ހުރިހާ އެއްޗަކާއެކު އެއް ޓްރޮމްސޯ، ޕްލީޒް!

At the moment I am writing this text, we are 2930 kilometers and 33 hours away from our still unfinished apartment in Berlin. The past few months have been bumpy, so this trip to Norway is long-awaited but also last-minute planned.

We throw everything into the van that we might need in uncertain weather, fill the cupboards with food, and first prepare ourselves on the parking lot of an unnamed supermarket chain for the actual questions.
Where exactly do we want to go? What is the cheapest travel route? Do we need to reserve the ferry? Where is it going to rain?

Spontaneously, we decide to start the journey in Tromsø and then zig-zag our way through the country towards Oslo. To be more independent, we drive through the northern region of Norway completely by land, which gives us some nice insights into the Swedish landscape and even a short detour to Finland. And luckily for us, we can make the rest of the travel plans on the go thanks to the well-developed Scandinavian mobile network and an outdated climbing guide from the DAV library - there is enough time for that during three days of driving. In between, we finally cook beans again in parking lots, swim in too cold mountain rivers, and try to get used to the eternal sunlight.

Finally, the time has come and we arrive in Tromsø. Confronted with the horrendous prices of parking lots in the city center, we decide to take a short walk into the city. This way, we still get the chance to admire Lake Prestvannet. And of course, the typical Scandinavian houses and the cleanliness of the streets, which is unusual for us. (Does everyone really take their trash home here? Admirable.)

We visit the harbor and the Polar Museum, which presents the history of various expeditions and the hunting of seals. A nice addition here is the small traveling exhibition about queer traditions and events in the primitive life of expeditions.
After that, we set off to climb the 1203 steps to the viewpoint above the city. The stone staircase was made by specially hired Nepalese Sherpas - an arrangement that seems to be common in Norway. The purpose of all this is apparently a higher level of security - several tourists have had accidents during a failed ascent. Nevertheless, all the stair climbing is still exhausting, and we really start sweating in the midday sun. When we reach the top, we mingle with the arrivals of the cable car and treat ourselves to an ice cream. From here, the ascent of a nearby small summit entices us. Definitely a more peaceful little hike on a path that you only share with occasional panting trail runners. Even at the top, there is still some snow left! If it weren't for the descent. Going down all those stairs turns out to be a real knee shock.

As they say: The person climbs the stairs until they break.

For us, it's time to continue to the nearby climbing area of Brensholmen. Until then, keep your ears stiff!