Norway Trip

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jontok

Tenderfoot
Jul 2, 2009
52
0
Norway
Hey James!
About those temps... Anywhere from -4 to +24 :D
We've hade some wierd weather latley. One day +22c in the shade, the other freezing cold.
Take some warm clothes! Oh, and be prepared for rain! Sounding nice yet? :D
This also seems to be a year with a record breaking number of ticks! So be prepared for that too!

One last thing: If you don't like crowds, stay away from the towns on the 17th! :D

Have a great trip!
(Btw, my offer still stands.)


Jon
 

jmatthews

Member
Jul 5, 2007
34
0
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Thanks all :)
Right then I'm off as soon as my maps arrive!

I'll be flying to Oslo Torp in Sandejord Lufthavn and then hitching and walking to Evje.
I don't suppose anyone knows, from having been there, where is close to the airport that I can buy "Rod sprit" (methylated spirit) from. Also, is it illegal for under 18's to buy it (yep thats right, I'm 17). I'll still work out a way to get it even if it is!

Cheers,
James
 
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jontok

Tenderfoot
Jul 2, 2009
52
0
Norway
If I remember correctly, there's a gasstation right next to the airport. They might have rødsprit there. :)
If you explain to the person working there what you need (and need it for), I don't think there should be a problem.
If they don't have it there, atleast they should know where you can get it.

Jontok
 

badgeringtim

Nomad
May 26, 2008
480
0
cambridge
Regarding water - i wouldnt fill up from a stream close to Oslo ;-)
Apparantly they dont have non-drinking water, so you can use the outside taps at any garage etc untill you get further out of the city. Although if you asked them they will fill it up from the inside tap anyhow - i know getting it from the stream is the thing but pleanty of time for that.

As an aside - if your in Oslo i would recoment the 'folk' meuseum - it is a large collection of old traditional wooden buildings and absolutely fascinating!

Have a good trip - and if you happen by the tinterweb let us know how you are doing!
 

jmatthews

Member
Jul 5, 2007
34
0
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Thanks badgeringtim, will do :)
Cheers Jontok- well it's all part of the adventure! By the way, how is rødsprit pronounced? Is it said just how it is written? Could someone write it phonetically for me- I can imagine making a plonker of myself trying to ask for it! :D

Cheers,
James
 
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jontok

Tenderfoot
Jul 2, 2009
52
0
Norway
By the way, how is rødsprit pronounced? Is it said just how it is written? Could someone write it phonetically for me- I can imagine making a plonker of myself trying to ask for it! :D

Cheers,
James

Ah...er....I've NO idea how to explain the "ø" in writing!!!!

Just say "red spirit" and tell them what you need it for (or write it on a note and show them :D )

Btw, It's been kinda cold here for the season, so bring warm clothes!!! Oh, and the ticks are out and about again!


As for what badgeringtim said about the water... Don't drink it if it's right by the road or running through agricultural areas. Tapwater is fine everywhere (and free). You'll be landing at an airport that's about an hours drive south of Oslo (in the dirrection you want to go), so no need worry about pollution from there :D

There is a bus that goes past Torp and all the way down to Kristiansand. It goes by several times a day, and it's relativley cheap (in case you feel like it) ;)


Happy trails!
 
Just a short 'wish you well' Darkdrummer, have a wonderful trip, I'm sure a lot of us on here are wishing you a safe journey, and looking forward to hearing about you adventures soon! (would of given serious thought to you offer of compainionship if I'd known earlier!.. Maybe next time!!.. and hook up with Badgeringtim once his moved over there!!)
 

badgeringtim

Nomad
May 26, 2008
480
0
cambridge
dont get hung up on the pronunciation - they'll know. Just try not to mumble to much they tend to pronounce their vowels relatively clearly (which i dont and causes problems in english and norsk alike!).
Im likely to be in Tonsburg around the end of June (building a longship - fingers crossed) so if you find yourself that way im sure we can feed and offer you a shower, will be in a tiny flat though so no where to offer overnight/camp etc. Sorry. From your plans i dont think you will be around there though - but still.

Enjoy it, it sounds great - but be carefull and dont be to proud to ask for help if you find you need it.

:)
 

badgeringtim

Nomad
May 26, 2008
480
0
cambridge
Yeah i know a real live longship!!
Its part of a heritage project to recreate a relatively famouse one (so i am told) its been going on for some time and is being done as close to how the original was made (based on meuseum samples and modeling) as can be, or can be worked out which seems to be the problem. I have just offered my sevices to help out so i might be making lots of tea for real crafstmen or hopefuly being able to offer some green/woodwork help. Lots of planning but i should be there for the start of the actual construction.

;-)
 

jmatthews

Member
Jul 5, 2007
34
0
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Well then! I got back home a little while ago and thought I would write a little summery :) It's taken a while to finish it because I've been bit of a 9 til' 5 robot lately- covering for the boss at work- got to save up for another trip!

So I arrived in Norway, got off the plane and sat in arrivals and repacked as well as sort my hand luggage out which was full of loose porridge oats after the box broke! I then just thought... which ways up, which ways down, where am I, how on earth do I go about hitching and feeling a bit out of my depth! But I got a bus to just out of the airport to a petrol station where I bought the Rodsprit... and also had a lesson in how to say it, that was funny with all the customers helping me as well! :p

Basically, hitch hiking is a fantastic way to travel and great fun. I got stuck twice, first was when I started because I didn't really know where to stand or what to do, but as soon as I was in the right place and wrote a sign I got a hitch within 2mins! The second time was on my way back to the airport when a lorry driver dropped me in a small place where no one was going my way/had never seen a hitch hiker so didn't want me! After a few hours though, two very attractive blond Norwegian girls picked me up and drove me right to the airport door! ;)

When I arrived at my friends, after hitching from Oslo Torp to Evje in less than a day! I met his farther who was planning on driving up north a little and exploring in a land rover. So I tagged along with him and his son for the first week of my trip. This was great because I got to learn a few things from him (he just happened to be bushcrafty too!) and also got to see the more touristy places as well as get a general idea of what Norway is like. I tried some limpets when we were by the coast, they're like bits of wet rubber when raw- I just scoped them out and ate them, not all that good so I lightly fried some and then they're actually not bad at all. Added a drop of tobassco sauce onto each one and they're even better!

I then hung around my friends for a bit less than a week, where I went and explored the surrounding mountains, need much longer there though! A couple of days after arriving at his he had a house warming party- you get very drunk, very quickly in a sauna! (Not quite living it rough partying in a sauna I know!). I went for two climbing sessions while I was there the first was a fun trad route on rock that had never been climbed before- we just made the route up as we went- very exciting! For the second session we went sport climbing at a crag called Udviki and I think one of the routes there classes as the best route I have ever climbed! Such amazing climbing and a good quality of routes in general, lots slopers but good friction on the granite, great fun! I don't think there is that many climbers on bushcraftuk so excuse me for how excited I get over pieces of rock! ;)

When my friends farther (who I went round in the land rover with) left, he very kindly did a fantastic BBQ for us on a small beach. He bought some reindeer and elk, which both tasted absolutely awesome. I tried drinking some of the reindeers blood- not so good though!

A few days before the end of my trip I hitched south to Kristiansand to meet up with Jontok! I slept near the airport with a wicked view of the water and the sunset, then met up in the morning. We went fishing and caught a few trout (my first ones!)- tasted really good! Am very grateful for your generosity and thanks for the fishing lesson!, cheers Jon!

What I have learnt + some tips:
How to get in and out of a lorry with a large rucksack
Hitch hicking is easier with a sign and taking a thick marker pen makes writing them quicker
Store you sleeping bag in a dry bag
Foot powder is great stuff- I'll be taking it walking from now on
Wearing a watch when travelling makes things easier. The sun rose early compared to what I'm used to, so I would wake up at 4 in the morning and think it was midday, wearing a watch ment I didn't mess my body clock up too much!
A road map making hitching much more easy, so you always know where you are if someone drives you to the wrong place and also mean you can communicate with the occasional person that doesn't speak english as well check your talking about the same place by pointing at it as some places may have similar names
Watch out for the use of nautical miles and confussing them with miles

...So, basically there's lots of trees, water and by hitch hiking you get to meet so many more nice or crazy people. Fantastic. :D

Many Thanks for all the advice everyone and thanks a lot Jontok ;)

James
 
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jontok

Tenderfoot
Jul 2, 2009
52
0
Norway
Hey James!
Good to hear you liked it and that you got back home safley!
It was nice having you here and I hope you come back soon! :)
We still have plenty of fish around here! ;) :D


Jontok
 

badgeringtim

Nomad
May 26, 2008
480
0
cambridge
Cool glad to hear u got back safe and sound.
Sounds like there are more people coming and going on here than i realised - maybe a norway meet wouldnt be out of the question...?

:)
 

jontok

Tenderfoot
Jul 2, 2009
52
0
Norway
Cool glad to hear u got back safe and sound.
Sounds like there are more people coming and going on here than i realised - maybe a norway meet wouldnt be out of the question...?

:)

I'm in!!!
As long as I can get permission from SWMBO to come out and play! :D :D

Jontok
 
Great to here you loved it all.. It brings back the memories.. That feeling of thinking your 'out of your depth'.. Then getting a rush from sharing a car with two Norwigen girls.. It all changes aye.. Just gota make it past that first hurdle! Well done!!

Most weeks in life pass by and you won't even remeber them in 4 weeks.. Moments like those you had.. Last a life time!!


Tim.. Me Jimbo and Redwood are talking of a trip for next year.. Hmm.. Gets me thinking.. How many would be too many?.. Count me In the thinking proces won't you!!
 

jmatthews

Member
Jul 5, 2007
34
0
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Forgot about the last day, it gets better!
I slept in the woods around the airport the night before my flight home. Just used a bivi bag on the floor in the middle of the woods, so I felt very open and exposed (last night so didn't matter if I got wet). Except there were twigs snapping around me constantly, and I felt very uneasy. I had gone the whole of the trip without being too unnerved by strange sounds and shadows and the last night comes and I'm bricking it! I just got in my bivi thinking I would be asleep within 5 mins. A few minutes later there was a loud rustling so I looked to my right and something appeared about 15 meters away and was running round. It did cross my mind whether I was dreaming or not. I froze and watched it running around until it turned towards me then I sat bolt upright, it then ran towards me- I looked like it was going to jump over the bloody bivi bag! so I shouted and flapped and it turned the other way. It resembled a small dog, so it was probably a badger? Perhaps a wolverine?!!

After that I got up and went for a walk! Then came back and sat in the nice, open field opposite the woods and made some drinks thinking, whilst about the funny side of the situation! Luckily the sun rose early so I only had a few hours to wait. It was actually quite nice to sit there, got to watch the sun rise and listen to the first of the birds wake up and break the silence.

Every time you're out of your comfort zone, it widens a little and you become more confident with things that are a little out of it. So now when I'm out of mine I think the more uncomfortable I feel now, the more comfortable I'll be when I'm in that situation again! Hmm... I guess thats a long way of saying: whatever doesn't kill you only makes you stronger! Well I now know thats true!

Such a comical experience! :D

A trip there would certainly be great

James
 
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