Aurdalsfjellet and Arriving at Camp

 It's Pajama Day! We had to leave early, so leadership decided together that it would be pajama day, but kids still needed to be in a  Lilla tshirt. The van was loaded to the gills, and we headed out for Valdres. It would be a fairly long day, but it would be punctuated by stops and short walks. 

The curvy road to Stegastein.
(web photo)

The drive followed the river out of Voss, and then we went through multiple tunnels, finally coming out at Aurland. The village of Aurland lies on the Aurlandsfjord, an arm of the much larger Sogn Fjord. Our first stop would be at Stegastein, a lookout perched on the side of a mountain above the fjord. The road is definitely not for wimps - it is a very skinny one-lane road, that goes up a very, very steep grade. There are seven hairpin turns, and places where there really isn't much of a guardrail. The tradeoff is that the views are absolutely spectacular. 

Maren, Itsani and Lilah, Aurlandsfjord behind
(Martha's photo)

We reached Stegastein and all piled out. So what is Stegastein? It is a viewing platform hanging off the side of a mountain, that's what! It reaches out nearly 100 feet, and has glass around the end for taking stunning photographs. It is one of the most photographed views in Norway! You're standing in the air, 2,100 feet above the fjord. Like these ladies! We met some nice folks from the Upper Midwest there...and discovered the public bathrooms were closed - and there would be only one more set on our route.  

A snow melt lake by the road.
(Maren's photo)

So why come this way? Well, it's really all about the Lærdal Tunnel, or rather, avoiding it. And, it's about seeing Norway in a way that most Americans won't. The highway that goes up to Stegastein continues over the mountains. This was the primary through route on E16 between Bergen and Oslo when the road wasn't snowbound. If it was, well, you had to take a different way because E16 had a gap. Then, in 1992 the Norwegian parliament decided a tunnel was the thing, and construction started in 1995. It was completed in 2000, at a cost of $100.5 million (at today's exchange rate...). YOWZA. It is 15.25 miles long, and goes through a mountain. It is the longest road tunnel in the world. So, tell me, would you rather see that, or be high up in the mountains with views all the way to Jøtunheim? Easy, right? Unafraid of untraveled places and curves, we took the road less traveled, and headed up over the mountains. 

Maren, Sue, Itsani, Lilah in snow.
(Martha's photo)

We kept track of the number of cars that passed us going the other way in a two-hour stretch of being up on this road - the total was...Dear Reader, you get to guess, and find the answer at the bottom of this post. The views were, in fact, extraordinary, as the sun finally had come out after days of rain. 

Of course, we had to stop to play in some snow. Who wouldn't want to do that in the middle of July? 

And then there were the stunning views to the higher mountains. 

The stunning long-distance view, high mountains of Jøtunheim in the background. 
(Martha's photo)

We continued on our way, having passed Flotane, the other possible potty stop. Probably also closed, and long lines trying to figure it out. The toilets there are solar-powered, but the last time this writer was up there they were also closed - overflowing, actually. Gross. On we went. 

Selfie: Lilah, Itsani, Maren
(Lilah's photo)

The next stop was at Vedahaugane, where a kind of weird curved walkway serves as both passage and art installation. It's actually been written up in several architectural magazines, though it's not so spectacular to this writer. But, at the end is a very weird bear sculpture, surrounded by trash. And it's in a cave. It's supposed to remind us of the relationship between humans and nature. Our fiddlers went for the bear pose. 

From there it's a long windy way down to civilization, with an amazing river and waterfalls flowing next to the road. We had to stop for other cars several times, but no backing up, thank goodness! 

Since all the public potties had been unavailable, and some of our tour members did not like the pull up a rock clump option, we had to make a pitstop. And then it was on the road to Hemsedal. 

This too required climbing a steep mountainside, also often closed in the winter, but not closed for the whole winter. This area can have strong winds when you get to the top, and it can be very, very cold. But on this day, it was nice out, and we stopped for another get out and walk opportunity by a little lake formed by a dam. Back in the van, a different scene was unfolding.

The Sleeping Beauties.
(Sue's photo)

We like to encourage napping in the car. Being amazing travelers, our young fiddlers really took this to heart. We might see this at any point of travel on any given day, but this is a classic! We could call it pack puppies, but the photographer gave it a better name, I think. 

And then it was time for ice cream! We try to have ice cream every long road day - it's something to look forward to having. And funny thing...no one ever says no to having some! So we stopped in Hemsedal, at the same grocery where Maren and I met up last summer. Then back in the car for the last leg to camp.

Now, as we got closer and closer to Strunkeveko, the camp, there was a bit of anxiety in the van. Would we be able to function in an all Norwegian environment? Would we make friends? Would the classes be hard enough? Who would be the roommates? Would the food be decent?

We stopped off at the cabin that Sue and I would share while the kids were at camp, only to find it overrun with...SHEEP. And that meant lots of piles of sheep poo. Oh well. (It turned out to be a fantastic place for us to be while the kids were at camp...) Then down to camp. We checked in the kids, saw their rooms, and discovered that while Itsani had a Norwegian roommate, Maren and Lilah were rooming together. Oh well! 

After a grill party and a teachers' concert, the evening's dance started. Maren jumped right in, but Itsani and Lilah had to be gotten from Itsani's room. But, eventually they all jumped in, you'll need to watch to the end! 

And Sue and I took that opportunity to sneak away...and go collapse! 

- Martha

PS The answer is 38.