We are often asked what is the best part of our Norwegian life, and hands down the answer is the amount of time we get to spend outside. Norway makes friluftsliv — the Nordic concept of getting outdoors — a national priority by investing in infrastructure and access to nature. If you had told me a year ago that I’d be itching to get outside on days with limited sunlight and temperatures well below 0°C, I don’t think I would have believed you. But with the right gear and easy access to mountains, fjords, frozen lakes, and ski trails, it’s all I want to do these days.
Our friend Heather arrived in early March, right on the heels of several large snowstorms, with temperatures holding below -5°C. So, pretty much perfect conditions to take advantage of the best of the Norwegian winter. Here are some of our adventures.
Skiing
Gavin and I have been skiing 1-2 times a week for the past several months, and it’s become our favorite thing to do. The public transit system connects up at several points to Trondheim’s network of 250 km of groomed trails. We have our own skis, but it’s easy to borrow them for guests at one of several free lending centers around the city. So when Heather arrived, we were prepared for a couple of days on the cross country trails.
I wanted to take Heather skiing near the ski jumping stadium, as a preview for the following week’s outing to the Ski Jumping World Cup. It’s also the flattest place to ski in town, which is important, because going downhill on cross country skis is hard!
The trail put us in close proximity to the ski jump training facility, where Gavin and I took a lesson last fall. There was no one around to tell us not to jump, so we decided to try it. I’m pleased to say that 1) it is way easier to ski jump on snow than on plastic mats, and 2) my skills have improved tremendously since last fall. Check it out.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVyjSHQpYO0&w=560&h=315]
Also, I’m not the worst ski jumper I know.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY73K9zssRQ&w=560&h=315]
But Heather is pretty awesome for trying it on her first day on skis!
Obviously, this pales in comparison to the real deal. These two jumps are the roughly the size used in the Olympics last month, and are open for anyone who wants to climb to the top. The view from the top is the best in the city.
Here are a few more pictures from a second day of skiing.
Ski wax fail.
The Arctic
Gavin and I have fallen in love with the Arctic after trips to Swedish Lapland and Svalbard earlier this year and wanted to make one more trip north this winter. So, our big excursion during Heather’s visit was a weekend trip to Bodø, a small city just north of the Arctic Circle. It sits at the northern end of Norway’s rail system, so we were able to take the train from Trondheim.
[googlemaps https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d98575.47552666359!2d14.34247812929471!3d67.29148796949997!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x45df10f55b63f17d%3A0x8e785b93b25d3c53!2zQm9kw7g!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sno!4v1521459559351&w=600&h=450]
The city itself isn’t much, but the surrounding fjords and mountains make up for that.
Hotel view.
Train view.
Bodø is an aviation hub for NATO, with strategic importance in light of its proximity to Russia. History buffs may recall that the U2 spy plane that was shot down over Soviet airspace in the cold war was on its way from Pakistan to Bodø. The Norsk Luftfartsmuseum provides excellent exhibitions about Norwegian aviation history.
It also has cold weather gear that you can try on for some reason.
The real highlight of Bodø was a hike to the Keiservarden, a popular destination overlooking the city and the surrounding fjords. Despite near blizzard conditions and temperatures below -5°C, the trail was packed with Norwegians who seemed to have no trouble climbing the icy trail.
Just as we reached the summit, the snowfall ceased, the clouds parted, and we could see this beautiful view.
Some of us could see the view.
Tautra Monastery
My favorite place in Norway is the island of Tautra, home to the Tautra Mariakloster, a community of eleven Trappistine nuns. An hour from Trondheim by train, the setting is quiet and contemplative, with nothing more than a few houses and a small guest house in addition to the monastery. Having visited in the summer and the fall, I wanted to share it with Heather, who, as a member of the clergy, I thought would appreciate it as much as I do.
Tautra Mariakloster is perhaps the most beautiful worship space I’ve ever seen.
The nuns worship seven times a day, and in between take time to enjoy the beautiful island. This winter they have constructed an ice skating rink to enjoy in their free time. Heather and I made it to three services during our 24 hour-visit (the 4:20 am service was too early for us), and in between hiked 10 miles around the island and surrounding fjords.
“It is better to sit in the beer garden and think about church than to sit in church and think about the beer garden.” — Martin Luther
Ski Jumping World Cup
While cross country skiing is the most popular sport in Norway, ski jumping and nordic combined (ski jumping and cross country skiing) are popular too. Trondheim hosts a ski jumping and nordic combined world cup event annually at the Granåsen Skisenter.
Gavin and I have really enjoyed getting into Nordic sports, and have spent much of this winter living and dying with the US Cross Country Ski Team as it races at the Olympics and on the world cup. While we’re less familiar with the ski jumping and nordic combined circuit, we’ve been looking forward to the event in Trondheim all year. And luckily, Heather’s visit coincided with it.
Since all three of us have now skied and ski jumped (for some definition of those things), we had a real appreciation for the level of skill (and guts) necessary to compete at this level.
Naturally we were cheering on Team USA. I think we were the only Americans in attendance who weren’t being paid to be there. The Nordic Combined was particularly fun to watch because American Brian Fletcher finished in seventh place in the last race of his career.
The ski jump continues to be awe inspiring every time we see it, but particularly this time, to see the best in the world jump in excess of 130 meters. This was a great way to end such an active trip.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip6Pt81J8tU&w=560&h=315]
As we approach the vernal equinox, I am really grateful for this incredible Norwegian winter, and all the ways that we’ve been able to enjoy it. Heather, it was so great to have you visit during this special time. Thanks for your friendship and spirit of adventure!
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Allison and Gavin:
What a wonderful story of your time with Heather, illustrated with amazing photos and videos. Gwen and I miss our time in Norway with you.