Summer vacation in Norway - Part 6

July 18: Hellesylt-Geiranger (ferry)

We woke up to low-hanging fog but an otherwise nice morning and got ourselves packed up for the ferry ride. We had pre-booked the 9:30 ferry (it seems to be a good idea to book in advance, especially for cars, but even for passengers!) and lucked out with quite good weather for the 1.5 hour ride through the fjord. We stayed on the middle deck to avoid the crowds, and walked back and forth between the port and starboard sides in order to take in all of the views. Even if one might argue that Geiranger gets too much attention as a tourist destination in Norway, it is really and truly an amazingly beautiful area. The mountains fall so steeply into the water that it almost seems natural that deep-drafted ships can pass through. There is a curve in the fjord as well, so the boat trip allows you to constantly see new things.

One of the most surprising sights was the farm at the top of a cliff which is only reachable by ladder, yet at one point had 3-4 horses and six cows. On the opposite side, there was a farmhouse where the kids were harnessed to keep them from falling down the cliff.

When we arrived at Geiranger, we cycled up to Fossen Camping (where we are staying), up a few switchbacks and close to a waterfall. After leaving the bikes by the reception, we set off for some hiking. We followed paths and a gravel road to Vesterås gård, and then walked among the grazing goats toward Løsta. Finding the path closed due to a rockslide, we changed our destination to an alternative lookout point (Vesteråsfjellet), which gave a nice view of the inner part of the fjord and of the town. On the way back, we stopped at Vesterås for waffles and made a dinner reservation to celebrate the acceptance of Dražen’s first journal article. Instead of walking directly back to the cabin, we took a detour to Hole, the marshland above Hole, and Flydalsjuvet. Although Flydalsjuvet is among the most well-known lookout points, we found that some of the spots along the trail (where we didn’t see any other people) were actually much nicer than the crowded spot next to the road.

We checked into the pre-booked cabin (a bit more luxurious than we need, but – wow – what a view!) and took a short break there before going on another hike. This time, we walked up to Storsæterfossen, under the waterfall, and up a bit further toward Vesteråssætra. The sun was shining, and I just kept marveling at our luck with the weather and the natural beauty of our surroudings. We topped off an incredible day with a delicious dinner and a sunny walk back to the cabin. 

Not just a tourist ferry, it's also the mail boat.

The Suitor waterfall