selfie