Following Norway’s Fjords: More than Soft Adventure

“Hey Thom,” I said, “We’ve been hiking for two hours already and we haven’t reached the glacier yet.  How much longer do you think?” We’d started out from the little village of Briksdalsbre early in the morning and thought we were doing a half-day hike, but since our guide Ruben was the son of the owner of the adventure company, we were getting the full monty.  And there seemed to be no end.

“Not sure,” Thom replied,” but I think we still have at least an hour before we get there.”

It had been a great experience so far having spent almost a week in Norway, where we’d signed on for some “soft” adventure but the real adventure (not so soft) began once we got to the Nordfjord. We’d bicycled practically all over Oslo from one end of the city to the other but that was hardly strenuous, just baby steps, really.  Here in Nordfjord we were going to get the adventure we were craving.

Arriving in a tiny town called Loen at the Hotel Alexandra after almost a full day of driving, we got started with some real cycling, peddling a 17 kilometer trail mostly uphill amidst nature and sheep. Hotel Alexandra, nestled in a kind of scenic wonderland hugging a snow capped mountainside and fjord, is the largest hotel in the Nordfjord with 2 pools and a world class spa.

We’d gradually woven our way south here from Alesund, the Art Nouveau city, picking up a rental car early that morning and driving to Linge, a small village where we hopped a car ferry crossing the first of many fjords we’d encounter.  Our first stop was the Geirangerfjord, one of the most famous and scenic in the region. From Linge we drove to Eidsdal and took another short ferry crossing before reaching The Eagles Road, one of 18 National Tourist Roads in Norway. These are Norway’s pride and joy, winding over scenic hills and mountains.  It was a warm and pleasant end of May, but our route would take us through four distinct micro climates.

We had just enough time for a quick lunch in the village of Geiranger, before boarding the large ferry that cruises effortlessly up the fjord, and we were starving. The quaint town with just one hotel would make a great overnight stop, but most people were headed straight for the main event.  Here and all around Geiranger there are many small villages carved into the cliffs and waterfalls around every bend and curve that are breathtaking. Perched right on the water at the beginning of the fjord is a wonderful restaurant called Brasserie Posten, at one time the town’s post office.  Now it’s a smallish modern brasserie, just one bright and cheery room with some alfresco seating, where travelers can have a 4 star meal with wines before sailing.  We ate a simple lunch of poached salmon and potatoes and grabbed some homemade chocolate chip cookies for the boat.  Experiencing the natural glory of Gerirangerfjord takes only about an hour and it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Pulling at last into Loen we had to maximize our time so we quickly dropped our bags, donned our helmets and were off on a ride into the nearby Lodalen valley, right alongside the Loen fjord.  The awesome scenery gave us the adrenaline to continue to the end of the route. We passed traditional red cottages with moss sprouting from their roofs and roused a group of sheep that were causing a clanking commotion with their bells around their necks.

Heading back to the hotel the midnight sun was in our favor and we were able to enjoy a cocktail in the bright 9 pm sunlight.  The hotel’s famous buffet at Restaurant Charlotte awaited for dinner and it reminded me of the kind of place I went to as a kid.  Many families return here year after year to enjoy the nature, the relaxing atmosphere and the property’s multiple pools after a day of energetic activity. The next morning we were on our way to Briksdal Adventure for our glacier hike.

We had no idea what glacier hiking was and started out early bringing along a full 3 course lunch packed by the hotel.  What we didn’t realize was that you had to get to the glacier first before climbing it and that involved a power hike through dense forestland and a rugged boulder strewn valley then climbing up and over a mountain. It would take the better part of three hours before getting to the actual glacier, hardly soft adventure, but once we were in the thick of it there was no turning back.

Our small group consisted of “20 something” Ruben, ourselves and two German college students.  Needless to say age was not on our side. While we were pondering when we’d eat the lunch that the Hotel Alexandra had made for us they were munching on granola bars.  It was at that moment that we knew we were in for a different kind of adventure.

First, we walked through the valley with large rock formations (not exactly a walk in the park) that Ruben said had been a fjord about 10,000 years ago, and now there was just a small stream running through it.  Then we started our ascent.  This wasn’t as hard as I imagined, as Ruben and his fellow guides had constructed a series of ladders to make it easier to get to the top.  Then we descended into another valley but this one with a roaring river over which the guides had built a makeshift one person suspension bridge.  I crossed first and discovered that it had a spring to it and the icy cold water running under it rushed to a fall.  This was Norway, of course, so falls were everywhere.  After crossing, the Bodal Glacier (fire valley glacier in English) stared us straight in the eyes, the full height of the icy mass looming in front of us and the almost turquoise blue color calm and peaceful. Let’s just say its looks could kill, ok?  It was another ten minutes of hiking before we reached its mouth and the temperature had dropped considerably.

“I’m not sure I can do this” I said, as Ruben started making steps in the ice to climb upward, using a pick and chopping away.  There was nothing around us and the only way was up, so I put on my crampons (the contraptions that tie around your shoes and dig into the ice so you don’t slip) and grit my teeth for the experience of my life. The first few steps were challenging as we were scaling completely vertical.  Ruben helped each one of us, going first from the front of the line to the back.  We were attached to one another by a rope and I was the last. This was great going up, but I was afraid that I was going to be the lead going back down.

Hiking a glacier requires a lot of starts and stops and athletic strength and after about an hour we got high enough to walk on it with only about a 30 degree incline. After almost 60 minutes on the slippery ice with fatigue setting in, we stopped to revel in the beauty of the experience we were having.  Turning around we looked down about 10,000 feet and could see the roaring water in the distance.  The air was thin and clear and our eyes were tearing from the wind.  It was almost June, but the icy wind was biting.  At that point after nearly five hours, we decided we had to turn back because we still had to walk the same three+ hours to get back down and thought that it might be harder on the decline since our energy was spent.  Finally, Ruben found us a spot to have our picnic lunch so that we could regain some strength and enjoy the scenery before the laborious trek down.

Once fortified, as I suspected, we turned around and I was the leader going down. At that moment when we changed direction panic set in.  I was frozen with fear which would have been funny if I had thought about it then. Ruben had said before we started out, “Trust the equipment,” so I thought what else can I do?  Leaning back on the pick and pounding my crampons into the ice I proceeded to lead the group down.   I was doing fine until we got to the first steep decline where we’d slowly inched our way up at which point I fell hard and slid a few feet. Thom panicked and pulled me up with the rope with all his strength until Rubin galloped forward to help get me vertical again.  The worst was over, I had made it down the first part of the vertical decent, quite quickly I might add, with only two more levels to go.  Piece of cake I thought, rubbing my bruised arms as a badge of achievement.  Waiting for the rest of the group, I rested so that I could make it down further.

Finally off the glacier, we were ready for our three hour hike back.  I was still reeling with exhilaration at the fact that I had climbed a glacier!  So what if I still had to climb a mountain and walk over large rocks again, I bet that Foursquare would give me the adventurers badge and I’d earned it.  Back at the hotel, I quickly downed a martini and geared up for another dinner at the Charlotte’s buffet.

The next morning, we soothed our aching bones at the Hotel Alexandra spa in the fabulous Jacuzzi and enjoyed the indoor and outdoor pools even racing some youngsters down the water slide. Then it was on the road again, leaving Loen and heading to Balestrand following the fjords. We jumped in the car and soon were making our way on the National Tourist Route Gaularfjelle.  Outside the town of Byrkjelo there was an outdoor sculpture garden in a little park beside a roaring river that made us pull over to get a closer look. Majestic reds were vibrant against the greenery with the mountains as a backdrop and the rushing river added to the drama.  It was really something special that travelers touring the Norwegian countryside would never forget.

We arrived in Balestrand 6 hours later, dropped off our bags at our hotel and headed to the tourist office to have another adventure, this time IN the water on an RIB (rigid inflatable boat) from Malsnes tours.  Our guide got us suited up in bright red jump suits (if we went over no doubt they’d find us!).  This was a lot of fun and a great way to be at one with the fjord.  We got to see Balestand as the Vikings saw it—from the sea.  The houses of the village are still ornamented in Viking style with dragons.  Lars, our captain, took us to see the mighty Kvinafossen waterfall that drops almost 400 feet and we got a glimpse of the island of Kvamsoy, too.  We got out and had a peek inside an ancient church, which must have dated back hundreds of years.  On the way back we could see the grandeur of our hotel, the Kviknes, from the boat.

That night we had a mystical experience staying in the old world Kviknes Hotel.  Built in 1752 it became a hotel in 1877 when Ole Kvigne took over running it and it has been in the Kvikne family since.  Sitting at the edge of the Sognefjord and furnished with nautical art and antiques, it has the perfect atmosphere for the town of Balestrand.  Meals are served in the classic dining room with windows looking out to the fjord and the wine list is spectacular with a house wine all the way from Mercurey, France.  In the summer you can sit out on the terrace next to the fjord with a nightcap waiting for the sun to set around 11:30. It’s Norway at its best.

Photo by Jeff Greif

Next morning brought another big Norwegian breakfast and one last adventure (so we thought).  We biked leisurely around the town of Balestrand where we were able to see up close the traditional houses that we’d spied from the boat the day before. The day was a little foggy with a light mist which added an air of mystery to our ride.  After lunch we packed up the car and got back on the road, this time to Bergen, Norway’s second largest city.

Our last drive was really a challenge, following another of the National Routes up and over Vikafjellet mountain toward Vinje.  As we ascended the two lane road, one in each direction, we got trapped in a dense fog that enveloped us.  For a solid 30 minutes Thom, who was driving, could barely see a few feet in front of the car. Was this going to be our very last adventure ever we thought?  When the fog finally lifted close to the top, there were snow covered fields and a frozen fjord and this was in May, remember. Reaching the summit we took a deep breath and on the other side saw endless hairpin curves going down to a valley with snow capped peaks all around and a river rushing through it. Another 30 minutes of nerve wracking twisting and turning and we were in the safety of that valley for the home stretch towards Voss (where the bottled water comes from), the last town before Bergen, our final destination in Norway.

When I signed up for the Norway adventure trip, I didn’t realize what Norway would serve up.  From glacier climbing, mountain biking, boating on the fjords and loads of surprises from Mother Nature on the road this was a fantastic experience. But I’m sure this is just the tip of the iceberg, er, I mean glacier. I think I may be ready now for Norway’s Northern Lights experience in winter. I can cut a mean rug in crampons.

 

www.nordfjord.no

www.visitbalestrand.no