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Aurora borealis in Bodø
It was supposed to be a family winter trip to the north of Norway. Snow, northern lights and Lofoten Islands. Just perfect winter holidays. The expedition, which had been planned for months, was called into question about two weeks before departure. Watching the weather forecasts, I realized that the second half of January is probably not the best time for such trips. Strong winds and heavy downpours hit the northern coast of Norway almost all the time. And the weather doesn’t look like it’s going to improve soon. The ferry connection between Bodø, where we were supposed to fly from Gdańsk, and Moskenes in Lofoten, also did not turn out…
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Fredriksten festning
What can you do when your beloved mountains are covered with snow and you have two left legs for skiing? It’s best to find an alternative. Preferably not too far, to not spend too much time in the car. Searching the internet for nearby attractions, I came across the border town of Halden and one of the largest defensive stronghold in Europe. And I already found out how to spend this Sunday. But first things first. I suggest to move back in time to the fourteenth century … Union with Denmark and SwedenFrom the fourteenth century, Norway and Denmark formed one political entity (as a result of a royal marriage).…
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Røldal stavkirke and winter in Haukelifjell
It was Sunday morning when I got in the car and returned to Oslo. It was still dark outside and it was raining from the sky. I had 430 kilometers to drive all day, so I didn’t have to hurry. Rush was not advisable, because in the Haukeli mountains, through which the road led me, winter conditions prevailed. At one point, the falling rain was replaced by snow and as I approached the town of Røldal it began to slowly clear. I decided that I could take a short break and stop at the local stave church, which I had not visited for a long time.The Røldal stave church was…
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Våbrekka 582 m asl
In the middle of December, I went for a weekend trip on western coast of Norway. Except other things I had to do, I wishes to arrange some hiking as well. Saturday was supposed to be windy but fortunately it shouldn’t be rainy. The perfect weather for short mountain trip.I found a quite interesting hill on the map near the town of Vikebygd. Its name was Våbrekka and it has 582 m a.s.l. Nearby was the mountain on which I was once, Trollafjellet. It would be nice to climb on it too, and the neighboring Trollanipa as well, but climbing to both peaks is a bit more challenging. I reached…
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Syningen 1047 m asl
Recently I mentioned that when planning a trip to Hydalshjallen, I had another short trip to take. It was only a 3 km route to the Syninngen peak (1047 m a.s.l.). This hill is located at the end of the Hemsedal Valley, close to the city of Gol. According to the description of the trail on the Ut.no website, it takes about an hour to get to Syningn, so I assumed a short and easy walk and then returned home for several hours. After a frosty march on Hydalshjallen, I entered the Hemsedal center store for some fresh lunch and equipped with Norwegian sweet buns, I headed towards the next…
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Hydalshjallen
For the next mountain trip, I decided to go to the Hemsedal valley. Some time ago, when I was crossing that way, it made a huge impression on me. So, I wanted to taste some hiking in the mountains there. This was a perfect time for that before winter. For a long time I was looking for a trail that would not be as drastic for my knees as my last trip. Unfortunately, most routes around the town of Hemsedal (yes, the main town in the area has the same name as the valley) is intended for serious walkers with steel knees. However, after persistent searching, I found something that…
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Kvednafossen & Svandalsfossen
Well, it was supposed to be a waterfall today. There will be even two.First things first. I was just going off the route leading to Hustveitsåta. I was tired and I was heading towards the car, when my attention was caught by the plate with the next trail. I came closer and read it. Kvednafossen, 0.8km. Waterfall. And it’s not far. On a flat, wide road. Okay, I thought, I’ll take a look.Indeed, the waterfall was not far away. First I heard the sound of water, then I saw an old barn by the road and an old wooden bridge over the river. And then the waterfall itself. No matter…
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Hustveitsåta 1187 m asl
It was supposed to be an easy trip. Two, three, maximum a four-hour trip to the mountains and then another six in the car and return to Oslo surrounding. Planning this Sunday trip I did not intend to push myself. On the Saturday evening I was supposed to be meet with my friends. For this reason, I left another, more tempting mountain in the Hardangerfjord area, where I would needed at least 5 hours to get to the summit. I chose the less demanding trail, at least I thought so.The party with friends dragged on until three in the morning, and another three quarters of an hour before I went…
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Uførenuten, Råsunuten & Leirtjønnuten
After the trip to Vesle Nup I had the opportunity to rest for a few hours and eat something in the rented cabin (hytta). I repacked my stuff into a larger backpack, taking the sleeping bag and tent, and in the afternoon I went out again on the trail. This time I didn’t have specific plans to reach specific summits. The area abounded in several hills that I wanted to climb but it was supposed to be a rather spontaneous trip ended with an overnight outdoor. And although I packed the necessary minimum in my backpack, I still felt merciless weight during the journey.The beginning of my trip began at…
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Skorve – Flyvrak
Hiking on Skorve has been decided according to the weather conditions. On the western coast of Norway there was hurricane appeared, carrying the wind and rain. My plans for walking somewhere in that area had to be moved to a more undetermined future. There was a chance for explore other terrain and that’s why I ended up in Seljord. Forecasts did not predict any rain in this area, only a strong wind. About the remains of the American aircraft, a crashed on the slope of the mountain in 1944 I read on the internet before the trip, so it was not surprising when I stumbled on the trail near the…
