Viglesdalen

Katy came home Sunday afternoon so that she could see the pets, get some laundry done and run a few errands before she and Joe flew off to their next adventure this morning (Joe went to Oslo to check out the 'big city'). She told me that since she'd be home all day Monday I was free to take off, to be gone all day, basically to do whatever I wanted to do. The first thing I did was head to the website of Outdoorlife Norway. Since my Kjerag hiking experience with that company had been so sensational last year I was eager to see if another would be possible. Sadly Monday was either his day off or the hike scheduled for the day was already full because nothing was available. So sent me back to the planning drawing board which was basically two main questions. Did I want to go for a long drive to see some place I otherwise wouldn't be able to - a Stave Church would be really cool - or did I want to go for a long hike. Katy recommended Viglesdalen, a hike in the Hjelmeland area that she really loved which sparked my memory into recalling another hike in that region that my Outdoorlife Norway guide had recommended - Reinaknuten. I decided to shoot for Reinaknuten and was on the road early with coffee in hand, hiking gear in the passenger seat beside me, excited for my adventure.

Well the good news - I couldn't find the trailhead for Reinaknuten. I say good news because if I had then I never would have never hiked Viglesdalen and Viglesdalen is holy god, super fantastic, absolutely AMAZING!!! (And FYI, I'm not the only one who couldn't find Reinaknuten, Katy's tried 3 times with no success).

The trail starts in a parking lot of the small, tiny town Nes. The first few minutes had me walking through a small farm full of sheep before veering upwards into a rocky forest. There are a lot of rocks on this hike, almost non-stop rocks, but there are very few parts that have you going up a steep incline so I rarely felt the precarious fear that one misstep could send me sliding down into disaster.

Also on the first half of the trail there is a fair amount of water i.e. puddles, fairy rivers etc... but again since I was moving up into the mountains so gradually it didn't really bother me too much because the trail was laced with mind blowing, drop dead gorgeous waterfalls. There were small waterfalls that barely were higher than my head, then tall thin waterfalls that started way up at the mountains top, and then there were the waterfalls - Sendingsfossen, Hiafossen and Granefossen - that roared down the center of the valley and had me stopping for pictures every few seconds because each new step had me thinking I couldn't possible see a more beautiful sight only to be disproven a few seconds later with the next step. Those waterfalls alone would have made the whole hike worth it but, unbelievably, the best part was yet to come!

I left the falls behind about an hour and a half in and shortly after came to a stone bridge hanging over the, now quiet, river that looked so much like something out of a fairytale that I could envision rolls crossing over heading to their kingdom. After crossing it myself however, I saw a small sign The bridge was built to make it easier for the farmers of Viglesdalen to herd their sheep. It's first stones were laid by Swedish laborers in 1907 and they completed it at last in 1912. Prior to the bridge the sheep herders had to cross the lake by boat in order to reach their sheep, an undertaking that was precarious at best. In 1874 a boat capsized drowning the four shepherd and nine year old girl who had been on board. After this particular event the Viglesdalen became known as a "spooky place". It was ultimately abandoned in 1883 with the farmers heading down the valley into Nes.
sharing the bridges true story.

Soon after the bridge I got a tricky glimpse of the buildings that were my ultimate destination. I say tricky because it took a good hour of hiking before I would actually reach them. The trail then turned into a sprawl of rock screes that sang of avalanche possibilities on my left. I was to busy though paying attention to the lovely blue waters of the lake and tall dark canyon walls on my right to be too nervous about my left. Finally I stepped out the rocks and into a huge grassy meadow with five red buildings a few hundred feet in front of me. The valley was quiet, the breeze soft, the sun shining sweetly. I was mesmerized by the calm beauty that encircled me and was filled with a calm deeper than I could have ever imagined.

I walked forwards towards the structures, loving the Norwegian charm of their grass covered roofs and dark wood doors. The first two buildings were locked but a small gate let me into the enclosure of the other three, the ones that are open to the public. All along the valleys and mountains of Norway are cabins that the country's trekking association maintains for it's hikers. They are furnished with beds and blankets, chairs and tables, dishes for cooking/eating, and food to eat.

There is chopped firewood for heat and signs directing you to the nearest source of water. The cabins are left open year round and anyone is able to stop and stay a night or two. Before they leave the guests will complete a form with their information and slip it into a locked box so that the association can note who was there and charge them for their stay. It's a system that has been in place for decades and - largely thanks to Norwegian's honesty - it works. The cabin at Viglesdalen is the associations oldest, first established in 1931 it was built upon the foundation of one of the farms abandoned structures. There is actually a second cabin (in case there's a lot of hikers in one night) and a separate building for the outhouse.

I was absolutely in love with the cabin and enchanted with the idea of staying there. In theory I could have hiked out Sunday night and done just that and I'm still kicking myself for letting that opportunity slip away. Who knows, maybe someday.

Hikers have the option of continuing past Viglesdalen to what I'm sure are more magnificent, magical surroundings. I wanted to go down that trail, I never wanted to turn back. But just the trip to the cabins was 7 kilometers and 3 hours; I knew that it was time for me to return to the car and reality. The journey back was a repeat of what I've just describe. It was beyond enchanting and by the time my footsteps hit the Nes parking lot I was completely and utterly in love. And the whole time I was on the trail - a full six hours - I didn't see a single person, it was just the icing on the cake to a perfect adventure. I have found my Norwegian Eagle River Nature Center. It is a place I will dream of always, a valley that will fill my dreams until I can one day return.

I decided to head north for one other quick excursion (which I'll write about another time) before heading back down Route 13 towards home. In my rearview mirror I could see the sun saying goodbye as right in front of me the moon rose over indigo mountains. It was the biggest moon I think I have ever seen in my life, the perfect end to a perfect day.

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