Friday – Climbing a mountain in Andalsnes
Today, we arrived in Andalsnes, a small, difficult-to-pronounce, town hidden away in a beautiful, winding fjord. We seem to have seen lots of places similar to this over the last week or so; as we’re travelling South, though, the amount of snow about is getting noticeably less. A strong wind made it feel particularly cold, and they even had to change the gangway for something a little more substantial because the wind was lifting it.
It was nice not to have tour escorting duties today; it meant we could do our own thing. It soon became apparent, however, that Andalsnes doesn’t have a huge amount of things going for it. A brief visit to the Tourist Information Centre told us all we needed to know; there’s nothing to do here except climb a mountain. A modest peak of 707 metres stands right alongside the town, and a well-waymarked trail exists to entice the visitor up there. So, with very little in the way of preparation, we set off up the hilll. Surprisingly (or maybe not so surprisingly considering how little else there is to do here), many passengers seemed to have the same idea.
The trail is steep in places, but it is well-waymarked, and metal walkways provide good access for wheelchairs for the first couple of hundred metres (something you’ll never see in the Lake District). Beyond this, the going remains steep and the wind howled through the trees as we slowly made height. Our lack of preparation meant we hadn’t brought any water or food with us. Most water that we did encounter was frozen, so we resorted to breaking off icicles as natural lollies. We had no idea how far we’d be able to get; getting to the summit seemed unlikely, as we had to keep an eye on the time, and the light. Speaking to a few people who had been high up and were on their way back down, we learned of a viewing platform that some had seen but none had reached. Some spoke of forks in the path that sent you either one way or the other, but none that seemed to continue on upwards; most had reached this fork and then turned back. When we arrived at said fork, we carried on, choosing the path that seemed the most likely, and were rewarded soon after by the sight of the viewing platform some way above us. If I was to try and describe it, I would have to say that it looked quite incongruous;built of iron, and sticking out from the hillside like an unfinished bridge to nowhere. There was to be no turning back now. We’d given ourselves a deadline of 12:30pm, at which time we should turn and head back down. The viewing platform, though, was simply too enticing; when we finally arrived at it, climbing along some hairpin bends in the trail, we dared ourselves to walk to its end. From here, the views were simply awesome, but there was something slightly scary about standing on this precarious-looking iron-built platform with a grill for a floor, so that you could look straight down below you…
The platform was at 537 metres, the summit was at just over 700 metres, so there was quite a distance further to go. We did climb a little further, but the path was getting steeper, and time was against us. Not knowing how much longer it might possibly take us to reach the summit, we took the sensible decision and started making our way back down the hill.
One thing that we did notice was how much more still the air was up at this height, as opposed to the heavy winds whipping across the valley below, winds that became stronger as our altitude decreased.
We were back as far as the iron walkways when we came across a small group of asian ladies from the ship, one of whom had asked a passing gentleman (also from the ship) if he would take a photograph of her, with her camera. They were on a bend in the trail, with stunning views behind, overlooking the town below. The gentleman said yes, he would be happy to take her photograph, and as he started to frame the camera, she asked him to wait a second, took out a lipstick from her handbag, and proceeded to apply it. A few seconds later, as she finished applying her makeup, and started to strike a pose, the kindly gentleman took a photo, in portrait mode, at which point, she said “No, no…” she gesticulated, to say that she wanted it in landscape mode, to get more of the background in. The gentleman obliged, and she struck another pose… honestly; you’d think it was for the front cover of Vogue magazine… after he’d taken it and handed her camera back to her, ready to be on his way, she stopped him, shaking her head upon looking at the photo he’d taken “No, No,” she said, “not beautiful… not beautiful…” and handed the camera back to him, striking a new, alluring pose, insisting that he take it again… hilarious!!!
It had been a great day, and we were very pleased to have had the opportunity to climb a Norwegian hill. The walk had been exhilarating and good for us – it really blew some of the cobwebs away… marvellous!
