Three weeks in Norway (July 2022): fantastic memories despite the rain (page 2 of 6)

Hi Peggy,

Thanks for the start of your travel journal—I’m so glad to be back on the forum, I missed it! Norway is a country my husband and I are really tempted to visit. The kids have grown up so much! For us, it’ll be Florida to celebrate our retirement with our grown-up daughters between May and June next year. Looking forward to reading more from you, Hélène

Hi, Just my personal take: Norway and Iceland aren’t comparable at all. We spent 5 weeks in Iceland with our camper van and have taken several trips to Norway. To me, they’re two completely different countries.

Hi Antoinette, So glad to read your take! 😊

Hi Hélène,

Thanks for the start of your travel journal and so glad to see you back here—the forum was missed!

So glad to be back here too! I missed the forum as well.

For us, it’ll be Florida to celebrate our retirement with our grown-up daughters between May and June next year.

Retirement already? That’s awesome! You’ll get to enjoy even more trips now 😉 Have a great future trip to Florida!

I just remembered you were supposed to go to Florida during COVID—did you end up going later, or will next year’s trip be the first time?

J7 Friday, July 15

It’s finally the day of THE hike! I was worried on Tuesday about my knee after the hike to Preikestolen, and I’m still a bit anxious this morning about my physical abilities, but I’m also really motivated. I tell myself that worst-case scenario, I won’t go all the way... but I don’t want to think about that possibility right now. We’ve given ourselves the best chance of making it by shortening the hike as much as possible—meaning we booked Parking 3 at Mågelitopp several months in advance. We have a little half-hour drive from Tyssedal; we have to pay the toll road on-site and show the reservation to access P3, and then we’re off—we can start!

Don’t ask me what time... I don’t remember... but the first photo was taken around 8:30 AM. The climbs and flatter sections follow one after another.

Hugo walks like a mountain goat and stops every now and then to wait for us. Calista is struggling a bit, and I’m struggling even more, but by walking at my own pace, I manage. And Yannick tries to act as a buffer between Hugo up front and the girls behind!

The weather is gloomy, and we even get a few raindrops at one point.

With the fog, we wonder what we’ll even be able to see at the top! Maybe we’ll have walked 10 km just to end up in front of a blocked view!

Around 10:30 AM, we start to catch glimpses of Lake Ringedal.

The view is stunning when you see the whole lake. Okay, the color is a bit too saturated, but that’s my phone automatically doing HDR... no big deal, I think it looks amazing like this.

We keep moving forward, and when there are only 2 or 3 km left, the guys leave us behind. They arrive at the site about twenty minutes before Calista and me. That gives them time to queue up while I catch up, and once I’m there, all I have to do is grab the camera while they strike a pose!

The line is now a little shorter than when they arrived, and there must be about a ten-minute wait... but it’s freezing cold! We didn’t realize how cold it was while walking—maybe because we were moving, or maybe because we’re more exposed to the wind up there... in any case, our little jackets aren’t very suitable, and it’s barely bearable. So Calista and I decide to skip the photo, eat quickly, and less than half an hour after arriving, we prefer to head back the other way!

The descent is a bit tricky at times for my knee, but I take breaks, stretch, walk backward... and I finally make it to the bottom!

After a well-deserved rest in our rooms, we go eat at Glacier restaurant in Odda. Okay, it’s not fine dining, but it does the job!

Toll road + parking Mågelitopp: 200 NOK + 600 NOK Hotel: Slottet Apartments in Tyssedal 208 € Day’s summary: The comment I posted on Facebook that day sums it all up, I think: I did it!! Trolltunga and its 20 km! I’ve been walking like a grandma ever since, but the view at the top was worth all the effort!

Hello

Yeah, as you said...

That’s right, we were supposed to go in the summer of 2020, but everything was canceled. So this is our first trip to Florida! We’re staying for three weeks

Hello Peggy

That’s it, it’s THE hike day! I was worried on Tuesday about my knee after the hike to Preikestolen, and I’m still a bit anxious this morning about my physical abilities, but I’m also really motivated. I tell myself that at worst, I won’t go all the way to the end...

.

I can totally relate

We gave ourselves the best chance of making it by shortening the hike as much as possible—that is, by booking Parking 3 at Mågelitopp several months in advance.

That’s exactly what we’re planning to do too, to skip the tedious stretch between P2 and P3. Did you book it a long time in advance?

We keep moving forward, and when there are only 2 or 3 km left, the guys take off. They arrive on site about twenty minutes before Calista and me. That gives them time to queue up while I catch up, and once I’m there, all I have to do is grab the camera while they strike a pose!

That’s such a great trick! I think I’ll adopt it. Like you, I usually arrive last while the guys race ahead. I’ll also remember to pack a puffy jacket in my backpack. I’d already read somewhere that it can get cold up there even in summer.

Your photos look amazing, by the way 🙂 And congrats on completing that tough hike. I hope I can do it too!

Day 8 Saturday, July 16

No hiking today to rest our legs. Our first destination is the Vøringfossen waterfalls, an hour and a half drive from Tyssedal. We spend a little time exploring the different walkways to see all the viewpoints. They’re really impressive.



We took a detour to see the waterfalls, so we head back the way we came. On the way down, we pass the Norsk Natursenter in Øvre Eidfjord. Nothing to see there—the center is closed—but there’s a little café across the street that catches our eye for lunch!

Once we’ve eaten, we set off again with our next stop in sight within an hour: Tvindefossen waterfall. But after about half an hour, we see a sign for Skjervsfossen. It’s a waterfall I hadn’t come across in my planning and hadn’t included in our itinerary. Yannick asks if he should turn around, but I see on Google Maps that the road looks a bit long, so I say no. Still, this surprise waterfall makes me curious, and I look it up online (I’m so glad our phone plan works in Norway just like it does in France—I can’t just look up info like this last-minute when we’re in the U.S.). And there it is—yes! We *have* to go see it! Luckily, we don’t need to turn around since there’s a second entrance. We first see the waterfall from above, then we take the stairs and path down to the base of the falls. It’s massive, breathtaking—I can’t take my eyes off it! This will be my favorite of the day, and it would’ve been a real shame to miss it!

After leaving, we finally head toward Tvindefossen. It’s different—also very beautiful—and we even get a ray of sunshine. But there are more people, and it doesn’t have the same power as Skjervsfossen, so we still prefer the latter.

Continuation of Day 8, Saturday, July 16

We’re now heading to Undredal, a tiny village at the end of the world. Along the way, I’d noted the option to stop at the Stalheim Hotel to enjoy a great view of the valley from their terrace, but I wasn’t sure if we’d have time. The question became moot since the road was closed. We also won’t be going to the Stegastein viewpoint—since we had a ferry reservation at 6 PM, we had to choose between the village and the viewpoint. We’re greeted by goats in Undredal.

We walk around the village and admire the smallest still-active stave church in Norway (built in 1147).

The village is super cute—there’s not much to do, but the scenery is really beautiful and peaceful. I’d happily spend a night or two here with a kayak trip on the Aurlandsfjord.

We head back toward Gudvangen and are ready to board the ferry a little before 6 PM. We’ll cross the Nærøyfjord, a branch of the Sognefjord, to reach Kaupanger.

The fjord is stunning (it’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, after all), but overall, we enjoyed this crossing less than the one on the Lysefjord. Maybe it was the later time (the fjord was quickly in shadow) or the weather (we were cold and didn’t stay on deck, instead admiring the scenery from inside). Either way, we were a bit disappointed given the price of the crossing.

We reach Kaupanger around 8:30 PM and quickly head to our accommodation since it’s only a 5-minute walk from the dock.

Our cabin is so cute! We have dinner in the room, then take a little walk around while a load of laundry runs.

Ferry: Gudvangen – Kaupanger with Fjordtours.com (150 €) Hotel: Vesterland Feriepark in Kaupanger, 89 € instead of 180 € (used a free night from Hotels.com) Day’s summary: 4 hours of driving today, but it didn’t really feel like it with all the stops we made. It was a really great day!

Sorry I didn’t reply to your message earlier...

That’s exactly what we’re planning to do too, to avoid the stretch between P2 and P3 that seems tedious. Did you book a long time in advance?

Honestly, I don’t remember exactly when it was, but I think I kept an eye on when reservations opened and booked quickly. After that, I know there were still spots available for a while, but at least for us, it was done!

And congrats on managing to complete that tough hike. I hope I can do it too!

I don’t think it’s tough for everyone... but I have some chronic pain (soles of my feet, knee, groin, gluteal pain), so every hike becomes complicated... especially when it’s 20 km ;)

J9 Sunday, July 17

Back to the travel journal title—it’s light rain when we wake up! Not too bad, though, and it doesn’t stop us from admiring the stave church in Kaupanger (1140). It’s set in a really beautiful location.

I’ve planned a first stop in about 50 minutes to see "a glacial tongue and its small bluish lake": Bøyabreen. Since the rain has turned into pea soup, we’re sure we won’t see much… but I still want to stop anyway—it’ll make for a good break. Wow, it’s freezing! And sure enough, we can’t see much…

We hit the road again, and despite the sky full of heavy clouds, the rain stops. The fog in places and the big clouds make the atmosphere feel mysterious.

We can have a picnic without getting soaked!

The goal for this afternoon was to take the cable car from Loen and do a few hikes at the top. But given the overcast sky and the price it costs, we already sense we’ll skip the ride…

Following Day 9, Sunday, July 17

Once we arrived in Loen, the sky was still just as cloudy, and it wasn’t worth paying 555 NOK per person—so we looked on the bright side, it saves money! ;) We stayed on solid ground to explore the Loen Valley all the way to the Kjenndal Glacier. I chose Loen Valley over Olden Valley because I’d read it was wilder. I can’t say if that’s true since we didn’t do both…

We followed the Lovatnet, forgetting everything we might have seen if we’d gone higher up—this valley is absolutely stunning! 🤩

We wanted to stop every 10 meters, but the road was too narrow—so we stopped as often as we could, sometimes even in the middle of the road when there was no one around.

At the end of the road, we put 70 NOK in an envelope for parking (no checks, just trusting people’s honesty) and then a short 400-meter walk for this view of the Kjenndalsbreen.

On the way back, we got even more stunning views…

Once out of the valley, we had just under 40 minutes left to drive to Nygård Camping, where we’d booked a cabin. It was super cozy. The campground managers offered takeaway pizzas, so we got two large ones to share between the four of us—with even some leftovers for tomorrow!

Kjenndalsbreen parking: 70 NOK Accommodation: Nygård Camping in Folva 175 € Day’s summary: We were blown away by the Loen Valley, so no regrets about not taking the cable car—and it’s a great excuse to come back!

I’m reading Lorelou Desjardins’ book Au coin du fjord. She wrote this: « those few minutes or hours or days of sunshine, when the different colors of the fjords reveal themselves and the mountains shed their cloak of fog, are worth all the rain in the world. »

Even under the clouds, you can see the beauty of the Loen Valley and Lake Lovatnet.

For our part, we chose to stay in the Olden Valley. I was blown away by a cabin with a view of the lake and just had to have it! But we’re planning to go for a walk by Lake Lovatnet, which seems like a must-do.

Hi Peggy,

You did a great job writing this beautiful travel journal because the Norwegian landscapes are still the same two years later. After three trips to Norway, I’m discovering new places that I’m noting down for, hopefully, my next trip ;).

Thanks for this inspiring travel journal. Kudos for the Troll Tongue hike—I read it’s pretty tough.

I’d started planning a trip to "Southern Fjords and Lofoten," but since we have to spend a week in Denmark first with our kids (we’re treating them to the vacation—young couple, 30 & 28), the budget won’t stretch that far. So in June, we’ll settle for a week in Denmark with the kids (they’ll fly back to Belgium) and a Kattegat tour for the two of us (Sweden, Oslo, and Norway’s south coast), returning to Denmark via Jutland.

That said, your journal really interests me. When we went to Iceland, I figured the weather could’ve been rough, so I had a Plan B for each day. In the end, the skies were pretty generous. But in Norway, in the middle of the fjords, I’m not sure what Plan B would even look like... Did you have any backup ideas?

Hi Virginie,

I’m reading Lorelou Desjardins’ book Au coin du fjord. She wrote this: « the few minutes or hours or days of sunshine, when the different colors of the fjords reveal themselves and the mountains shed their cloak of fog, are worth all the rain in the world. »

I’m not familiar with that title, so I just read an article about Lorelou Desjardins. It definitely sounds interesting—thanks for the reading suggestion!

For our part, we chose to stay in the Olden valley. I was blown away by a cabin with a lake view and just had to book it! But we’re planning to go for a hike near Lovatnet, which seems like a must-do.

I can totally picture the view—no wonder you loved it! 😊

Hi Alix, Thanks for your message. It’s great if I could give you a few ideas after three trips! 😊

Hi Sylvie, Thanks for your message!

So in June, we’ll settle for a week in Denmark (with our kids flying back to Belgium) and a Kattegat tour for two (Sweden, Oslo, and the southern coast of Norway), returning to Denmark via Jutland.

You’ll still have a great trip anyway—your planning will come in handy later! ;)

On the other hand, in Norway, in the middle of the fjords, I don’t really see any Plan B options... Had you thought about that?

No, we hadn’t thought about Plan Bs. We often got rain, but we made do. And I think we appreciated the landscapes and our luck of being there on sunny days even more!

Day 10 Monday, July 18

To get to Geiranger from Folva, there are two options: either take the tunnel, which is faster, or make the detour via Gamle Strynefjellsvegen, an old mountain road only open in the summer. This road crosses a glacial valley and is stunning—so of course, we chose the second option!

Excerpt from my roadbook: Built in 1895 almost entirely by hand and cleared of snow with shovels until 1950, Road 258 is very narrow and more like a trail. It starts in the valley with a cascading torrent, then winds up in switchbacks before following a high glacial valley for about 20 km. It’s a feast for the eyes.

We reach Grotli after a little over an hour of pure enchantment. It would’ve been a real shame to take the tunnel!

After that, I’d noted the Dalsnibba viewpoint, but since we checked the weather beforehand and there’s fog, it’s not worth going up and paying 250 NOK.

We continue to Flydalsjuvet, where the view overlooks the Geirangerfjord and its massive cruise ships.



No stop once we’re down below—we only saw tourist shops.

We head back up the other side via a road with hairpin turns (Ørnevegen, or the Eagle Road) and take one last photo before continuing to Eidsdal to catch the ferry.

We drive past strawberry fields for a while (Norwegian strawberries are so good! 🍓). Then we approach Trollstigen (the Troll’s Path).