The view from my beer
A half pint of Ringnes Pilsener looking down from the top of RomsdaleEggen towards the Romsdalsford fjord and the town of Åndalsnes.
Åndalsnes
Stop number three on my Summer Solstice Cruise, was the town Åndalsnes. It is located in Romsdalsfjord and is regarded as the mountaineering capital of Norway. Having only a population of 2,000 people, the arrival of a large cruise ship with 3,000 passengers doersn’t go unnoticed.
My Walk
My research suggested the major attraction in Åndalsnes was the views of the fjord from the summit of a nearby hill. Today’s walk was a tough one even though it was one of my shortest. It was only 3km, but involved a climb of 700m to the top of RomsdaleEggen. It took me nearly three hours to make the 3km trek. When I am walking on a flat trail I can usually average around 5km an hour!
10:45 – My walk started with a quick stroll around the town. I must admit, before setting off I did look at the the size of the hill I was going to climb and the fact that a gondola ride was available to take people to the top. Deep down I new I would be better for the walk, and there was a bar at the top to celebrate the climb.
11:30 – A quick walk around town before I found my way to the start of the Rampestreken trail. This is where the climb began. It was gentle at first with a pathway leading to the first scenic viewpoint, Nebba View. After that the trail got rough and the incline steadily increased.
Rampestreken
13:40 – After about two hours I finally arrived at Rampestreken, a viewpoint with an aerial bridge that projected 8m into the great abyss. It had already been a long hard walk, but the views were worth it.
RomsdaleEggen
14:30 – The signs on the Rampestreken trail had been counting down the 500m climb to Rampestreken. Just as I had thought the walk might be at an end I found out there was another 200m climb to go, and it didn’t get any easier. As I approached the top the clouds swirled in.
Romsdalsgondolen
15:30 – Our ship was departing in two hours and it had taken me three hours to make the climb. I decided to take the gondolier back to the bottom.
Our Sendoff
When it came time to leave the town gave us a sendoff. FSome families brought their children, who waved at the ship with Norwegian flags. The adjacent bar blasted out music such as Rod Stewart’s “We are Sailing” and waved flags from the balcony.
Romsdalsfjord Fjord
After our departure from Åndalsnes at 5:30pm we cruised for around 3 hours through the Romsdalsfjord Fjord. I spent an hour walking the ship, admiring the spectacular views as we headed out towards the ocean and our next stop at Tromsø.
Our Final Sunset
As we pushed further North, the sun finally set around 11:50 PM, the latest sunset I have yet experienced. This would be our last sunset for six days. Tomorrow we will cross the Arctic Circle and begin to experience the midnight sun.
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