What a place! I arrived late on Sunday the 14th of August To find an idyllic, almost futuristic settlement set onto the hillside, squeezed between mountains, rivers and fjord. The clean air matched the spotless payments and wooden white houses are dotted around the hillside and spill out onto the water front.
I am 23, have grown up in Scotland and through what seems like a unusual set of circumstances I found myself Studying in Høgskulen i Sogn og Fjordane university, in the heart of the Norwegian fjords. For the past year now i have been working as a freelance outdoor instructor and educator in the highlands of Scotland living in outdoor centres, crashing on friends sofas most recently a van to finance the next kayaking or climbing adventure. I am now reading for a MSC in Sustainable Mountain Development at the Centre for Mountain Studies based at UHI, Scotland. This semester I am fortunate to be studying outdoor Education and Nordic Friluftsliv; the Scandinavian way of reflecting on the relationship between man, nature culture and society.
I believe the Norwegians are doing something right when it comes to enjoying and preserving their mountainous landscape. Everyone here seems to have a respect for there natural surroundings, probably because everyone you talk to has a favourite recreational pastime that takes them into the natural environment. It is this blend of outdoor recreation leading into mountain management and a society intrinsically related to there inspiring settings that I find so compelling and want to be a part of.
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| Sogndal, as seen from the Fjord. |
The style of teaching here is very much active outdoor learning, During the first week the class took park in two mountain hikes. We learned about navigation and the succession of vegetation as it changes with altitude from the deciduous forests at the edge of the fjord to the specialist lichens, mosses that survive high on the upland plateau.
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| Exploring the upland environment and mountain lakes above Sogndal. |
The Town, and indeed the campus itself, seems intrinsically linked to its impressive setting and the opportunities to emerge yourself in its recreational possibilities seem endless. The student population seem very active and they are spoiled for choice. The monday night was spent rock climbing n the shaded forests and on the Tuesday I joined the kayaking club for a paddle in the fjord with great views of the town.
This week seems to has passed in a blur of friendly conversations with professors, confusing street signs, trendy bars, and amazing natural places. The week ended was a fantastic day in the near by Jotunheimen mountains were myself and two friends climbed the west ridge of Store Austinbadin by the "normal" route. If it wasn't for the glaciers, the fog and Garbo climbing could have convinced me I was at home in the Cuillins.
