When the sun comes out in Norway and then it doesn't get dark until after 11pm, it can be difficult to call it quits and head back once you are up in the mountains. You just want to keep hiking to the next spot - especially when you are scoping out potential ski lines 😉
It was raining (obviously), so we had a chill morning eating our yogurt at our lodging. We bumped into Anton who was heading over to the house he bought to work on some stuff. We ended up joining him to check it out. He bought it on foreclosure and said the former owner was a hoarded so it was packed with junk. The house is in a gorgeous spot in the tiny town of Koppangen. Right from his house, Anton can ski and paraglide. So cool!
Anton's house with the "beach" and mountains in the background
Anton showing us his house
The bay of Koppangen
Checking out the area where the reindeer get loaded onto boats and where Anton lands his paraglider
Koppangen beach with the town in the background
Koppangen
After checking out Anton's house, we headed for a hike up the Lyngentrappa (Sherpa steps). There are over 1200 of these impressive stone steps built by Sherpas from Nepal. They were built to honor Kristin Harila who climbed the 14 tallest summits in the world in just 92 days in 2023.
The view from the balcony of Lyngen Fjord at our lodging
Dan starting off on the Sherpa steps with the town of Lyngseidet in the background
For the first 1000 steps, just about every 100th step was engraved with the step number
A cool hut that maximizes the view
Inside the hut
Sheep using the Sherpa steps
Love on the Sherpa steps
This hut (hytte) was at the top of the trail with the Sherpa steps
Our destination was the top of the Sherpa steps because I was feeling a little under the weather. However, the clouds were lifting and it was so beautiful and there were ski lines to scout and there were more cairns that we could see and it would be light for a long time...so we continued hiking in the mountains.
I like hearing the bells on the animals as they graze in the mountains
A little love in the mountains
Check out the blue of this glacial lake
If you look closely, you can see a lavvu, a nomadic tent used by the Sami. Mountain pastures such as this one are used for grazing reindeer.
We did spend some time scoping out ski lines
I kept seeing cairns furthur up the mountain so we kept going (even there wasn't a trail)
Sod roofs are everywhere. Apparently, they help make a structure less drafty because they weigh down the logs of the walls. They also provide good insulation. The layer underneath was traditionally birch bark to make the roofs waterproof.
A small ski area that we passed while hiking down
A plaque with info about the Sherpa steps
Our day wrapped up with a meal at our lodging. There were two traditional meals being offered: shrimp toast and bacaloa which is a stew with dried cod. I'm not sure I would get the bacaloa again, but I am glad I tried it.
The view of the Lyngseidet harbor
This is the biggest town in the area. It has a grocery store, pharmacy and restaurant (all pictured in this photo)
Dan got the shrimp toast (apparently the shrimp were just caught and peeled right in the area) and I got the bacalao. Mine was interesting...
Our transportation to Alesund, Norway from home could not have gone smoother if we had tried. From the Woburn Express to our short layover in Copenhagen to getting our rental car in Alesund - everything was perfect. A Norwegian diving board These seats were incredible but...they were too far apart and had giant armrests between us The flights were easy. In the long line to get through customs in Copenhagen, we ended up standing in front of a couple who told us that they live in a small town called Plainfield, NH! We ended up figuring out that they even have Angela (my sister) as her doctor. Go figure. In the Oslo airport Our first view of Alesund as we flew in SAS plane from Oslo to Alesund. When we landed in Alesund, we were surprised that it wasn't raining. The plan was just to get adjusted to the time zone, maybe do a short via Ferrara and then head to bed. But we found out about a cool hike on the island of Godoya. It was a loop hike around a mountain lake that sum...
It was a slow morning because heavy rain was kept us from hitting the trail early. Our plan was to do a ridge hike called Romsdalseggen, but there are exposed sections that sounded like they would be challenging in the rain. So, we ultimately decided to do a via ferrata in the rain - maybe our logic was a little wonky. To start the day, we found a yummy bakery called Walderhung Bakeri and stocked up on baked goods for the day. I have a weakness for bakeries and all of their treats. Once I enter and get a whiff of bread baking, I lose all sense of reason and buy way more than I can eat. I held back at this bakery and we only purchased what we needed. Maybe I'm learning some self control or maybe it's because everything is very expensive here. The pastery on the far right skilpadde - it is a traditional local treat. We were surprised at how light and airy it was (and not too sweet). It was still raining when we arrived in Andalsnes. We chatted with some people at the Nordsk Tind...
In Norway, it is quite difficult to narrow down what hike you are going to do because there are SO MANY options. Today the forecast was for clouds with only some rain, which is actually a good forecast, so we decided to go for a hike near Oye. Dan originally picked out a hike for the highest mountain in the region (Slogen), but we changed that to a slightly milder hike because it was described as an expert trail (rated Black) by Norwegian standards with many exposed and scary sections (needing "a good head for heights") with a fair amount of vert and we were starting late. So, Mount Saksa (rated Red: demanding by Norwegian standards) turned into the destination for the day's adventure. First off, I would like to welcome back some long dormant muscles who had to wake up yesterday to help out with the via ferrata. Today they are complaining a little bit about having to rise from their slumber. The morning began with a drinkable yogurt and banana in the car as we settled in ...
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