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Return to Kjellesviknuten (575m asl)
I didn’t think I would come back to this mountain so soon. In the past I have climbed it few times and the last time I described here. The trip was suggested by Maniek, with whom we once had a great hiking trip to Øktarenuten and Dørldaren. It was supposed to be an afternoon, couple-hour trip. The weather was perfect, much better than what happened to me two days earlier on Lammanuten. It was a little windy, but most importantly it wasn’t raining. To get on the trail, turn from E134 road towards the village of Utbjoa and drive along the Ølsjoen fjord, looking for a small sign pointing to…
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Lammanuten 631m asl
After a break of couple of months, I felt hunger for wandering and I was looking forward to my next trip. I was wondering not only when and where I would go but also about the state of my condition and how my knees would react to unexpected effort after such a long break. This time I chose the Lammanuten peak, the highest mountain in Tysvær Kommune (Rogaland county), 631 m a.s.l. According to the route description on ut.no, the route is just over 6 km and is medium demanding. Although we now have the first half of May, snow can still be seen on peaks of similar height. However,…
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Rørfjell
Those who have licked at least a little bit of Norwegian know that if last part of the title has the word ‘fjell’, the entry will be about the mountains. Or at least one. Well, the good news is that yes, fjell means mountain in Norwegian and this entry will be about the hike to the top of Rørfjell. But there is this second message, a bit worse. Rørfjell is located in Østfold and is only 114 meters above sea level. To visualize what the peak with a height of 114 meters looks like, just look at the photo above. Yes, this is the top of Mount Rørfjell. Surrounded by…
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Rollag
In winter, there are usually not many opportunities to wander around the mountains. It is known that hiking in deep snow is not easy, unless you can use snowshoeing. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to test this invention yet, but who knows what the future brings. Longing for mountain paths appears, however, regardless of the season of the year, and taking into account that the winter we have now (yes, yes, there is no snow in the lowlands in Norway), I decided to go to some low hills. Searching the map for undemanding routes, I found the small settlement of Rollag, located about 50 kilometers north of Kongsberg. Uncle…
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Kjerringøy
During our three-day trip to Bodø, we didn’t see much. Yes, the main goal of the expedition, this means seeing the aurora borealis, has been achieved. In addition, taking advantage of the better weather on the day of departure, we drove to the nineteenth-century Nyholmen skandse fort. The weather effectively deterred us from exploring the area. Gusty wind and constantly appearing rain and snow did not encourage to wander around the city and surroundings. The exception was a short trip to the village of Kjerringøy, located about 30 minutes drive from Bodø (+10 minute ferry ride). While no mountain trip (even the shortest) was out of the question, I couldn’t…
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Nyholmen skandse
In the northern part of Bodø, on the narrow Burøya peninsula, at the entrance to the port, there is a fortified fort dating back to the early 19th century. At that time, Bodø (the settlement was called Hundholmen then) was not a strategic important place. It was a rather small village. The decision to build a defensive object can be understood if we look at the political situation two centuries back. Europe was then torn by Napoleonic wars, and the continent was divided into two camps. The first camp were Napoleon’s allies, like Italy, the Netherlands, Poland which was not exist on the map or Denmark. Denmark has been associated…
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Bodø
Bodø is a windy city on the coast of the Norwegian Sea and the administrative center of the Nordland region. Counting over 41 thousands inhabitants (data from January 2019), it is located just behind Tromsø when it comes to northern Norway (and it ranks fifth in the whole of Norway). The history of the city dates back to the Stone Age, when the first fishing settlements were established in the vicinity of Saltstraumen. The community, living mainly from fishing, obtained city rights in 1816, thanks to which it was possible to develop the fish trade, which until then had been monopolized by Bergen. Today, fishing is still a significant industry…
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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…
