Norway

By [ E ]

November 1^st, 2017

Planning

The genesis of most of our trips starts with a hot deal that we just can't pass up. This one was $230 round trip tickets on Norwegian Air from Providence to Bergen. Even though our last trip was to a very similar locale, Iceland, it was just too good of a deal to pass up. We loved our time in Iceland and the Faroe Islands so being able to explore similar landscapes and terrain felt right.

The Weather

I was religiously checking the weather a few days before our trip. The forecast did not look good. It looked like it was going to be pretty rainy and gloomy for the first half of the trip. Landing in Bergen confirmed the forecast. The rain followed us as we made our way south in our rental car. Every now and then, the rain would let up to let us take in our first sights of the great country of Norway.

Kjeragbolten

The weather is complete shit. Pardon my French.

Those were the words of the park ranger who greeted us at the base of the Kjerag hike. At that point, we had driven an hour and a half in foggy and rainy weather to get to the trailhead. He mentioned that Norway had been getting record rainfall the past few weeks. All that moisture was now rising in the form of fog and clouds due to the warmer weather. We were warned that visibility would be limited and the trail would be slippery. Things were not looking great to start off our Norway adventure.

Regardless of the weather, we decided to give it a go. Follow the red T's on the trail, was the advice of the ranger. If you can't see the next T, head back to the previous one. The hike started immediately with a rocky ascent up the side of a mountain. Chains were in place for hikers to grab a hold of in order to make it through. The T's were marked clearly on the trail and the only solace we took was that if we could make it to this T, we could make it to the next one.

During our hike up, the weather kept changing every 10 minutes or so. At one point, we were completely covered in fog and then a few minutes later it would clear up. This gave us a glimmer of hope that we might get a clear view of the fjords once we got to the top.

We soon encountered a few groups headed back on the trail. The first was a solo hiker who mentioned that it was very foggy at the top but it was still worth it. Another gave us a few words of encouragement as we passed them along the way. We took breaks often and made sure to keep following the T's.

After two long hours of hiking, we reached a small valley filled with waterfalls cascading down into a stream. This part totally caught me off guard as I had seen pictures of Kjeragbolten, but never this beautiful valley that preceded it.

The fog was thick but the excitement of reaching our destination was real. We were the last and only group at the top and we took time to soak in the surroundings. In a matter of minutes, the fog lifted to reveal an amazing landscape. Euphorically, we started snapping pictures and I readied my drone for launch.

Preikestolen

The weather decided to amaze us again the very next day. It was perfect driving and hiking weather for our trek up Preikestolen.

Preikestolen is a steep cliff which rises 1,982 ft above the Lysefjorden. The cliff was formed during the ice age, approximately 10,000 years ago, when the edges of the glacier reached the cliff. The water from the glacier froze in the crevices of the mountain and eventually broke off large, angular blocks, which were later carried away with the glacier. This is the cause of the angular shape of the plateau.

The hike was definitely more crowded than our previous. We encountered a steady stream of tourists on their way back from the top. The hike itself had a few steep inclines but overall was very manageable.

We had one of our most scenic lunches once we reached the top. Food costs in Norway are no joke so we made sure to pack a few PB&J sandwiches during our hike. The hikers around us had the same idea as most of them took their time and enjoyed the amazing views. The drone really shined at this location. Being able to see Preikestolen from different angles allowed us to appreciate the sheer magnitude and beauty of the area.

Flåm

Our next few days were spent heading North back toward Bergen. In Flåm, we originally wanted to rent kayaks to explore the fjords but most of the rental places had already closed for the season. We settled on a fjord cruise through one of the more iconic areas.

The boat itself was impressive as it had multiple tiers on which to take in the scenery around us. After hiking and driving the previous few days, it was nice to sit back and let the views come to us.

Lofoten

Lofoten is an archipelago in the northern part of Norway. After seeing some amazing travel photographers go there, we knew we wanted to experience it ourselves. We flew from Bergen to Bodø and then proceeded to take a ferry up to Moskenes. Originally, the plan was to stop by Værøy to do a hike but the off season ferry schedule just wouldn't work out. Nevertheless, we were excited for a change of scenery and also to possibly see the Northern Lights for the 2nd time in 2 years!

The town we came across on our trip through Lofoten was the same fishing village of Reine. Known for it's picturesque fishing huts and single lane bridges from island to island, we knew we wanted to make the hike up to see Reine from above.

The hike itself took a few hours to complete and was pretty steep at times. The weather was perfect for us so we didn't have much trouble getting through it. We were rewarded for our efforts with a view that was tough to beat. In the foreground, you see the town of Reine and also a glimpse of the magnificent road ahead of us.

The Lights

The first night in Reine, we unsuccessfully tried to hunt the Northern Lights. It was just too cloudy that night and after an hour of waiting, we turned in. The next night in Svolvær, we were able to chase down some great views of a full moon along with the lights above. With that sighting, most people would have been satisfied but we tried again on our last night in Tromsø, aka The Northern Lights Capitol of the World.

The app we had downloaded was telling us that it would get cloudy later in the evening so we started our hunt early with the sun still setting. This proved to be a great decision as we found the perfect spot a few miles north of the city of Tromsø. Not only were we able to see the lights, but they appeared across the whole night sky! Some of them stretched from one horizon, to above our heads, and all the way behind us. There were a few really magical moments when the lights danced above our heads.

Keep traveling

With each subsequent trip we take, we discover more and more about why we love to travel. Norway was an eye opening experience that I would recommend to anyone. We'll continue exploring and I hope you do too!