An Empowering Trek in Norway

Sometimes you need a good challenge. Sometimes you need a great escape. Sometimes you need both.

Trekking in Norway

This post is not about traveling with kids. Quite the opposite, actually. It is about an empowering mental and physical escape I took with one of my closest friends to the fjords, valleys, national parks, and glaciers of Norway. Why was this journey so powerful? It required good planning, strength, physical endurance, and bravery.

I love a good challenge. This was that, and then some. It was a reset. It humbled me in huge ways. It rewarded me in huge ways. It scared me at times. It forced me to make hard choices. There were times I was in tears because I was so tired. There were other times I was in tears because I was so proud of what I had done. And at the end of the day, I saw me for me. Not me as a mom. Not me as a writer. Not me as a wife. Not me as a former diplomat. Not as a cook, chauffeur, arbiter of arguments, trip planner, master scheduler, or all of the other amazing things we do for our kids. This trip was about me pushing myself to my limits and discovering a new, unbelievable place on this planet.

So just how did this whole thing come about, and how did I make it happen?

Instead of flooding you with written details and lists, I’m first going to share with you the visual, or a little magic, if you will . . .

---

Trekking in norway: a visual

In 2018, my friend Paulina and I flew to Bergen, Norway, took a boat to Rosendal, and spent four days hiking in Folgefonna and Hardangervidda National Parks....

---

Trekking in norway: a few photos

Bergen to Rosendal

We flew into Bergen, then departed for Rosendal via ferry. The views from the ferry were stunning!

Hike to Folgefonna Glacier

We came across this beautiful lake 30 minutes into our 8-hour hike to Folgefonna Glacier. Doesn’t it look like it came straight out of the movie Frozen?

Hiking in Folgefonna National Park

The hike was absolutely breathtaking. Hard and long, but breathtaking.

Taking in the Views in Folgefonna National Park

I mean, this is why we came . . .

Lifestraws are a lifesaver

Most literally

Views, views and more views

Making that journey through Folgefonna National Park with four days worth of food, clothes, and other items on our backs.

Strike a pose

In Folegonna National Park

Headed to Fonnabu Hut

About six hours into the hike the terrain changed, and we encountered some snow and ice (in June)!

Top of the World

Once we made it to this point on the trek (7 hours in), it truly felt like we were on top of the world. Or the moon. On top of the world on the moon. How about that?

Trail Markers

See that red “T”? That’s how you know you are on the right path . . .

Close to Fonnabu Hut

It was around 9pm, and check out the amazing light during the summer in Norway . . .

Folgefonna Glacier

After a 9-hour hike, we made it! Nearly sunset at 9:30pm atop Folgefonna Glacier. Check out the public hut run by the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) in the background. They are super clean and super great.

Drinking Water

Drinking water, bathing forbidden . . . no electricity or running water at the hut, but you could bring water up to the hut yourself from this beautiful glacier-fed lake

Folgefonna Glacier

That’s it, folks. Norway’s third largest glacier. And we got to spend the night nearly on top of it.

Sunset at Folgefonna Glacier

This view would never get old. Sunset atop the glacier at 10:30pm.

Freeze-dried meals for the win

In case you were wondering what we ate every day and night . . . freeze-dried meals for the win!

Don't leave your map at home

A map of the national park where you are trekking is a must. We bought ours in Bergen before departing, and talked extensively to knowledgeable staff about which treks to embark on during the early summer season.

Hardangervidda National Park

Our second big trek was through Hardangervidda National park to the Stavali hut. The 8-hour journey boasted 4 beautiful waterfalls and amazing terrain. It was a bit treacherous at times for us, especially as the fog rolled in, it began to rain, we had to cross an icy river on our own (tying ourselves together with rope), and we saw no other hikers for at least six hours. Beautiful, but never so happy to arrive at a hut that evening!

Hike to Stavali

Why not go chasing waterfalls, TLC? They are absolutely majestic.

Ode to the Journey

The hiks were hard, long, (sometimes) wet, but extremely worth it. Trekking alongside the Norwegian fjords? Amazing and life-changing.

---

a life-changing experience: trekking through norway

This trip was life-changing for me. It was a pivotal moment in my adult life. I can point to a handful of times in my life where I’ve had this same feeling, like when I first flew a plane solo or climbed to the top of Mt. Kinabalu in Borneo. These are empowering moments. Moments that I made happen. Moments that I trained for, moments that required bravery, moments that pushed me, moments that taught me, moments that made me who I am today. And my trip to Norway, at 39 years old, was no different. It only came a little later in life, and helped me realize how much I had craved and needed this solo self-reflection and validation.

Oh, and a little tidbit of information I wasn’t even aware of when making this trip: I pregnant at the time with baby number 4. So you know, all things are possible!

I’ll follow-up with a second post about our planning, exactly where we went, how we packed, how we got around (all using public transportation) and our favorite resources along the way (tip: this travel blogger in Norway is my absolute fave and has so many good articles about traveling in Norway). Stay tuned!

Like this post? Pin it!

Have you ever trekked in norway? If so, what parks did you hike through, would you recommend them, and what was the experience like for you? share in the comments below.