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Active Pursuits
From dog-sled racing to canoeing, from curling to speed skating to skiing, Norway is the most sports-oriented country in Europe. Nearly half of the four million people of Norway are members of the Norwegian Sports Federation, and three out of four Norwegian children take part in sporting activities. Winter sports are dominated by skiing, of course, along with ice hockey and curling. In the too-short summer, virtually all Norwegians head for the outdoors while the sun shines. They sail, swim, or canoe, and trails fill with hikers or mountain bikers.
Frommer's Favorite Offbeat Adventures
Dog Sledding: Traveling over the frozen tundra or through snow-laced forests at the speed of a dog can be one of the great experiences of the Nordic world. You can be a passenger bundled aboard a sled or a driver urging on a team of huskies. An outfitter that specializes in the experience, usually as part of midwinter camping trips under a canopy of stars, is Muir's Tours, Nepal House, 97A Swansea Rd., Reading, Berkshire RG1 8HA England (tel. 0118/950-2281; www.nkf-mt.org.uk). Eight-day all-inclusive tours are conducted in winter for £816 ($1,600) per person. You're given your own team of four to six Huskies for this safari. As you ride along, you'll likely see reindeer along the side of your trail.
Observing Musk Oxen: A remnant of the last ice age, the musk ox had become nearly extinct by the 1930s. Between 1932 and 1953, musk oxen were shipped from Greenland to the Dovrefjell (a national park that's about an hour's train ride south of Trondheim), where about 60 still roam. On a safari you can observe this thriving herd -- take along some binoculars -- as well as Norway's purest herd of original mountain reindeer. The park, another remnant of the last ice age, is Europe's most bountiful wildflower mountain. Accommodations in or near the park can be arranged through Borton Overseas (tel. 800/843-0602; www.bortonoverseas.com). Hotel staff members can direct you to where you're most likely to see the herds.
Rafting: Norway's abundant snow and rainfall and its steep topography feed dozens of roaring white-water streams. Experience these torrents firsthand as part of white-water treks downriver. One of Norway's most respected river outfitters is Norwegian Wildlife and Rafting AS, Randswerk, N-2680 Vågå (tel. 61-23-87-27; www.nwr.no). Based in central Norway, about a 90-minute drive north of Lillehammer, the company has a flotilla of devices suitable for helping you float, meander, or shoot down the white-water streams. Whatever conveyance you can imagine (paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, or inflatable rafts), this company can provide it. Trips last from 1 to 8 days.
Trekking the Fjords: Two respected U.S.-based outfitters, Borton Overseas (tel. 800/843-0602; www.bortonoverseas.com) and Five Stars of Scandinavia (tel. 800/722-4126; www.5stars-of-scandinavia.com), offer 7- and 8-day treks through Norway, designed to acquaint you with the country's heritage and its thousands of scenic wonders. Amid the cliffs and waterfalls of the fjords, you can participate in point-to-point guided treks that average around 24km (15 miles) per day. En route you'll visit wooden churches, mountain hamlets, and, in some cases, snowfields and slow-moving glaciers. Depending on your budget and your tastes, overnight accommodations range from first-class hotels to simple mountain huts favored by rock climbers and many trekkers.
Bicycling in the Lofoten Islands: Some of the weirdest and most isolated tundra and lichen-covered rock formations in Norway lie within the Lofoten archipelago, north of the Arctic Circle.
Berkeley, California-based Backroads Travel (tel. 800/GO-ACTIVE; www.backroads.com) conducts 6-day hiking-and-biking (they refer to them as "multisport") tours of the isolated archipelago at least twice a year, during July and August, with an emphasis on ecology and natural beauty. Washington state-based Five Stars of Scandinavia (tel. 800/722-4126; www.5stars-of-scandinavia.com) offers comparable tours and tends to be cheaper than Backroads. Both operators house their participants in simple mountain huts and lodges.
Going on a Moose Safari: Norway's largest animal, the moose, can weigh up to 600 kilograms (1,323 lb.). These forest dwellers are shy toward people and best spotted at night. If you'd like to go on a moose safari, contact Daesbekken Villmarksenter in Finneskogen (tel. 62-95-48-57; www.villmarksenter.hm.no), east of Oslo, near the Swedish border. Individual visitors can arrange tours from July to September; otherwise, it's strictly group bookings.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
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