Norge er Fantastisk!

I have finally dragged myself from the common room where I sat fascinated by 30 or 40 knitting needles clicking and moving methodically. Such is the Norwegian way of life.
Last week, we did a one day hiking trip to Bessegen. The first couple of hours were along a nice mountain lake. Fed from each side by high ridges, the west end of the lake is damned only by a small land bridge. We hiked along the shoreline of the lake to the right, and, it was only when we finally reached the end of the lake that we discovered the second, stunning panorama of pristine, blue water hidden by the narrow stretch of rock damming the end of the lake. It was the most beautiful hike I have ever experienced, not only because of the scenery, but because such an amazing view came so suddenly. I was not expecting it at all.
To crest the ridge in the middle of the photograph, and look out over a 200m cliff at the above landscape was breathtaking.

I took the picture  to the left on the same trip in Jotenheim. I like to call it Crossing Paths. The one on the right was taken during a mountain biking excursion with my Dutch friend, Olof. It`s called Gaffel, Norwegian for fork. National Geographic and Time are still bidding.

Saturday`s trek through the hills was quite interesting. A particular tree along the trail is missing a few branches, and the boys took a bit of a beating, but Olof and I had a good time. That was the second fall. A half hour bike ride uphill along the road, a few geitost sandwiches while enjoying a view of Liera, and a very technical hiking path back down to the school made for a good afternoon.

The most exciting trip so far, though, was in Jostedalsbreen National Park, on the Nigardsbreen arm of the glacier. The five hour drive was well worth it for three days of glacier walking and climbing. Fully equipped with crampons, ice axes, harnesses and ropes, we saw a fair amount of the glacier. Whether stuck down a crevice for 35 minutes during a practice rescue (my team was not very fast the first time), or top-roping a 12 metre face of vertical ice, it was a good time.

You should know that the above picture is upside down… Ya, I know, amazing. 
  

It was an amazing trip, but it was also nice to get `home` and have a hot   shower and a comfortable bed again.
The trips have kept me quite busy since my last blog so there isn`t too much new around the school. Each Saturday night, a different class is supposed to organize a social gathering. Last week, the golf class entertained us with a blind-date bingo and karaoke night! Random couples were selected for some unknown reason. I happened to be one of them. As it turned out, we were to be interviewed about matters concerning our date, in front of the rest of the school. I was first asked for my date`s name. Bad memory and worse pronunciation made my blind-date a last date… But like they say, there are lots of fish in the sea.
Snakkes.