By Elisabet, Emily, Matt, and Garrett
This week, the four of us split, with half of our blog group going on a hike and the other half exploring the city of Trondheim.
Matt and Garrett: This past Sunday, a group of us went on a hike at Bymarka Reserve just outside of Trondheim. It was only a short 15-minute bus ride to get there, but it ended up being a very full day. Altogether, we hiked about 6.2 miles!
Garrett: We had a fun and challenging time stomping through deep snow (four feet in some areas). Without warning, our footing would give way, leading to a laugh and a snow-filled boot. We also crossed a bridge covered in ice. Our crampons were extremely helpful with this part of the adventure. The small spikes allowed us to grip the ice and get safely across. We also saw several waterfalls and rushing creaks along the way. These were loud as the water rushed along, grabbing our attention with their commotion. We passed by several houses up in the mountains. Some of these homes had horses in the yards. This was fun to see, a way of living based on the peaceful landscapes of the Norwegian mountains. Overall, this hike was a thrilling trip outside of the bustling town of Trondheim.
Matt: This hike was super fun but ended up being a bit more challenging than I thought it would be. The combination of deep snow and slippery ice made some areas more difficult than others. Luckily, I brought my crampons, which made things a bit easier, but they didn’t keep the snow from getting into my boots. By the end of the hike, I felt like I was standing in a water puddle. In hindsight, the hike made the discomfort worth it, as it was fun being deep in the Norwegian forest and getting to see all the things that made it unique. We got to visit a couple of large lakes that can only be described as beautiful and serene.
Elisabet and Emily: Throughout this trip, we have been in a very crafty mood, and since we arrived in Trondheim, it has been one of our main activities. Our crafting was initially inspired by a TikTok (before it got banned). Through our need to craft, we were driven to explore the city and find a bunch of little craft stores! However, there was one specific street that we somehow got lost on THREE times, but we eventually managed to find our way.
Elisabet: We started by making a singular sock cat as our tester to give to my boyfriend, Jacob, and it quickly led to us making plans for a small army of sock creatures. I especially loved getting to go button shopping in all of the yarn shops. There were so many different options, and we were able to get pretty creative with our choices—mismatched eyes, different colours, different shapes, and glitter.
Emily: Once Elisabet and I started making our little sock creatures, we realized we could use them as part of our final creative project for the course. We plan to document their journey north through fun photos (we already started at the Maritime Museum in Trondheim!) as we ourselves move north.
Overall, we all had a great time exploring Trondheim’s nature and city life, and we look forward to exploring more as we move farther north!