Trek in Breheimen - Norway

The Breheimen — which could be translated as "Home of the Glaciers" — is a mountainous region in central western Norway. Its feet immersed in the gentleness of the Fjords, its head proudly crowned by the whiteness of what is the largest active glacier system in Europe, but beyond geography, a massif of magnificent variation.

A mountain guide, I have always been passionate about Scandinavia and Norway in particular. Each stay brings me a sense of tranquillity that is unfortunately becoming increasingly rare in our mountains — a truly unspoilt nature, a landscape where the marriage of water and rock will never leave you indifferent. It is at the heart of this magnificent Norway that I would love to take you, and I'm willing to bet you won't come back unchanged.

Morning at the foot of the Fjord

A breakfast not to be overlooked. Just enough time to dream of the age of the Drakkar and to imagine setting off on a maritime expedition. The sea lies at our feet, and the turquoise colour of the Lustrafjord is all the confirmation you need. Then Svein — the owner of our Hytte, a typical Norwegian chalet — explains that life isn't always easy at the foot of the Breheimen. The road winds in hairpins along the Fjord, and after emerging from the tunnel, the soft light immediately sets the mood. Up there, the summits we cannot yet see are waiting for us. It is indeed the trail that sets off at the foot of the river — yes, the sea always so close. Past the tumult of the waves crashing against the boulders, the sight of pansies — flowers that could have come straight from the Vosges — and we're off on our first ascent. A steep climb, punctuated by a deep rumbling, growing louder and louder as it draws nearer. Then mist surrounds us as we pass at the foot of one of Norway's majestic waterfalls. Turning back, a guaranteed shiver as you take in the valley floor, 400 m below.

At the end of the trail, another world

Be warned, the going gets harder — a gap to pass through, then suddenly the torrent emerges, a vast sky of limpid blue, a blue that is swiftly echoed by the pure blue of the lake, with the white helmet of a glacier as a backdrop, the green beard of the slopes and their wrinkles of rock. Here and there, a few Hytter dotted along the lake shore. We must walk alongside this "small" lake for 2 hours. The view opens up more and more, and behind us the majestic summits of the Jotunheim stand out. We have Norway's rooftop before our eyes. You can easily make out the Glittertind at 2,434 m and the Galdhøpiggen at 2,469 m — Norway's two highest peaks.

The mountain Vikings

Just as we turned back towards our barely marked trail, we came face to face with a century-old boat. Its naturally bleached wood tells of its great age, but more striking still is its clinker construction. Clinker is the specific technical developed to build the famous "Drakkar" longships: overlapping planks along the hull's length, fixed together with metal rivets.

No, I wasn't dreaming this morning — the Vikings kept their know-how alive for centuries, not just for travel but also to fish at altitudes above 800 m in the mountains.

A green escape

The path winds on between birch trees and moorland, feet on the grass and eyes turned skyward, where peaks and glaciers carve their silhouettes. A whole palette of colours adorning the blues of the waters and the skies. The day passes quickly in such a setting, and it is on the floor of a red Norwegian Hytte that we recover our strength. There's still an hour of steep slope to skirt before reaching our refuge — or rather, our refuges.

Night won't come quickly — not before 1am — but rest and a meal can't wait. Surprise: when we arrive at the refuge, we're expected. Olav is a carpenter who has just arrived... by helicopter. Perfectly normal, as the DNT (the Norwegian equivalent of the French Alpine Club) pays him to maintain the refuges, and given the long winters (to compare with the Alps, bear in mind that glaciers begin at 1,500 m here), the summer season is short! Since he has to redo part of the floor of the main refuge during our long Nordic summer evening, we find ourselves in the annexe. Have no fear — this ancient shepherd's shelter, refitted with its slate blocks and turf roof, is in no danger of collapsing. Inside: a wood-burning stove in the front room, then our bedroom of pine beams and rock — unique and transporting. And so we enjoy our meal with a view over the lake, the peaks of the Jotunheim as a backdrop. Thank you, Olav!

Enjoyed the trip? Come and experience it by my side! Contact me via my website oxygenenature or by email.