Walkhighlands

Yes.No.

mrssanta wrote: also folks, can we drink water from burns in Norway? Do we need to worry about Giardia? We've both been drinking from burns in the uk for 50+ years

I've heard that Giardia is present in some waters in Norway, but i do not know which ones. It is possibly present in some waters in Dear Old Blighty but again I do not know which. A quick google search leads, as ever, to confusion, especially as I am at present on a Norwegian vessel and it returns Norwegian search results. Sometimes in Norwegian... https://tidsskriftet.no/en/2015/09/giardia-outbreak-bergen-2004-what-was-source-infection https://www.waterpathogens.org/book/giardia-duodenalis

A water-filter (e.g. Sawyer mini) will get rid of 99.9999% of protozoa including Giardia.

I know I'm a big scardey-wuss at the best of times but I wouldn't drink water without one.

There are several reasons why the risk of Giardia in the Norwegian mountains is vanishingly small.
The population is small, and most of it is concentrated in the Oslo area: but the area of high ground is vast. There are no resident human populations above c. 1000m (which is roughly the altitude of most of the huts). The hillwalking tradition in Norway has always been travellng through the mountains from hut to hut rather than bagging tops (although top-bagging has become more popular in recent years). This means that if you take water from a source above the waymarked hut-to-hut route, the chances of it having had any human contact are remote. Add to this that other larger mammals are few and far between at this altitude - they're mostly in the forested valleys. Most streams in the mountains are fast-running and carry a large volume of water.
All the huts, apart from those in forests or lower valleys, draw their water from a nearby source, unfiltered. I've never known a Norwegian boil or use sterilising treatment on this water before drinking.

ChrisButch wrote:There are several reasons why the risk of Giardia in the Norwegian mountains is vanishingly small.
The population is small, and most of it is concentrated in the Oslo area: but the area of high ground is vast. There are no resident human populations above c. 1000m (which is roughly the altitude of most of the huts). The hillwalking tradition in Norway has always been travellng through the mountains from hut to hut rather than bagging tops (although top-bagging has become more popular in recent years). This means that if you take water from a source above the waymarked hut-to-hut route, the chances of it having had any human contact are remote. Add to this that other larger mammals are few and far between at this altitude - they're mostly in the forested valleys. Most streams in the mountains are fast-running and carry a large volume of water.
All the huts, apart from those in forests or lower valleys, draw their water from a nearby source, unfiltered. I've never known a Norwegian boil or use sterilising treatment on this water before drinking.

Agree with this, though we did use a big Katadyn filter bag when we were there, as much for convenience (10L available hanging in a tree) as filtration and as it was a paddling trip, sometimes we were on smaller lakes with a bit of cloudiness and debris near the edges. I happily drank from streams at other times.
I read somewhere that places where beavers are common are more prone to giardia, which makes sense I guess. They have beaver in Scandinavia, so maybe avoid taking water from anywhere near their dams/lakes.

well, today two maps of Jotunheimen (East and West) arrived in the post.
we decided to head for Jotunheimen as it is possible by train and bus. We won't have long but it is now starting to make some sense - the plan is to leave Trondheim by train to Oslo, get off said train at Otta, bus to the mountains (somewhere), spend 3 nights and 2 days, bus and train on to Oslo, then the overnight train to Bergen.
Any hints gratefully accepted.
I am about to book an interrail pass to save us lots of kroner.
Will be sure to report back.
Now I just need to order the correct weather!

Caberfeidh wrote:

mrssanta wrote: also folks, can we drink water from burns in Norway? Do we need to worry about Giardia? We've both been drinking from burns in the uk for 50+ years

I've heard that Giardia is present in some waters in Norway, but i do not know which ones. It is possibly present in some waters in Dear Old Blighty but again I do not know which. A quick google search leads, as ever, to confusion, especially as I am at present on a Norwegian vessel and it returns Norwegian search results. Sometimes in Norwegian... https://tidsskriftet.no/en/2015/09/giardia-outbreak-bergen-2004-what-was-source-infection https://www.waterpathogens.org/book/giardia-duodenalis

Thanks for posting those links, that was fascinating. Especially the one about the Bergen outbreak.

Re the water. I didn't filter at all and lived to tell the tale. In the Dovrefjell area re your query re the wildlife There were Musk Ok that are fab to see and advised to keep a safe distance from

mrssanta wrote:well, today two maps of Jotunheimen (East and West) arrived in the post.
we decided to head for Jotunheimen as it is possible by train and bus. We won't have long but it is now starting to make some sense - the plan is to leave Trondheim by train to Oslo, get off said train at Otta, bus to the mountains (somewhere), spend 3 nights and 2 days, bus and train on to Oslo, then the overnight train to Bergen.
Any hints gratefully accepted.
I am about to book an interrail pass to save us lots of kroner.
Will be sure to report back.
Now I just need to order the correct weather!

It will lash down with rain in Bergen. But if it is clear, there is a hike up to a peak nearby, where a transmission pylon thingy is obvious. You get a fantastic view from there. Try not to buy too many effigies of Odin, antler-handled sheath-knives and trolls ( the Norwegian version of the tartan gonk). On no accout be tempted to try Rakfisk ( a tinned fermented herring; it stinks so much it is illegal to open a tin of it on an aircraft- no kidding). Booze is horrifically expensive but it is worth a tenner a half-pint just to sit out on a sunny day by the harbour in Bergen. Enjoy. Norwegians are very nice people.

well we're back, and had a fantastic time. trip reports to follow. Thanks for all your advice.

How about this https://alifequest.com/norway-drinking-water-straight-from-river/.

..memories of our trip to Lofoten up north Norway last month: persistent rain and £16 a pint (nonetheless between rain storms a stunningly beautiful place so we will go back I hope)

walk report number one here of climbing Galdhøpiggen https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=91591

https://www.walkhighlands.co.uk/Forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=91700&p=405276#p405276
our second day at valley level was fab too