Exploring the Western fjords of Norway

In a game of word association meant to conjure up descriptions of my personality, I would take a punt that ‘outdoors’ would be pretty far down the list. Such is my strong inclination to cosy up in bed with a warm drink and a movie. I’ve always been the sort of kid that would rather spend 10 hours doing a GCSE art project or a history timeline than taking a stroll through the rural fields of my Surrey home. Strangely, I do love a good outdoors movie – Deadly Pursuit, River Wild, Jurassic Park, Everest – but perhaps more so because I’m inside watching them, safely ensconced in layers of protective blanket and the soft crackle of a fire or candle never far away. I’ve being doing ‘hygge’ long before it became the buzzword of 2016.

So no-one was more surprised than I to discover how at home I felt in the Norwegian fjords when I visited there this week. After flying into Bergen, branded as ‘the gateway to the fjords’, we caught a train to Voss – the more adventurous sibling to the small-town charm of Norway’s second largest harbour-bound city. From here we were collected and taken to the base camp, kitted out with full wetsuit gear and seduced with Norwegian chocolate buns before setting out on our guided excursion.

Our trip was booked through Much Better Adventures, who offer a range of wild-camping, lake-navigating trips for the intrepid vacationer. We opted to hike and kayak the fjords for 3 days and 2 nights, which turned out to be an ideal length of time to immerse yourself in the sublime landscapes whilst mitigating the risk of trench foot or other such hazardous conditions that your parents undoubtedly worry you’ll acquire if you spend more than 4 days outside.

And sublime it was. It’s hard to describe in any other means than the pictures below, but particularly on the kayak part of the trip, spectacular doesn’t begin to construe our surroundings. On our first day the mirror-like water was pleasingly placid, and if you could bear to look up from the concentrated paddling, you’d see only verdant or snow-capped mountains with waterfalls careening through them. Aside from the occasional boat-cruise, there was little to disturb the peace and it was easy to imagine yourself completely alone. And yet far from lonely. The alienation of the city, with its anonymity and aggression is quickly muted when confronted with the comfort of clouds and the reassurance of rain. You simply feel there and present and in it and not thinking about anything other than the what you’re doing (trying not to capsize) and what you’re seeing (NATURE, NATURE EVERYWHERE). It feels cliche to acknowledge, but it was as refreshing as an early evening swim in the fjords themselves to digitally detach yourself from the world and focus your energies on physical exertion. Every meal and sip of water feels earned. Calories become more about sustenance and fuel than guilt and mathematics. Your muscles feel worked. Your mind feels revitalised. You’re not distracted or numbed. You’re focused only on the smooth strokes of your oar sluicing through the cold water, and maneuvering yourself through the alpines or the burn in your thighs as you power yourself up craggy rocks and muddied tracks. And at the end of the day, you fall asleep, not foggy-headed and slumberous but tired. Good tired. With the sound of waves licking the sand and waterfalls trickling in the background.

We explored the Nærøyfjord, which is a UNESCO listed world heritage site, and for good reason. So here are just some of the photos, which will far better communicate the awe the Norwegian fjords inspire, than any frothy encapsulation of their staggering beauty.

Day 1: The journey there & kayak to camp

Day 2: The hike

Despite a persistent 5 hours of rain and some slipperiness underfoot, 10 hours of hiking was more gratifying (albeit punctured with bouts of frustration, discomfort and elation) than I would’ve suspected. There’s something simplistically thrilling about trusting your own feet and body to get yourself from A to B and back again (albeit relying on a guide who knows exactly where they’re going and can be used as a bridge to occasionally cross a chasmal stream). And my goodness were the views worth the cold feet and achy limbs.

Total distance walked: 25km. Total height climbed: 1300m.