Hiking in the Fjords – Dalsfjorden, Norway
Greetings,
While in Norway we spent an afternoon hiking to a waterfall from Fosseviken which is the beautiful property we had lunch at on the shores of the Dalsfjorden. The property is near the famous waterfall named Laukelandsfossen. If you’re coming to visit the fjords, do yourself a favour and go for a hike! Hiking the fjords is an incredible experience and you’ll face some serious elevation changes which will get the heart pumping and then the views will take your breath away.
This hike in the fjords, like many doesn’t have to be a day long affair or a real marathon. Hikes can be leisurely and enjoyable, yes? We hiked for about 30 minutes or so until we reached the waterfall pictured above. The hike mainly consisted of climbing until we reached the top of the cliffs overlooking the fjords before we walked back into the wilderness and reached the waterfall. When you’re on the fjord itself it gives you an idea of the landscape but seeing it from above is a whole new experience; one I recommend!
There seems to be endless waterfalls surrounding the fjords in Norway and depending on the time of year you go, the water will be moving at different speeds. We went in late May so there was still lots of melting going on and if you’re up for it, lots of streams to grab a drink from or for the more daring, take a dip. Myself and the group I was with had recently jumped into the fjord itself so we didn’t go in again but I will note that it was tempting. It would probably be a different story if we were hiking a trail in Antigua.
Once we reached the waterfall we spent a while soaking in the sun, enjoying the scenery and breathing in the clean air. Something I liked about this hike was that not only did we get to see the surrounding landscape of the fjord from above but we also got to discover more of what’s around the fjords themselves and let me tell you, it’s endless wilderness. Much like when hiking on Antigua, it’s endless sea.
As you’ll see in the video below, at one point on the hike to the waterfall from Fosseviken the trees cleared and there was a big pasture. Here there were two or three homes and even saw one of the residents looking at us curiously, I’m sure they don’t get that many visitors due to the remote location. Something very interesting was how they received their supplies and it was an elaborate pulley system similar to a chairlift.
If you are planning on hiking in the fjords, dress accordingly. Regardless of the temperature outside you’ll warm up by the time you reach the tops of the cliffs so dress in layers. Also, the elevation change is drastic and the way up is quite steep which translates into you, the hiker, having a good sweat. Also, bring appropriate footwear as there will most likely be lots of moss covering the rocks on the way up and rolling an ankle in a remote location is never on any vacationers to do list.
Once we arrived at the waterfall which was our final destination, we stayed there for a while just relaxing and enjoying the sounds of the waterfall and the stillness of our surroundings. There are lots of things you can do to truly get away from it all and this experience was definitely one of them. I think it’s good for your mind, body and soul to detach from everything sometimes and truly reconnect with nature.
If you’re going to explore the fjords and will be visiting the area of Bygstad, I can recommend Villa Amot which is who hosted us and arranged the wonderful private fjord cruise which brought us to Fosseviken. I think to come up to this part of Norway and see the fjords without getting out on the water and exploring the surroundings would be a real shame.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6MtbDFe4gw
In closing, I’d like to thank the fine people from Villa Amot and NordicTB for creating the #FjordSecrets campaign to explore what this region has to offer and of course, including us in the fun. As always, all opinions are that of Stop Having a Boring Life as they always have been and always will be.
Tips hat,
