9 June 2018, Saturday
Today, I was determined to make the best use of my last full day to enjoy as much of Norway’s nature as possible. After conquering Preikestolen and Trolltunga earlier in the week, I wanted to make one more hike to Ulriken. Standing at 643m, Ulriken is the highest of the seven mountains surrounding Bergen. The weather forecast looked good, with a sunny day ahead and the temperature expected to hit 22 degrees Celsius at 2pm. Perfect conditions for hiking.
After heading to my nearby REMA 1000 supermarket to buy some buns (28 Kr / S$4.79), I walked to the bus stop outside Xhibition shopping centre and boarded bus number 2 at 10:03am. Just 10 minutes later, I alighted at Haukeland Hospital. The fare for the short 10-minute ride was 60 Kr (S$10.25). Public transport in Norway is expensive!
From the bus stop, I crossed the overhead pedestrian bridge, walked a short distance uphill and reached Ulriken643 about 8 minutes later. Ulriken643 (click here) is the cable car that will take you right to the top of Mt. Ulriken in just 7 minutes. The one-way ticket cost 115 Kr (S$19.65) and the two-way ticket cost 175 Kr (S$29.91). I was not about to be tempted by taking the easy way out as I was raring for a workout, so I skipped the cable car ride.
The starting point for the hike was behind the cable car station. At the time of my visit, the directional sign was marked out by a piece of paper wrapped in clear plastic and tied to a tree trunk, which seemed rather haphazard. It said “–> Path to Ulriken and Montana”. I followed the direction indicated and it led me to a rocky trail. A couple of guys were on the trail so I assumed it was the right way, and I followed them. I started my hike at 10:28am.
After the short rocky section was a flight of steel staircase followed by a forest trail. The path was quite obvious so there was no real danger of getting lost. The hike up was very pleasant but it was rather steep. I had to take frequent breaks to catch my breath and to sip on water. However, it was not too overwhelming and I was happy to see many other people hiking on this fine Saturday morning.
There was also a mountain bike trail that intersected with the walking trail at a few areas, but weren’t any bikers that day so I didn’t get to see them in action.
About halfway through, I emerged at a clearing where I had a good view of Bergen and the harbour below. I also saw the cable car zip past me as it made its way up effortlessly. From that point on, I left the forest behind. The second half of the hike was more exposed with mainly bushes and shrubs.
The final ascent was more rocky and steep. I passed by a family of four who were making their way down. I was totally amazed when I saw the mum carrying a toddler on her back while her young son bounced around on his own, with his dad nearby. The path down was steep and there were no proper steps, yet the parents let the boy find his own way down without holding his hand. At that moment, I thought about how most Singaporean parents are over-protective at times, and how their children are in turn, overprotected. Sometimes, we need to let our children figure out the way by themselves. Be around and watch them at a distance, but trust that they will do so on their own. #parentingadvice #idonthavekids
I reached the peak of Ulriken at 11:35am, just over an hour after I began. I always feel a sense of accomplishment and happiness whenever I complete a hike and this was no exception. I have nothing against those who take the cable car up because the trail is quite steep and not suitable for everyone to attempt. However, I feel that the view is so much sweeter when I have hiked up because it feels like I have truly earned it.
There was a restaurant at the peak, where you could enjoy a nice meal and the view at the same time. There was also an outdoor fitness park called Tufteparken and many people were making use of it to exercise and work out. I also saw a few people going on the Zipline (click here). At 300m long, it is Norway’s fastest zipline, reaching a top speed of 93km/h. I’m sure it would have been a great thrill to experience it but I’m also sure it would have burnt a big hole in my pocket too.
So I went for a cheaper option. I bought a can of fruit soda from the gift shop (35 Kr / S$5.98) and sat down on the slope to take in the marvellous view. From there, I could see the entire Bergen city sprawled out below me. I felt much more at ease here, away from the crowds and the mass of buildings.
After resting sufficiently, I decided to press on with the hike to Fløyen at 12:20pm. The distance from Ulriken to Fløyen is 13km and it takes about four hours to complete it. Hiking from Ulriken to Fløyen (instead of the other way around) is recommended because Fløyen is lower in elevation (320m) so you’ll generally be going downwards. Also, after ending the hike at Fløyen, you can take the funicular straight down to the city centre, so it is more convenient.
The plateau between Ulriken and Fløyen was wide open and the trail was not that obvious. However, there were regular signposts showing the distance and direction.
Hiking solo may be antisocial but I enjoyed it. It gave me a lot of time to think and to observe the people and things around me. I noticed that most people came in pairs, some with their families and some with their dogs. Many people were running, perhaps training for an upcoming trail race. Many guys were shirtless and ladies wore just their sports bras and tights as they walked, clearly relishing the chance to soak up the wonderful weather.
At 1:45pm, I took a breather and munched on my banana and pistachio nuts. After that, I passed through a valley with rather steep slopes but that was probably one of the few steep sections for the trek. For the most part, the terrain was just gently undulating and the scenery was quite uniform. I passed by some small lakes and fields of cotton but there weren’t any trees or colourful flowers.
I reached the radio tower at Rundemanen at about 3:20pm. From here, it was about an hour’s walk before I finally reached Fløyen at 4:15pm. It had taken me four hours to get here and I was honestly quite tired by now. I was blessed with good weather for most part and it only got really hot for the last 1½ hours. The trek wasn’t as scenic as Trolltunga of course, but still worth doing. The first thing I craved for was ice-cream so I bought myself a vanilla ice-cream cone for 40 Kr (S$6.84). It was so good and I felt like I totally deserved another one!
It wasn’t as crowded at Fløyen as I expected. Several people were at the panoramic viewpoint but otherwise it was rather quiet. I soon found out the reason why. I had originally intended to take the Fløibanen funicular down to the city centre to provide some relief for my sore feet after the long hike. But when I reached the ticket office, I saw that the funicular was closed due to technical problems. Of all days, it had to close today! As such, I had no choice but to make my way down by foot.
Thankfully, the way down was nice and shady. It turned out to be a pleasant stroll and not that tiring, aided by gravity, of course. It took me about 40 minutes to walk the 3km down to the city centre and I arrived at the Fløibanen station at the foot of the hill at 5:40pm.
I then walked past Bryggen and searched for food as it was dinner time. After assessing all my options, I settled on Subway because the Sub of the Day (BLT sandwich) cost only 39 Kr (S$6.67) and it was the cheapest meal I could find.
As I made my way back to my hostel, I passed by Festplassen and saw that it was the venue for Bergen’s Pride Week celebrations. Entry into Pride Park was free so I went in for a look. A DJ was spinning music while some people were dancing. There wasn’t much else going on so I left soon after.
Back at the hostel, I packed my bags as I would be leaving Bergen tomorrow. In fact, I would be leaving Norway. I would first head to Oslo and then catch another train to Stockholm in Sweden. It would be a long day of travelling.
I got hungry again at about 9:15pm so I cooked my last packet of Maggi curry instant noodles together with my remaining vegetables. While lounging at the common area after my supper, I bumped into Alejandro, who was my roommate at Trolltunga Hotel in Odda. Such a small world! We didn’t trek together to Trolltunga because he arrived Odda one day after me so he did the trek the day after I did it. We spent an hour chatting with each other. He told me all about his hometown in Mexico and invited me to visit him one day. Now, I feel like going to Mexico already!
It had been another tiring day but I felt absolutely accomplished. Norway had been splendid, with all the fjords, waterfalls, mountains and rivers. I completed two awesome hikes to Preikestolen and Trolltunga, which were top of my wishlist before I embarked on this trip. I didn’t manage to trek to Kjeragbolten this time, but that just gives me reason to come back again. Norway was one of the most anticipated stops on my trip and it more than lived up to expectations. I will love to return one day to explore even more places in the north – the Lofoten Islands and perhaps even Tromsø, if I can take the cold! But for now, I am a very happy man.