Category: Outdoors

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Creating the World’s Lightest Alpine Ski

The Inventor

The snow splashes to the sides when the narrow wooden strip slides through it. From side to side, between frozen trees, over snow-covered boulders and down steep hills, we whizz down the mountain. On this February afternoon, we are in Burfjord, a small village between tall mountains and long fjords in Northern Norway. The 42-year-old that comes down the mountain first is a long-time alpine enthusiast, economist and inventor. The inventor of the world’s lightest alpine ski. Even though Bjarte Hollevik doesn’t look like a mad scientist or stereotypical inventor, he has a passion. And where there’s a passion, there’s room for innovation. After countless trips up and down the snowy mountains of Norway, he was getting annoyed by the weight of the skis. There had to be a way to make these skis lighter.

“The inspiration to make the world’s lightest ski simply is a result of me being terrible at losing weight.”

Proving Them Wrong

Bjarte started researching all the technical aspects of alpine ski making and decided to try out something that had been disputed in the skiing community. After extensive research, he started sketching. Despite experts and engineers claiming that his chosen material wouldn’t be able to withstand the intense pressure, he wanted to try anyway. He sent his sketch to a manufacturer in Sweden. After they made the first prototype, the Swedish manufacturer called and asked if he had forgotten something in the ski since it was so light. That’s when he figured that this could actually work. He tried them and continued tweaking until he had something light, yet durable.

Of course, the recipe is secret, but he reveals that the skis are made of a mixture between European beech, foam and the Chinese tree type paulownia. While the average ski weighs about 2,5 kilograms, Bjarte’s skis clock in at just 1130 grams, less than half of the average. He started Moonlight Mountain Gear in 2014 and has since sold a few thousand pairs of the world’s lightest ski. In 2018 and 2019, Moonlight won the ISPO-award for best alpine ski, becoming the first company to ever win two years in a row.

Innovation

The World’s lightest ski is not the only innovation Bjarte and Moonlight Mountain Gear have in stock. They also make and sell the world’s brightest headlamp, blasting a whopping 16000 lumens. Lumen is a measurement used to calculate the brightness of a light source. An average light bulb emits about 250 lumens, making Moonlight’s headlamp 64 times brighter than your normal bulb. Now, Bjarte and the others at Moonlight Mountain Gear are currently working on a new project, which is yet to be revealed, but as far as we know there will be innovation in the driver’s seat.

Harvesting the Fruits of the Trip

For decades, Bjarte has spent his winters in slopes and mountains, with different skis strapped to his legs. Like many Norwegians, this sport is a favourite. The feeling of adrenaline rushing through your veins, snow in the air, and the wind flowing through your hair is truly a great feeling. And after hours of ascending, what better way to end a great journey by whizzing down the mountain? 

“The best thing about descending is the feeling of harvesting the fruits of your ascend up the mountain and have fun in new and perfect snow.”

Interesting read? Check out our other blog posts at nuetaquavit.com/stories and follow our Instagram @nuetaquavit for more content like this.

Banner photo by Kjell Ellefsen.

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A Dog Sledding Passion

In Tverraelvdalen, outside of Alta, far into Arctic Norway we find a cabin where there lives three people, all training to become world-class dog sledders. One of them is Annbjørg Bakken, a girl from Lillehammer in her mid-20s. For over a decade she dreamt of becoming a musher and two years ago the dream came true. Now she’s getting ready for one of the hardest dog sledge races in the world.

A Life-Long Dream

For as long as she can remember, Annbjørg has been dreaming about becoming a musher, a dog sledder. When she was about ten years old, she wrote a note to herself ordering herself to become a musher, even if she had changed her mind. After getting her bachelors, she had to listen to her younger self. So, in 2019 she moved 1200km north, to a small lodge community in Northern Norway. For two years she’s been living in a community with three people and over 50 dogs, living her dream.

“Dog sledding is something I’ve dreamt of all my life.”

Preparing for the Toughest

After two years in the North, Annbjørg is now preparing for her most challenging race yet, Finnmarksløpet. Finnmarksløpet is the world’s northernmost dog sledding race. This is a race through the winter colds of Inner Finnmark, the coldest area of Norway where temperatures are known to fall below -30°c. Although she’s running in the limited class this year, she still has to conquer 600km of snow-covered plateau in extreme weather, taking care of eight dogs. As a rookie, you have virtually no chance of winning your first race against veterans that has been doing this for many years, but Annbjørg is optimistic. For her, it is not about winning, it is about the experience. The journey and experience is the goal.

Man’s Best Friend

Living like Annbjørg, you not only have to tolerate dogs, but you have to love them. To become good at dog sledding, you need to know a thing or two about your dogs. Annbjørg and her companions make sure to give every dog enough nutrition, exercise and attention. Being a musher isn’t just a job, it’s a lifestyle. To become good at dog sledding, you need to know a thing or two about your dogs. Organizing the team is a science in its self. Figuring out what dog is a good leader, which dogs have the best stamina and so on. Closing in on competitions, they train every day, taking trips on up to 100 kilometres in a day. All this exercise and time with the dogs allows for a strong connection between the musher and her dogs.

“Sometimes, I think I like dogs better than humans”

Whit red cheeks and wind in her face, Annbjørg slides across the Finnmarksvidda plateau.

The Feeling

Many can relate to the feeling; just being exactly where you’re supposed to be while doing your passion. Either it is surfing the waves of Jæren, knitting a sweater for a friend or sliding across a snowy landscape with the wind in your hair and the sound of dogs breathing heavily. It’s a feeling we all can relate to; being where you want to be, in the moment.

“I love doing many activities, but when I’m on the sledge, there’s nowhere else I want to be”

Interesting read? Then we suggest reading our blog post about the Lyngen Horse, an arctic workhorse. Here at Nuet, we publish frequent blog posts about everything Scandinavian. Follow our Instagram @nuetaquavit and subscribe to our newsletter to get instant updates on new posts. 

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Born With Skis on Our Feet

An Evolving Culture

For thousands of years, slim wooden planks with rounded tips and leather straps were the primary transportation for Norwegians during the winter. In areas where neither horses nor wheel carts could pass, the ski was the perfect means of transportation. As technology evolved, motorized vehicles became the norm of transportation, and most skiing becomes purely recreational. Even though the numbers have declined a little in the past decades, a 2020 study showed that half of the Norwegians asked had gone skiing in the past year. Adding the great number of tourists to the statistics, over three million people visit the Norwegian nature with skis on their feet every year.  There is something unique about spending time in the cold wilderness, crossing large plateaus, climbing mountains or exploring forests around the country. This is the reason we say we are born with skis on our feet.

Freezing Joy

It is -2°C out, and with a freezing breeze flowing through the air, we pass the fifth hour of our journey.. WIth cold nose tips, tomato red cheeks and a running nose we slowly cross a frozen lake. We now see the cabin where we’ll be spending the weekend. Easter bark just arrived, and we’re now spending some time off, far away from people. Today, thousands of Norwegians head for the mountains for both day trips to the slopes, a few days on the cabin or a week exploring the many Norwegian mountain ranges. When we finally arrive at the cabin, far from people, noise, and stress, firstly we have to fire up the oven. Then, while heating the cabin and drying some wet clothes, we seat ourselves at the terrace, peel an orange and enjoy the last bits of sun, this April evening. 

For some reason, we don’t just use our skis for transportation, some also use their skis as decoration on cabin walls. Read more about the phenomenon in our post The Norwegian Cabin Obsession.

The Taste of Gold

Being a competitive people, there is no surprise we managed to make what we do best to a gold-winning machinery. No other country has as many gold medals in cross-country skiing as Norway. With 680 golden world cup medals in 38 years, there is no doubt the Norwegians know how to speed through the ski trails. With a tight grip around the second step of the podium, the Swedes with their 190 championship victories. As long as international ski competitions have been organized virtually every event has had a flag with a nordic cross flying over the podium. We Skandis truly are born with skis on our feet.

For years, the sibling countries Sweden and Norway have had a friendly-hostile relationship when it comes to winter sports. For a Norwegian, there are few things more frustrating than seeing a Swede climbing to the top of the three-stepped podium, and it is certain the Swedes feel the same. We love rugging yet another victory in each other’s faces. For a few years, the Swede’s ladies’ elite Cross-Country team had a Norwegian coach, resulting in Norwegians claiming every Swedish medal as theirs. Of course, we Scandis don’t really hate each other on a common basis, but when it comes to sports, things tend to get a little heated.

They [The Swedes] don’t stand a chance. This is a children’s competiton”

Petter Northug Jr, former world champion

Interesting read? Then we suggest reading our post about Nordmarka, the grand wilderness area just outside of the Norwegian capital. Here at Nuet, we publish weekly blog posts about everything Scandinavian. Follow our Instagram @nuetaquavit and subscribe to our newsletter to get instant updates on new posts. 

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A Night in the Storm’s Centre

A Night to Remember

In 1986, Kråkenes Lighthouse was automated, and a few years later, the last lighthouse keeper had his final night at Kråkenes before everything was fully automated. Even though there is no physical lighthouse operation anymore, Kråkenes Fyr houses both a café and overnight accommodation. What previously was the lighthouse keeper’s quarters have been refurbished to a Storm Suite, a room housing four people on the lighthouse’s top floor. From its windows, you see straight into the horizon, with nothing but the north sea in sight. On stormy nights you hear the sound of 30 m/s winds dancing around the hundred-year-old building, you see the waves bash against the cliff and you see water hitting the windows dozens of metres above sea level. In the middle of a Norwegian winter storm, you feel quite tiny. But it absolutely is a night to remember.

Centre of Storms

Kråkenes is one of Scandinavia’s most windy places. Being located on the very tip of Vågsøy, an island stretching into the North Sea it is no surprise it sees dozens of storms every year. The last 50 years, the Norwegian Meteorological Institute has observed around 150 hurricanes and a record high 61,7 m/s gust of wind. Throughout its lifetime, the lighthouse has been exposed to enough seawater to rust its steel roof bearings. Kråkenes Fyr is a place characterized by the weather.

From the lighthouse’s vantage point you look straight into the horizon.

A Shining Sun

Although the weather here may be though most of the year, this can be the perfect place to spend a warm summer evening. The lighthouse is facing westwards, and on days where the sky is clear, you see the sun slowly dipping into the horizon. Here you can enjoy a warm cup of coffee or an ice cream cone on in the lighthouse café while the sky turns fiery orange and the seagulls fly over you. Storm or sunshine, there is no doubt this is a place where you create memories.

Interesting read? Here at Nuet, we publish weekly posts about everything Scandinavian, from cuisine to culture. Read more at nuetaquavit.com/stories and follow our Instagram @nuetaquavit to get instant updates on new posts.  And, if you’re super interested, you could sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of the site, and get a chance to win a free bottle of Nuet Dry Aquavit.

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Freezing Fingers for a Stunning Photo

The Days

Winter is coming, and for every day passing the days in the northern hemisphere get shorter and shorter. As December is closing in, the daylight above the Arctic circle slowly drifts into darkness. For some, the dark days and loss of daylight is depressing, but for others, this is the best time of year. Some of those thriving in the winter dark are northern lights photographers. Dedicated to their craft and lust for stunning images of one of the world’s most beautiful weather phenomena, these men and women spend hours, sometimes days out in the wilderness, waiting for the aurora.

The Journey I

We are in Nordreisa, a 250 kilometres drive north of Tromsø, at 69° north. Here it’s already dark at four in the afternoon, and negative degrees on the thermometer is not unusual in early November. Our batteries are charged, the memory cards formatted. We have coffee powder, water, sausages and equipment in our backpacks, and all our warmest clothes are either on our bodies or in the car. When we leave home, the northern lights are already dancing above the house, but this is no place to set up the camera. Here, light spill from the house and the international E-road passing by is too intense to capture the aurora. So we head out, on our way to a sweet spot far from light spill. After a half an hour drive we exit the main road and head up towards the mountain. We park at a small rest area where we unpack the car and head out into the wilderness.

The Northern Lights

Released from the sun’s outer layer, charged particles of plasma storms against our atmosphere. At impact, the particles’ electrons come in contact with oxygen and nitrogen around the northern and southern pole, releasing energy as lights dance over the Arctic sky. This process actually happens at all times of the day, all year. But because of the other Arctic weather phenomena; the midnight sun, we can’t see the aurora with the naked eye during the summer. 24 hours a day, seven days a week every summer, the sun is at an angle that lights up the Arctic. Anyways, now we’re here, in November, waiting for clear skies and waves of particles rushing against our atmosphere.

Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis over Norway.

The Journey II

We are completely alone here, with the sound of our shoes stepping on fresh snow as the soundtrack of our journey. We follow a trail probably made by some hikers earlier today. The sky is clear, and the moon shines down at us. We head towards the top. Between trees, around boulders, and over small brooks we wander. You can’t see them, but if you listen closely you hear them gurgling under a few layers of snow. The sky isn’t as green as when we left home, but we believe that it’s coming back. As we ascend a medium-sized hill, a few altimeters above the tree line, the clock strikes midnight. It is now -1° celsius in the air. Finally, we arrive at our destination, a spot where we could wait for the aurora in peace. I rig the tripod, while Peter sets up the campfire. Hobby photographer Peter has spent some nights waiting for the northern lights, and he knows the tricks to have a good time while waiting. You may think that the fire counts as light spill, and yes it does. But we place the fire a little lower than the camera, as well as pointing the camera into the sky, so we don’t see the ground. We should be good. The fire is up, the coffee pot is on, and the sausages are out. Now we wait.

When you’re photographing the northern lights it’s the Norwegian national cup in waiting. You wait and wait.

Peter Vang
It doesn’t hurt to have a fire and a pot of coffee while waiting for the aurora.

The Tales

The northern lights are a fantastic sight, but it hasn’t always been the beauty we see it as today. According to old Sámi myths and legends, the aurora was a beautiful sight you shouldn’t bother. Shouting, whistling, or singing to the green sky was not allowed because then the divine powers of the northern lights could come to get you. Other myths claimed that the northern lights were deceased virgins looking for children, leading to many people keeping their children inside when the aurora shined at its brightest.  Although some were afraid, many praised the aurora, and it was said that if you waved at it, it would wave back.

I remember that when we were young, someone tried to trick us by telling us that if we waved at the lights with a white mitten or scarf, the northern lights would capture us.

Peter vang
Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis over Norway.

The Journey III

We’ve been here for about an hour now, without much of a view yet. There were a few stripes of the aurora, but nothing amazing, yet. The chat goes on, and the temper is good. Even though we brought just one bag of wood, the fire is still going and there’s still coffee in the pot. We’ve checked the aurora apps, and they look promising, so we wait a little longer. As the hour hand on the watch face is closing in on two o’clock we see something. The sky becomes greener and greener. We put the coffee down and move towards the cameras. It’s showtime. The camera’s shutter speed is set to 15 seconds, meaning the camera’s sensor is exposed to light for 15 consecutive seconds, capturing the aurora’s movement in one image. The shutter opens and closes, again and again, as long as the sky is green. Then after seven minutes of stunning light, the northern lights are gone. It’s late and we have to work in the morning, so we call it a day. We had our shot and took it. We head home with a few photos ready to be processed. As we come home, the sky flares up, but it is too late now. We are going to bed. So we’ll see you around, aurora.

Did you enjoy the read? Then we suggest reading more of our stories about Scandinavian moments here at Nuetaquavit.com/stories. While you’re at it we also suggest following our Instagram @nuetaquavit to get instant updates on new blog posts, as well as stunning images from the Scandinavian region. Do you live on the other side of the world, and still want to experience Scandinavia? Order your Scandinavian moments in a bottle in our Web Shop.

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The Scandinavian Surfing Paradise

It is 7:20 in the morning. The fog lays low over the lowlands of Rogaland while the winds blow in over Jæren beach. The cold saltwater waves rush onto the beach, one by one. There’s not a single soul in sight, except two guys that just unpacked a couple of surfboards from their sedan. The two, Jens and Kevin are here for a morning surf before work. They have done this a couple of times before, woken up before the rooster to venture the waves of the North Sea.

You’d think its cold, but when you’re there, in the moment, waiting for the next adrenaline rush you’re whole body is warm. It’s a great feeling, it really is.

Kevin, local surfer

Jæren, just outside of Stavanger, Norway’s fourth-largest city is known for being a great surfing spot. Unlike the rest of the mostly rocky Norwegian coast, Jæren has long sandy beaches perfect for rushing into the waves. During the summer these beaches are usually crowded, but in the middle of September you usually don’t see many, especially at this hour. It is not the weather for sunbathing, nor the temperature for beach games right now, but the conditions are perfect for a morning surf.

With wet suits on and adrenaline in the blood, the two early birds are rushing for the sea. The wind blows in their hair on the way down to the sea. Down by the water, they stop a little, hesitate for a second, then sprints towards the cold waves. The water splashes in their faces when they hit. Now the seek for the next adrenaline rush has begun.

“You look straight out into the horizon, with nothing in sight except the next wave, the next little adventure. I can’t really describe it other than it’s magical.”

Here at Nuet, we publish weekly blog posts about everything Scandinavian. Read more at nuetaquavit.com/stories and follow our Instagram @nuetaquavit to get instant updates on new posts.  

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Bergen’s City Mountain

The Everyman’s Hike

The Fløyen mountain has become the symbol of Bergen’s nature and hiking culture. Therefore it has become the “mandatory” hike for every “Bergenser” (citizen of Bergen). The hike is about three kilometres long and it takes about 90 minutes from sea level to Fløyen’s peak where you get a view of the whole city centre and the city mountains surrounding it. The gravel trail to the top is not particularly steep, thus making it a simple hike for people of all ages.

The Three Billy Goats

On top of the Fløyen mountain, there lives three white cashmere goats. The woollen trio is called Fløyenguttene, simply The Fløyen Boys. During the summer, Elvis, Småen, and Festus Gilde stroll around the Fløyen forests keeping the vegetation in check. As well as gardeners, the goats are Fløyens mascots and the face that greets you while wandering through the forest. The welcoming animals always say hi and they are more than happy to pose for a photoshoot.

During the summer, Elvis, Småen, and Festus Gilde roams Fløyen’s grounds eating grass all day long.

Not Just a Hike

Hiking is not for everyone, making the Fløibanen rail a favoured alternative for many. The 844-metre long funicular railway line from ground level to the top has been operated since 1918. The two blue and red railcars, Blåmann and Rødhette run up and down the mountainside dozens of times a day. In 2019 alone, Fløibanen had 28.940 round trips transporting almost two million passengers. It’s estimated that during its lifetime, the railway has transported tens of millions of people up and down the Fløyen mountainside.

Taking the funicular railway you may see the whole city from a panoramic view. Here we see one of the carts, Rødhette (The Little Red Riding Hood).

The City Mountains

Fløyen is one of the seven mountains surrounding Bergen. They are called the city mountains due to their visibility from the city centre. The mountains have become a part of Bergen’s culture and have given name to everything from craft beer to designer clothes. Extending from the foot of the first to the peak of the seventh, The Seven Mountain Hiking Trail is the perfect trip for hiking enthusiasts. The 36 km long trail which takes around ten hours to complete is said to be one of the most striking trails on the Norwegian West Coast. We will cover this unique hike in a future blog post. Follow our Instagram @nuetaquavit to get updates on new posts straight to your feed.

Bergen is not the only Norwegian city to feature great nature experiences right next to the city centre. Read our post about Nordmarka, the Norwegian capital’s own urban wildlife reservoir.

The grand pine woods on Fløyen makes for a majestic view even in the deep forests.

Interesting read? Then we suggest taking a look on other blog posts on Bergen, especially the one about Bryggen, The World Heritage Docks. Here at Nuet, we publish weekly blog posts about everything Scandinavian. Read more at Nuetaquavit.com/stories and follow our Instagram @nuetaquavit.

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Visiting the Arctic’s Tallest Waterfall

The water splashes when we embark. While we slowly push ourselves off the riverbank, a few salmon swim past us up the river. We are on Reisaelva, a river in Northern Norway, far north of the Arctic Circle. Steffen Bakkland, the captain and local guide navigates the river with ease. Even though he’s only 29 years old he knows these rivers better than many. It takes years of experience to understand this river’s flow and floor. Luckily he has five years of experience and hundreds of trips behind him, so manoeuvring his 30-feet-long boat is no problem. On our way up the river we pass waterfalls, see small wooden cabins, and wave to fishermen, and Steffen knows where the waterfalls originate, who owns the cabins and who the fishermen in the river are.

The boat is a local traditional riverboat. Including the motor, it is 30 feet long and only three feet wide.

Along the river, there are hiking trails on both sides, but they are far into the woods and can not be seen from the water. Throughout time, the river and its surrounding forests have been used for hunting, trading, transportation of goods, and lately, tourism. The river’s headwaters are located close to the Finnish borders. Therefore the river has played a key role in trade between the locals and Finns. Today, there is no trade in the valley, but there are still Finns crossing the border to fish in the river and visit the breathtaking waterfall. Steffen runs a company offering riverboat tours along the river to Mollisfossen, and all the way to Imofossen, another waterfall 15 kilometres up Reisaelva.

After an hour on the river, we finally see it. We take a last turn before we arrive at the wooden dock by the riverbank. With the boat safely tied up we disembark, pass a small campsite and approach the waterfall. With its 269-metre three-tired-fall, Mollisfossen is not just a spectacular sight in itself, but also the tallest waterfall in the Arctic. Every second, its mouth spits out over 6000 litres of water, enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool in under five minutes. There is no doubt why this magnificent waterfall is such a destination for many travellers.

“You feel pretty small when you stand next to one of Europe’s mightiest waterfalls. Approaching the waterfall, you hear the water roaring as it hits the ground, and feel the vapour hitting your face. The experience is wet, wild and wonderful.”

Peter Vang, traveler
Just next to Reisaelva there is a campsite just two hundred metres from Mollisfossen
It is the perfect checkpoint before apporaching the majsetic waterfall.

Interested in the Scandinavian outdoors? Then we suggest reading our story about Nordmarka, Exploring the Oslo wilderness.
We at Nuet publish weekly posts about Norwegian outdoors, culture, cuisine and more. Follow our Instagram @nuetaquavit for instant updates on our posts.

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Exploring the Oslo wilderness

Imagine hiking through beautiful, scenic woods and wilderness. Imagine the fresh breeze flowing through your hair, the sound of a small stream running right beside you and birds chirping in the distance. Imagine your sweat running cold down your neck, your lack of breath and the mild taste of blood when you finally conquer the last hill on your expedition, finally reaching the amazing view of a magnificent landscape. Now, imagine being able to go on this journey every day, just half an hour from your downtown big city apartment. Living in the Norwegian capital of Oslo you don’t have to imagine it, you can do it, every day.

Accessible Trekking

Just 30 minutes from the heart of Oslo you find Nordmarka, a wilderness area with plenty of fishing waters, hiking trails, ski routes, and cabins. In the summer marked trials guide you to dozens of viewpoints, campsites and fishing spots. During the winter ski trails are marked with length and difficulty. It goes a lot of work into making hiking, skiing, and trekking easy and accessible for everyone. Most of the work done making, marking and maintaining miles upon miles of trails are done by volunteers and outdoors enthusiasts organized by the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT). The work is done in the Norwegian dugnad-spirit, the spirit of voluntary work for everyone’s benefit. As a result of this, thousands of Norwegians take trips to Nordmarka every year.

Fuglemyrhytta in Nordmarka is a cabin with great views and excellent facilities,

Fuglemyrhytta

In the south of Nordmarka, you find Fuglemyrhytta, one of Norway’s many publicly rentable cabins. Owned and maintained by the Norwegian Trekking Organization (DNT), the cabin is open for visitors during daytime and rentable for over-night stays. The modern cabin features a large dining area accompanied by a panoramic view of Nordmarka, thus making it great for sunny summer days, rainy autumn evenings and cozy candle-lit nights. Housing ten beds and the spacious design makes it perfect for a weekend getaway with friends and family.

Since the opening in September 2018, Fuglemyrhytta has attracted thousands of visitors.

Primitive Facilities

In contrast to the modern looks, the cabin has a lack of modern facilities. With neither running water nor electricity the cabin is designed in the true Norwegian cabin spirit. Norwegian cabin culture revolves around keeping it simple, with few modern facilities and only the essential items for your stay. Just like the typical Norwegian cabin, there is no in-house water closet. Therefore, you do your business in the outhouse just outside the cabin. Water is gathered from the stream next to the cabin and warmed up by a wooden stove, quite fitting for the fascinating Norwegian cabin culture. So fascinating that we have dedicated a whole blog post to the Norwegian Cabin Obsession.

Nordmarka.

Nationwide Trekking Initiative

DNT does a great amount of work preparing hiking trails all over Norway. As a result of this extensive work hiking and outdoor activities have become easy and accessible for millions of Norwegians. In addition to thousands of miles of marked trails, DNT also has public cabins spread all over Norway. With over 500 cabins country-wide it is almost certain that there is a cabin near you, wherever you are.
Most of DNT’s cabins are built and maintained in the same dugnad-spirit as the trails are. Professionals are partly funded through the Norwegian state-owned betting company, Norsk Tipping. It is an interesting thought that when buying lottery tickets and betting on horse derbies you indirectly fund the maintenance of hiking trails and cabins around Norway.

Interested in the Norwegian outdoors? Then we highly suggest checking out our story about the Secret Cabins of Northern Norway. We at Nuet publish weekly posts about Norwegian outdoors, culture, cuisine and more. Follow our Instagram @nuetaquavit for instant updates on our posts.

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Secret Cabins

A secret cabin is a shelter that at some point in its history has been kept hidden from someone. These hidden shelters can be found across the deep forests and vast mountains all over the country. Wanderers, hunters, gatherers, fishermen, refugees, tramps, and resistance fighters, have all built in places where none else walks. Some of them have become known to the public, like the one in Northern Norway we visited this summer, but others are so hidden that almost none knows about them, and probably never will. 


Inge Wegge and Jørn Nyseth Ranum spent nine months in an unhabitable and isolated bay above the arctic circle to surf some of the greatest waves in the world. They built their cabin out of driftwood and other cast-off materials that washed up on the secluded shore, while they ate expired food the stores would otherwise throw away.

While their primary goal was to catch amazing surf, they experienced one of the most mystical and secretive traits about Norwegian culture. The following words can be found hanging in their abandoned shelter in Lofoten: 

«We are two guys who brought our surfboards, turned off our cellphones and walked out here in September 2010. We lived here one winter to follow a dream: surfing, and live a simple simple. We gathered drift wood, bottles for insulation and rocks, -everything from this beach, and made an environmentally friendly home. It was a cold winter with lots of storms, but the fireplace made out of an oil barrel kept us warm. We truly lived by the saying: «Rich life – simple means»! You are welcome to use everything here, and we hope you enjoy and respect it. Want to do your share? Pick up some garbage, chop som wood, enjoy the silence.»

Inge Wegge and Jørn Nyseth Ranum


“We lived here one winter to follow a dream:
surf, and live a simple life.”

Inge Wegge and Jørn Nyseth Ranum made a film about their experience.

Read more about Scandinavian nature and outdoors here at Nuet.com/stories and follow us on Instagram at @nuetaquavit to get instant updates on new posts.