Looking Back: Hellesylt and Geiranger, Norway

Another travel adventure from my time on the ship.  On 6/21, we left the ship via the tenders in Hellesylt and reboarded later that day in Geiranger.  

That day's tour involved a three-hour hike over a mountain pass that had been in use since Medieval times. The path slowly rose toward the snow-covered peaks until we were above the tree line.

The hiking path

Along the way we walked along the side of a cliff face that overlooked a lake far below. The interesting thing about this country is that they don't baby you. They didn't have all sorts of guardrails and signs warning you of impending danger - they just assume you could look and see that the side of the path drops off and act accordingly! 

View from the hiking path

Waterfalls

We arrived at the bathroom stop which consisted of a cluster of small summer cottages and one public toilet.  This cluster was set on the top of a hill with the mountains in the background - very beautiful.  A number of us wondered if Julie Andrews would suddenly pop out from behind a bush and start singing from "The Sound of Music." 

Because of the snowcaps, there were waterfalls everywhere - I've never seen so many.  I was the last person in the hiking line as I had been designated the "gate closer."  At the lower altitudes we were passing through sheep and cow pastures (and yes, we did have to tread carefully) and the animals needed to be kept in their assigned pastures.  In Norway no one is allowed to lock gates as the land is considered state owned, so you can travel anywhere, but it is always nice to show a little courtesy and not let the cows out.

 

At one point on the hike I could see a beautiful turquoise lake far below - wouldn't you know it - that was our destination.  The decline was on a very steep, gravely and sandy path, so I was taking tiny little steps like a boundfoot woman so that I would not slip and slide all the way down. 

We had lunch at a mountaintop hotel, the Videseter, looking down a valley and out at snow capped peaks. 

Our last stop was at Mt. Dalsnibba - the ride to the peak involves a twisting road with 18 hairpin turns - try that in a tour bus sometime!  The peak is at a very high altitude, so it is a very desolate snow and rock covered landscape - very moonscape-like.

I received an email from Stephony with whom I used to work in Las Vegas.  She wrote that my time on the ship "sounds like a mix between hell and the best amusement park in the world" - that made me laugh!