Travel and Coronavirus

[mrssanta]

We are going to Norway in August and are wondering if wild camping is allowed. We hope to spend a few days going from Trondheim to Bergen via the mountainous areas.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Mal Grey]

Scandinavian countries are fantastic for wild camping, its basically viewed as a right for all. You just need to be 150m away from buildings/gardens etc.

http://content.patent.no/blog/allemannsretten-the-right-to-roam-freely-across-norway

Many areas have good waymarked trails, even in the middle of nowhere, normally a red "T" painted on trees or rocks.

[Caberfeidh]

Look on BBC iPlayer or Tube Face for a Ray Mears programme on Norway, he mentions the right to roam as Mal Gray says. Do not leave litter or any trace, or the locals will nail you upside down to a tree for the wood ants to deal with. Canoeing is a good way to get about the lakes. Watch out for unexploded munitions and adders. Also a moose can get a bit overbearing. Talking of bears...

Romsdal Mountains, Kristiansund

[mynthdd2]

just returned last night from the Lofoten Islands (top end of Norway) and was surprised by number of 'no camping' signs a long way from any where....

[ChrisButch]

Although, as has been said, wild camping is legal anywhere except on cultivated ground and within 150m of buildings, the brilliant hut system run by DNT (Den Norske Turistforening) in all the main mountain areas often makes camping unnecessary; and few Norwegians bother to camp except in the more remote areas of the north where huts are thin on the ground.. The smaller 'self-service' and 'unserviced' huts, in particular, are a delight. The former are unstaffed, but have full cooking facilities and well-stocked food stores to which you help yourself on an honesty basis. Unthinkable in the UK. The huts are lovingly maintained by local DNT branches.
I'm just back from a tour of the Tafjordfjellene (inland from Andalsnes and Alesund) staying throughout at mostly self-service huts, but one staffed hut with meals (and hot showers!). Spectacular country..

[mrssanta]

Scandinavian countries are fantastic for wild camping, its basically viewed as a right for all. You just need to be 150m away from buildings/gardens etc.

I was so excited to read this that I didn't sleep on Sunday night!

We haven't got very long - we are visiting our son in Trondheim and then will go by public transport back to Bergen to catch a flight home. We have 3 or 4 nights to spend somewhere in the mountains.
I have looked up Norwegian walking maps on the map shop website and there are many and at £23 each apiece I am a bit stuck how to proceed. I'd happily buy them all but that's a dear do!
Can anyone give us any recommendations to start with please?

[ChrisButch]

Probably the best bet would be the Trollheimen area, accessed from Oppdal which is the first town on your main route back south. With a bit of planning you might manage to get up Snota, the main top - a beautiful climb. Maps are Trollheimen Nord and Trolleheimen Sor, 2827 and 2828 in the 1:50000 Turkart series. Best source is the Map Shop, Upton-on Severn, which you've already found. Avoid Stanfords!

[mynthdd2]

...two days out of Lofoten for me now and I can highly recommend waterproofs and windproofs and HUGE amounts of ££££ ie a beer is about £12 ......

[mynthdd2]

PS think twice about taking eg bike ferries (ie trawlers) across fjords as what is considered flat sea in Norway is actually sea state 'rough' according to the UK Met Office...I saw the sea and the sky on such a boat at more or less the same time.....

[Marty_JG]

Thought it's technically over the border, before wild-camping in Norway I recommend David Bruckner's 2017 documentary The Ritual. It'll give you a very good idea of what to expect.

[Holly]

I walked through Dovrefjell with my tent over 8 days and wild camped and took all my food with me. There are a good few 'huts' that can be used but I never used or went into them.

[mrssanta]

ooh this is looking very exciting thanks all.
Here's another question.
In Scotland when wild camping we keep our food in the tent in polybags. I know in other parts of the world this is not recommended due to wildlife exploring for it, and you have to keep it in a canister or hang it up a tree. Is it ok to keep food in your tent in the southern part of Norway? Are there bears or other marauding wildlife to look out for?

[Mal Grey]

ooh this is looking very exciting thanks all.
Here's another question.
In Scotland when wild camping we keep our food in the tent in polybags. I know in other parts of the world this is not recommended due to wildlife exploring for it, and you have to keep it in a canister or hang it up a tree. Is it ok to keep food in your tent in the southern part of Norway? Are there bears or other marauding wildlife to look out for?

You'll be fine in Scandinavia generally, though its sensible to keep it well wrapped/sealed anyway to avoid mice/lemmings/trolls etc coming after it.

The huts are indeed excellent even the most basic are like wooden bothies with outside loos, a pile of wood, and quality stoves/saws/axes. This one's in Femunden NP;

[litljortindan]

From my meagre experience August is a good month to go in as the vegetation and flies die down a bit plus there's a chance of catching the aurora.
If you're looking for route ideas I'd recommend http://www.westcoastpeaks.com/ or its successor https://fjordpeaks.com/ and the author, Arnt, was very helpful when I asked questions about some routes.

[mrssanta]

From my meagre experience August is a good month to go in as the vegetation and flies die down a bit plus there's a chance of catching the aurora.
If you're looking for route ideas I'd recommend http://www.westcoastpeaks.com/ or its successor https://fjordpeaks.com/ and the author, Arnt, was very helpful when I asked questions about some routes.

OOh thank you looks really interesting.

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