Walking in Norwegian nature
The perfect atmosphere can perhaps be found beside a lake in the forest. An evening when sky and water almost melt together, and the peace is only broken by melodic birdsong, a fish rise, or perhaps a white-billed diver swimming past. A forest lake where sky and water melt together. A moose is large, but does not make a lot of noise. Reindeer live in the mountains all year.
A lake in the forest draws to it many thirsty animals, and the moose is one of these. Beside the water or from a place with a view one can often study a moose grazing in the vicinity. Leaves and grass are consumed with great appetite. A moose is large and it is strange that an animal weighing several hundred kilos can move so quietly.
By using binoculars one can study the life of an elg and perhaps discover other animals in the vegetation. Roe-deer, hares or badgers are as a rule not far away. A moose thrives in the forest, but can also wander up to the mountains where not before long it will meet reindeer. Wide open spaces, high mountains, rivers and lakes create a fantastic scenery. Here herds of reindeer live all year round. Always wandering against the wind, so that they can capture smell of predators.
Now and then a herd with several hundred animals can appear, and in a short while they disappear like ghosts in the landscape. In the summer the reindeer live off all sorts of grass and herbs, but the winter can mean hard times. Their food then is first and foremost lichen on rocks where the wind has blown the snow away. It is hard to believe that anything can survive on such food when the cold and the wind rule over a mountain winter.
Norway mountains Norwegian nature is planted deep in our soul. I have spent many summers at Tokleskaret going to sleep at night by the non-stop lullaby of the dancing waterfalls. Innerdalen, a very beautiful part of the norwegian mountains, situated in Trollheimen. The scenery is stunning and you can walk for days in these friendly and exciting parts of Norway.
The laughing brooks and the loudly humming river is "nature's orchestrated melodies of the mountain king".
Anyone who wanders in the mountains can experience more than reindeer. Migrating birds live off the excess of summer, but leave when the autumn arrives. Among the few species which can live in the mountains all year round are reindeer, hare, fox, grouse and lemming. Everyone who wanders in the mountains in the summer can find many beautiful flowers. Mountain heath, wild azalea, starry saxifrage, rock speedwell and alpine gentian are some of the mountain jewels, but the harebell is perhaps the flower most people recognize.
Among beautiful flowers, rivers rich in fish and sun, it is easy to forget that the mountains are dangerous. At short notice wind, fog and sleet can make the mountains threatening for those who wander there and it is therefore important to have a knowledge of equipment and of the coming weather, and to listen to experienced and locally familiar people where you plan to go. The mountains and the forest give different experiences, but why not try both?
People who viewed 'Walking in Norwegian nature' also found interest in following Norwegian articles . . .