Osavatnet, Bergen - 12 July 2018

Geoff

The day started clear and sunny, then mist rolled in but that soon cleared. It's been a lovely warm day. 

With a day to myself, I decided on a walk from the camper. It was during the course of the day that I realised what a gem of a place I found very much by accident. This is a proper car park but quite remote. Many people come and go no further than the nearby river and falls as it is used for swimming and paddling. However, a track leads away and, as I discovered, it is a real gateway into the mountains. 

After about a quarter mile, I came to a junction of paths. Which way to go? I had a small area of map on my phone. I took the path to the right signposted Redningshytten, a mountain hut. It was a clear ascending path and I reached the hut in just under an hour. It was quite a substantial building. I went inside and sat at one of the tables leafing through a book which was for sale. It gave the history of the hut and the people associated with it - all in Norwegian, of course. There was much about a man called Anton Berge and outside was a memorial to him. There was an upper floor with presumably sleeping accommodation. I should think the hut is manned at certain times of the year. Photos in the book showed it in deep snow with skiers outside so it's used all year round. 

From the hut I went further uphill. It was obviously a walking route as there were numbered cairns. At the top, I stopped to chat with a man who was walking from his cottage somewhere to the east to his home in Bergen. He'd been walking for six days. 

Everywhere around me were just stunning views. 

At the same location, I asked directions of a lady with a dog. She'd walked up from my car park but by a different route. That meant I could complete a circular walk. She said just follow the cairns and turn right at number 86! Perfect. After a further mile or so and a steep descent I arrived back at the camper. 

Close by, I came across lady and dog again. I offered her a cup of tea. We chatted for a while and she gave me a number of suggestions for places to see in the Bergen region. We have three weeks left to explore this part of Norway, as well as visiting Bergen itself. 

I've enjoyed a shorter walk this evening. Going by the nearest lake, I found a door and larger double doors let into the mountain side. I always have to try doors to see if they're open. I wasn't expecting this one to be but it was! I had supposed it would be some sort of little storage room but how wrong could I be? I was met with a rush of cold air and a tunnel rising as far as I could see into the mountain. It was lit so I was able to see a long way. There was a ramp that was clearly used to drive up it. I haven't a clue what it was.