Hiking in Norway

Train, Walk and Explore

Posted on by Hanna

Here, in the wild rugged mountain landscape, was Mannen.
A high-altitude unstable mountain section, which threatened the Norwegian residents in the valley with extinction. For decades, families were evacuated. The mountain section threatened to crash into the valley. Today, the greatest danger is over after several major landslides over the past six years.

Down in the valley, between weathered mountain peaks, the train runs from Dombås to Åndalsness by the sea. Raumabanen, is the name of the railway.

Here, Harry Potter rode by train with his friends heading for Hogwarts in the film, Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince.

In March 2008, a film crew secretly arrived in Norway to shoot the sixth Harry Potter film, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”.
The recordings were made to avoid snow shortage, after the film team had waited for two months for snow in Scotland.
The fact that the scenic area is surrounded by mountains and valleys also played a role in the choice of location.
For several days, a film team of 20 people surrounded by great secrecy, worked at Bjorli in Lesja municipality in Oppland to make a recording for the latest Harry Potter film.

Ingrid Nergården Jortveit wrote an article in the Norwegian newspaper Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen. I have translated fragments from that article.

Geiranger Fjord by hannaswalk.com

We went by a train journey into the dramatic outstanding Norway. Trolltinderne, the Troll Peaks make you humble, and with a good reason: Mannen!

We bought an interrail ticket to Norway. It gave us access to travel in this stunning country as pioneers, or that was the feeling it gave me. Going by train, busses and small ferries. Planning a route of our own.

Watching dramatic mountains torned by the wonderful sparkling blue fjords. It seemed to be an impossible feat, the thousand meters high mountains rising majestically right out of the sea. I watched them with awe. Tiny ships seemed to vanish in the shadows from mountains and waterfalls a true adventure.

Valley of Romsdalen by Johan Frederik Eckersberg (Norwegian) 1857
Norwegian Waterfall With Sawmill by Themistokles von Eckenbrecher
Troldtinderne i Romsdalen; foden af Romsdalshorn til højre, 1894. Hans Gude 1825 – 1903.

Reindalen worth visiting

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An unforgettable walk in Reindalen in Norway

A view towards Friisbua at Tordsvatnet. Click the link, Friisbua to see a detailed map

Greetings from the mountains

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Every time I see cotton grass, my thoughts fall on the Norwegian mountain lakes.

The video from the Norwegian mountains is one of my absolute favourites.
Watch and get inspired!

Autumn in the Mountains

Posted on by Hanna

Autumn is the wonderful time of year for a walk in the mountains. This image of mine is from Norway on our way to Grimsdalen, Dovre.

He found himself wondering at times, especially in the autumn, about the wild lands, and strange visions of mountains that he had never seen came into his dreams. ~ J.R.R. Tolkien

Please Say Yes!!!

Posted on by Hanna

Have you ever been exhausted after a walk in the mountains?
When dark grey clouds are low and hide the view.
When it’s cold and the rain makes the snow soft and you sink to your knees.

When you travel in unfamiliar terrain without the shadow of a human being and are elated by a day-old apple hull.
There have been people before you – recently!

Then it’s a relief when the mountain hut finally comes into view after hours and hours of challenges.
That’s how I felt when I spotted Pytbua in Tafjordfjella in Norway.
I had only walked in the mountains ONCE before, and along easy trails.
Now this walk was one that far exceeded my imagination.

I felt myself transformed back to Norway when I watched the British documentary about the great escape routes during World War II.

I’ll not draw any comparisons with the Pyrenees and Norway or the terrible conditions under which 33.000 people successfully escaped to Spain.
Among them were 782 people who walked over the high mountains of Ariege in the Pyrenees.

However, the great relief of former marine Monty Halls in the documentary is undeniably a bit like mine, when he spots a refuge after one of the toughest and most dangerous walks over the high-lying dramatic landscape of the Pyrenees.

When he points towards the refuge and asks: Is that where we are going? Please Say yes!!!

Har du nogensinde været tæt på udmattelse efter en vandring i bjergene?
Når mørkegrå skyer hænger lavt og skjuler udsigten.
Når det er koldt, regnen gør sneen blød, og du synker ì til knæene.
Når du rejser i ukendt terræn uden skyggen af ​​et menneske og bliver opstemt af et daggammelt æbleskrog.
Der har været mennesker før dig – For nylig!

Så er det en lettelse, når bjerghytten endelig kommer til syne efter timer og timer med udfordringer.

Jeg havde kun gået i bjergene en gang før og langs lette stier.
Denne vandring var én, der overgik min vildeste fantasi.

Det blev som en rejse tilbage i tiden til Norge, da jeg så den britiske dokumentar om de store flugtveje under 2. verdenskrig.

Jeg vil ikke foretage nogen sammenligning mellem Pyrenæerne og Norge eller de forfærdelige forhold, under hvilke 33.000 mennesker med succes slap til Spanien.

Imidlertid er det den store lettelse fra tidligere marine Monty Halls i dokumentaren, der unægteligt er lidt som min, da han får øje på bjerghytten efter en af ​​de hårdeste og farligste vandreture over Pyrenæernes højtliggende dramatiske landskab.

Da han peger ned mod hytten og spørger sin guide: Er det der, vi skal hen? Vil du ikke nok sige JA!!!

VALDRESFLYA HOSTEL IS CLOSED

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This is a beautiful and interesting place in Norway, a mountain pass; Valdresflya.
Now the hostel is closed and construction projects are implemented for a facility centre for tourists instead.
But you are still able to park the car and walk in these stunning surroundings.
The pictures are old ones but loved never the less 🙂

There is an interesting possibility instead of the hostel.
Take a look at this wild place called Leirvassbu Mountain Lodge and watch their facilities and mountains here: TOP OF NORWAY

Map: Leirvassbu

Valdresflya, fjeldovergang i Norge
Valdresflya, fjeldovergang i Norge
Valdresflya, fjeldovergang i Norge
Valdres Flya
Valdresflya, fjeldovergang i Norge

Hiking Besseggen Ridge, Norway

Posted on by Hanna

We have been here once. On a beautiful day in September we took the bus further and further up in the mountain, to finally enjoy the fantastic view of Gjende the beautiful emerald-green lake surrounded by high mountains. The green colour is the result from glacier run-off which contain clay, rock flour.

The river Muru originates at the glacier Austre Memurubrean and runs through Memurudalen then finally empties into the lake Gjende right next to Memurubu. The river is about 10 kilometres (6 mi) long and is the primary source for the lake Gjende.

Do enjoy the video made by Milosh from Amazing Places on our Planet¹

The pictures below are some of our old pictures from the area:

¹ Amazing Places on our Planet

Vi har været her en gang. På en smuk dag i september tog vi bussen højere og højere op i fjeldene, for til sidst at nyde den fantastiske udsigt over Gjende, den smukke smaragdgrønne sø.

Den grønne farve er resultatet fra gletscherens afstrømning, der indeholder ler, sten mel.

Elven Muru har sit udløb fra gletsjeren Austre Memurubrean, og løber gennem Memurudalen, for endelig at munde ud i søen Gjende, lige ved siden af Memurubu. Floden er cirka 10 kilometer lang, og er den primære kilde til søen Gjende.

Lysefjorden, DNT og Mossad

Posted on by Hanna

Vi er i Lillehammer, det er den 21. juli 1973. Den marokkanske tjener Ahmed Bouchikhi er på vej hjem fra biografen med sin gravide kone, da han angiveligt bliver skudt af et team fra Mossad.*Mossad, ”Institute for Intelligence and Special Operations”

Snigskytterne har tilsyneladende forvekslet tjeneren Ahmed Bouchikhi med efterretningschefen for PLO, Hassan Salameh, som mistænkes for at stå bag drabet på 11 israelske atleter ved München OL i 1972.

”Det var meget mere end et mord” siger Gullow Gjeseth, pensioneret norsk generalmajor. ”Det var en krænkelse af norsk suverænitet. Det er et helt speciel tilfælde.”

Mine vandreture er aldrig kedelige. Det var dog ikke mig, der var i Lillehammer i 1973, men jeg faldt over historien i The Guardian, da jeg søgte på agenter for Den Norske Turistforening. Jeg skulle måske have skrevet rejseagenter.

Det kan være en belønning at søge på én ting og få en anden interessant historie med i købet.
Jeg vil kalde det en ekstra bonus. Det ville ‘Mylle’ ha’ sagt.

Lysefjorden, hannaswalk.com Hanna Greenwood

Lysefjorden,
hannaswalk.com
Hanna Greenwood

Lene har har skrevet til mig og spurgt om følgende:

”Jeg vil gerne vandre i Norge. Da jeg aldrig har prøvet det før, så søger jeg hjælp hos dig.
Jeg har færgebilletten fra Hirtshals til Stavanger. Tirsdag d 14 juli rejser jeg fra Danmark. Jeg har overnatning på færgen. Den 21 juli skal jeg tilbage igen.
Jeg vil gerne vandre omkring Lysefjord.
Hvordan kommer jeg fra Stavanger og til vandrestedet?
Hvordan finder jeg nogle af følges med? Evt planlægge en rute?

Håber du kan give mig et lille pift, så jeg kan finde ud af at få lavet en god og hyggelig tur :-)”

Hej Lene. Jeg har tidligere skrevet denne historie om Helikopterredning ved Lysefjorden, som jeg synes, du skal læse. 

Hvis du skal vandre i fjeldet for første gang, skal du alliere dig med erfarne folk. Skal turen være sjov, skal formen være i orden. Det er også en fordel at vide, om du lider af højdeskræk, jeg taler af erfaring.

På DNT har jeg fundet dette vigtige link: Fjelltreffen Her kan du selv annoncere efter fællesskab på vandringer.

Stavanger Turistforening har udgivet deres nye program for 2015, som du finder her: Turprogram 2015

Der er flere arrangører, du kan kontakte i Stavanger: Visit Norway, hvis du vil nøjes med éndagsture. Det kan være fornuftigt, når det er første gang. Du har en deadline den 21.07. 

Jeg har ikke fundet Lysefjorden som fællesture hos DNT, der ellers ville være oplagt at kontakte. Dog har jeg fundet et meget interessant overnatningssted: Bed & Breakfast Preikestolen basecamp

Google har streetview på turen til Predikestolen, bare et lille kuriusom 🙂

En vigtig aktør indenfor transport: Buss

FJELLTUR TIL PREIKESTOLEN er en endagstur arrangeret af Tide Rejser.

Lysefjorden er meget andet end Predikestolen. Attraktionen er godt besøgt, og det sidste jeg har læst er, at man forsøger at regulere færdslen ud på plateauet.

De vigtige regler for sikkerheden i fjeldet finder du her. Du kan klikke dig ind i hver enkelt råd og læse nærmere. 

Rigtig god tur, Lene ❤ 🙂

Willem Vandoorne

Posted on by Hanna

In summer 2012 I hiked and packrafted the length of Norway, a journey of four months and 2750km.

With these words Willem Vandoorne begins his story about his long journey a story combined with inspiring and exciting videos starting from Lindeness in the south of Norway to Nordkinnhalvøya in the northernmost of Norway.

I became aware of Willem several years ago when I searched the internet for exiting routes. I came across his video from Jotunheimen and Rondane in Norway.

Following in his footstep wouldn’t be an easy accomplishment for me nevertheless it is extremely motivating when people pursue their dreams.

Maybe the music refers to the weather which always can be a challenge when trekking.

You can check Willem’s list of trips here: Willem Vandoorne’s Travel Log
The picture below refers to a cosy hike me and my friend had around Venabu: Myfallet

Myfallet, Venabu, Norway

Myfallet, Venabu, Norway