Tysnessåto

It is a beautiful, chilly but sunny, Monday morning in September.

Today, we have a big hike planned. Not very long, but the altitude is challenging. Kari and I are on our way to Tysnes, some twenty minutes by ferry from Os. After the ferry, we have to drive another 20 minutes to the hiking trail. Kari points to a farm, a stone’s throw away from the start of the trail. A Dutch family settled there a few years ago, and they started a cheese factory. Maybe we’ll go there later, but first we go up the mountain: Tysnessåto, also the highest point on Tysnes island.

The route to the top is marked out and is 2.2 km long. That may not sound like much, but we’re climbing from 214 to 753 meters, a difference in altitude of more than 500 metres. So not just a walk in the park. 😉

The trail starts climbing right from the start. It’s challenging and steep – a narrow path, rocky ground with many large and small (loose) stones, covered with all kinds of stuff, takes us across the first part of the route. As always, when we go to Norway, we brought our trail shoes with us. Those are certainly a must-have today! The robustness and the coarse profile ensure that we have the right grip and there’s not much sliding. The last stretch to the top is less steep, but has some heartbeat-raising slopes.

After approximately fifty minutes, we arrive at the highest point, and the view is breathtakingly beautiful! I slowly turn and enjoy — 360 degrees of natural beauty. Mountains, sea, fjords, the glacier in the distance, this is Norway, this is where we both feel at home. We find a place out of the wind to eat some snacks. It is quiet at the top, except for the wind blowing.  We’re also silent. This is not the first time we’re doing this, so we’re familiar with the view, but it gets to us every time, and we would love to share this with many people.

We’re starting to cool off, and after half an hour we decide to go back down. As always, this is a little bit easier than going up, but still a bit tricky. At certain points, the difference in height with the next step is a great deal more than just a step on a regular staircase. Halfway down the mountain, we come across a young lady who is jogging up the mountain. We say hi, and she stops and explains that she does this several times a week, as a work-out. Wow, that is fierce, impressive and exhausting! We think back to how we laboured up the mountain, earlier that day. We wish her a nice work-out, and continue down, while she speeds up, light on her feet, on her way to the top.

Back on the ferry, we remember the cheese farm we were going to visit on our way back. We totally forgot. Well, better luck next time!