TURAS GIRLS

My great-grandmother was from Bergum, Norway and sailed to America when she was a teenager. When I was a kid, we heard stories of her growing up in Norway. Through her deep Norwegian accent we learned about our Scandinavian heritage. She had such a vitality for life and had a great influence on my childhood. I have always wanted to visit Norway and understand my heritage a little more.

In 2015 Stef and I planned a trip hiking the mountains and kayaking through the fjords of southwestern Norway.

We landed in Bergen after a short stopover in Iceland. Tired but excited for our journey, we got into our rental car (a little VW Golf) and drove near Voss to Store Ringheim Hotel for the night. (https://storeringheim.no/en/) This little hotel was a fantastic respite for the night and had the most amazing food.

The next morning we checked out and drove to Ulvik where we joined a kayaking tour headed for Hardangerfjord. We donned our wetsuits and took off on a scenic adventure down the fjord with a group of awestruck tourists just like ourselves. We stopped for lunch several hours later and filled our water bottles with the frigid waters coming down from the mountains. Apparently it’s so clean that you can drink straight from the source. And we did! The hardest work was reserved for the way back as we paddled against the current and returned to our take off point.

We stayed at Strand Hotel in Ulvik that night. We enjoyed an amazing Norwegian dinner and rested up for our hike the next day.

We ate a hearty breakfast, which usually included the entire bowl of scrambled eggs that was offered, as apparently, Americans’ idea of a serving of eggs is much different than in Norway. We filled our camelbacks, grabbed some snacks for the day and headed to Trolltunga trailhead near Odda.

The Skjeggedal carpark was large with bathrooms and a place to get snacks and drinks. The carpark was already filling up early and we headed out on the long hike with several other groups. The hike is roughly 17 miles out and back and ultimately leads to the “Troll’s Tongue”, where you wait in line for your chance to walk out on the jutting rock to get your photo taken.

The hike is very scenic and overlooks the fjord much of the hike. We waited in line at the top for 45 minutes or so to get pictures but the walk out on the rock was worth it and quite an experience.

The hike back down went pretty quick for the distance and we were back at the parking lot enjoying a beer by late afternoon.

We stayed in a hostel near Odda for the night and found a pizza place for dinner. With tired legs and another long hike planned for the next day, we went to bed early that night.

The following day we had a 5 hour drive to Kjeragbolten, so after a quick breakfast, we headed south in our little VW Golf. The drive was scenic and we enjoyed waterfalls and sheep and little farm stands along the way.

As we approached the hike in the afternoon, it was cloudy and wet. The sign at the trailhead warned that the rocks were slippery when wet and to take caution when climbing in inclement weather. We debated whether it was wise to attempt the hike but ended up deciding to try it out.

The hike immediately goes up a granite rock face, often with the aid of ropes attached to the hillside. The rocks were slick and we slipped many times as the rain continued. It was foggy and the distance up ahead was obscured by clouds. We hiked for about 3 miles, slipping and sliding along the way. I believe we were probably pretty close to the top but the conditions worsened and we ultimately decided to turn around and head back down. We descended fairly quickly using the wet rocks to our advantage as we often slid on our backside down the rocks.

Probably to this day we regret not making it to the top of Kjeragbolten, but we enjoyed the hike and were very thankful to return to our car and don dry clothes.

We drove towards Stavanger and stayed at a little farmhouse B&B for the night. It was an adorable farmhouse and had dogs and sheep roaming around the yard. We were pretty tired by this evening and spent much of it playing cards in our room.

The next day we headed back to Bergen. After a long drive and a ferry ride, we dropped our VW Golf at the airport and took a shuttle into town where we stayed for the next 3 days.

Bergen is a beautiful city surrounded by green mountains. Bryggen, the old wharf, is lined with tall, vibrantly colored buildings. Along the wharf, there are numerous shops, restaurants, and cafes to explore. For the next 3 days that is what we did.

We ate at the fish market, drank coffee with fresh pastries at cafes, we walked up to Floyen for a nice hike and scenic view of the city and then rode the Floibanen funicular back down. We drank beer at little pubs along the wharf. We even did Escape Bryggen one afternoon for a break from the rain. It was our first experience doing an escape room and we almost made it out of there in time but alas, we failed to escape.

Our time sadly came to an end in Norway. I felt a great connection to Norway like no other place I have visited. Hiking and kayaking in this beautiful country was such a treasure. The blue fjord waters and tall green mountains fed my soul and spoke to my heart in a way I cannot explain. It was a trip I will never forget and a place I hope to return to someday.