My friend Brooke had the opportunity to plan a spontaneous trip during the time her teenage son would be at camp in Colorado. She decided to go somewhere during the summer further north in Europe than she had been before. Brooke is an avid hiker, and there was availability on a trip to Norway with G Adventures, a company she has previously used several times for active adventure trips. As a solo traveler, instead of charging a supplement for being solo, this company actually paired her with a roommate. Brooke has always had good luck with roommates through this company and has made several close friends through her travels. Her roommate on this trip was Katrin from Switzerland.
Brooke arrived in Bergen and then traveled by ferry through the Hardangerfjord to Odda. This is a picturesque Nordic village at the end of a fjord surrounded by mountains and waterfalls. Trolltunga Hotel in Odda was their home base for daily hikes. It is a basic hotel for hikers, but with a modern yet cozy vibe. The hotel is situated on the gorgeous Opo River with waterfalls all around. The first day they explored the little village and took a four or five mile hike from the hotel. This hike was along the Heritage Trail Mannsåker-Hjøllo up the hill through farm gates and meadows. Although it wasn’t a strenuous trail, it leads to beautiful views of the valley below.
The next day they had a thirty minute drive to a trailhead for the Folgefonna glacier. Hiking this beautiful wooded trail involved the use of ropes, bridges, ladders and “T” markers along the way. When hiking in Norway, the trail is marked by a painted red “T”. This gives a hiker comfort that they have not strayed from the trail. Along the way, they stopped by a cave that had beautiful green liken, while the guide told stories of trolls.
The second day hike was along the river to the glacier. The paths are not apparent, but that is where the “T”s are helpful. This hike was an achievement for Brooke. During the hike, they had to pull themselves up parts of the trail using ropes, and then repel down. Once they arrived at glacier, they were able to fill their water bottles with pure water since the water of the melting glacier has no impurities.
The next day Brooke’s group went to hike on top of the glacier. This hike was fairly intense. It had a physical rating of four, with the most intense being five. Brooke said, “You had to be in shape!” She wore crampons, carried an ice ax, and had to repel down a waterfall. The payoff, however, was incredible views–there were waterfalls all around! In Norway, they did use a rope system for safety to prevent a hiker from falling into a crevice. According to Brooke, this is not the normal practice some countries, but apparently it was the practice in Norway.
The following day was a free day. Brooke went with a few members of the group kayaking in the fiord. The view was beautiful, but it didn’t change all that much. When kayaking in a fiord, even if for several hours, you don’t go far enough to really change your vantage point as you would on a narrow river. According to Brooke, it was exhausting. She also had to wear a wet suit, which kind of added to the exhaustion.
Their group was able to participate in something very unique–they were chosen to be in a commercial for a cidery. The area is becoming known for several cider production farms. They got to go on the jet boat ride for free out to Aga Cidery, with free tastings included, and a dinner in an historic building. This is a family run cidery with a rich cultural heritage of Nordic cider making. Even if you don’t star in a commercial, Brooke highly recommends this experience!
The last day the group hiked to Trolltunga. Brooke had never heard of Trolltunga, but most of the people had chosen this tour solely for the trip to Trolltunga. It was truly the grand finale. You may recognize this place from Instagram photos where people are standing on a rock that protrudes out over a fiord like a troll’s tongue. It is 2296 feet above lake Ringedalsvatnet. The hike to Trolltunga was another full day hike from beginning to end, where they packed in their food for the day. Once they arrived, the guide repelled just a few feet down the adjacent cliff, in order to get the best photo of each member of the group taking their turn to walk out. Many people are there, and Brooke said that everyone took a turn and stayed out on the rock for no more than ten or fifteen seconds. The rock is only about ten feet wide, and so being very careful is an obvious suggestion. (I’ve seen some photos of people at Trolltunga that give me vertigo just looking at them.) Second to the consideration of safety, it is important to consider your pose for a photo before you go out onto the rock. According to Brooke, once your moment arrives, it is so brief and rushed. In addition, you are so high that any kind of balancing pose or jump can get your heart to race. Brooke practices yoga, and so she naturally struck a dancer’s pose. But when she began to walk back, she felt a sense of panic. Be prepared, it is an intense experience!
Brooke enjoyed getting to know others in her group. In the evenings, they would have dinner together since the members of the group were all traveling solo, but for two sisters. The group consisted of Canadians, Australian, German, and Irish. For these travelers, it was actually a short trip. Europeans and Canadians have a month or more off each year. After traveling as much as she has, Brooke understands the importance of the different perspective travel gives you. Most Americans don’t have the opportunity to travel enough to gain that perspective. Most of the group was fairly young as well. Brooke was the oldest, being in her 40’s, and the next-to -oldest was 37. However, Brooke had no difficulty keeping up. The most important factor is being in shape, not age.
I don’t know if I will ever go to Odda or Trolltunga, but now I’ve learned about a new place. I’ve studied it a bit and have actually enjoyed it without even having been there yet. That is what these blog posts are about. If you are planning a trip to Norway, I hope this post assists you in your planning. Thank you Brooke for sharing this experience with me and with all of you!
