When you think of Norway, you probably think of fjords.
Towering mountains, cascading waterfalls, and turquoise blue waters. You’d be right, the west coast is absolutely full of them, and this week’s driving through these incredible landscapes was absolutely magnificent.
Highs and lows of the week(s)
Highs: The driving this week has been nothing short of magnificent. Postcard type stuff, yanno.
Lows: Not enough solar to fully charge the batteries, they’re the lowest they’ve ever been rn.
The week started as it usually does, tucked inside the comfort of the van, rain on the window, brews on tap, and getting a chunk of my work down. Always made easier when the weather outside is atrocious.
That’s essentially been the theme of the week. Rain, some more rain, and a little bit more to top it off. Which hasn’t been great for getting out and exploring properly, but has been great for waterfalls and creating the stereotypical Norwegian ‘mood’.
I finally made it to Trondheim, and although I’d been here before, decided I’d take a wander through the town. Subconsciously hoping I’d find a Sport1 shop open with an Arc’Teryx jacket conveniently in my size…
…That unfortunately did not happen. But hey, I’m going to Nepal, and I’m gonna need it.
Right?
Trondheim has a lot to offer. Not so much on a rainy day in October, but still, it’s got some cool things you can see and do within the city. The cathedral is one of the biggest, and most architecturally impressive buildings I’ve ever seen. Then you’ve got the old bridge, into the old town with the quintessential coloured houses and cobbled streets.
It’s definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in the middle of Norway.
One place I’ve been looking forward to visiting for a long time Rørøs. One of Norway’s largest copper mines and also a importance significance to the southern Sami people (reindeer herders).
You can see why the Sami people have a connection here, when you’re driving across the country and towards Sweden, the landscape totally changes. From mountains and rock, to thick, dense woodland. Easy to see why the reindeer love it here so much!
Also was one of the largest copper mines in the whole of Norway. So much so that it mined for copper and silver for 333 years! Only ceasing works in 1977. Wild!
It’s also home to a very famous road called Slag Road. Not because of what you’re thinking, but because the cottages were built right next to the slag piles produced from the mine.
I spent the night in a lovely cabin midweek. I was going to try and last until the weekend to book a place and do my washing. After spending the day comando and checking to see if fly was open and me being exposed was too much so I decided I needed to get somewhere booked.
I wanted to stay in a log cabin for the whole trip, and had yet to manage it. Although this one wasn’t ‘authentic’ in the sense of it being a true wildeness cabin, it was beauitful nonetheless.
The famous trollstigen road. A mountain pass in Norway that has 11 huge hairpin bends, multiple bridges, and incredible cascading waterfalls when at full flow. Have driven here last time in Doris, my 30-year-old motorhome, this time was a bit easier in the much newer, and smaller van, ha!
Mountain tops covered in snow, a slow fog rolling in through the valley below, and the hopes of seeing a troll under one of the bridges. Does it get any more Norwegian than that?
Into Fjord land. The landscapes here on the west coast of Norway are exactly what you’d see on a postcard. Those places being Geiranger Fjord, Flam, Voss, Nærfjorden. Some of the best fjords in the world are right here in the west of Norway and they’re bloody magnificent to drive through.
Even when on cold, wet, rainy October days.
Mardalsfossen is Norway’s second largest waterfall with the top part of the falls freefalling nearly 300m. It was on the list.
3 hours through the beautiful fjord lands of Norway? Let’s go.
Bag packed.
3km hike in.
Who’s turned the fucking tap off?
No kidding.
They’d only redirected the waterfall for the winter.
Couldn’t. Make. It. Up.
That said, having the entire place to myself was awesome. Even if the waterfall wasn’t at full flow, it was still an incredible sight to see. Definitely kept it on the list for a return when they turn the taps back on!
After even more driving through beautiful fjords, up and over snowy mountain passes, over many bridges, through many tunnels, and boarding 2 or 3 ferries, I arrived in Stryn.
Known for its famous snaking river that winds its way down the valley like a serpent. Unfortunately, I’ve not got a drone, but the views from above are meant to be incredible.
*Adds drone to Nepal list*
*Wonders whether a Sugar Mummy is a thing*
Remember at the start of the blog I said, if you think of Norway you probably think of beautiful fjords. Right?
I think of huts with grass tops looking over mountain fjords. Then my mind wanders to a simple time when these mountain pastures were used in the summer for farming. Walking up to these mountainside pastures, with whatever you’ll need for the summer, then staying there working the land, and enjoying the solitude it could provide.
This is Rakssetra.
An abandoned mountain pasture that has some of the most picturesque cabins I have ever seen in my life. The most wonderful thing?
I had it completely to myself!
(Here’s your sign to travel out of season, as you’re likely to get these ‘tourist’ places to yourself or with few others).
Wandering around the cabins, having a little nosey in, wondering who lived here, what was their story and how did they end up living and working here?
Sitting on a rock, eating a cinnamon roll, looking over a fjord, surrounded by cabins with their grass-covered rooftops.
NORWAY CORE.
That’s all for this week.
The weather has been horrific for most of the week, so not much hiking or exploring was done, but enough to write home about. Literally.
I’ve made my descent further south a little more quickly since the weather has changed, so I am forever closer to home, and sad to be leaving Norway in the coming days.
See you next week.