Skiers ready to hit the trails

Not all cross-country skiers seek merely the solitude and scenic beauty of a day on the ski trails: Fully 7,000 skiing enthusiasts were registered to take part this weekend in the annual “Holmenkollmarsjen” ski race in the hills above Oslo, while thousands of others are skiing in organized events all over the country and training [...]

Lure of ‘marka’ hits UN recruiting

Norwegians’ easy access to the great outdoors, combined with good pay and benefits, is making it difficult to convince them to apply for or accept work abroad, not least at the United Nations (UN). Foreign ministry officials say Norwegians are underrepresented among staff at the UN, and it’s not always a reflection of their skills or [...]

Wolf pair marking territory in Oslo

Wildlife researchers had some sensational news for Oslo residents this week: They’re almost certain that a pair of wolves have been marking territory this winter in Oslo’s eastern forest known as Østmarka. A litter of pups may result later this spring. It would be the the first time a pack of wolves has established itself [...]

Forests targeted by farmers’ party

The small but powerful political party best known for representing Norwegian farmers chose an unusual weekend to roll out its latest, often unpopular demands. Just as organizations promoting hiking and conservation were urging folks out into the great outdoors, a top Center Party official was saying that the forests were less important than agricultural land, [...]

A summer’s night in Krokskogen

There’s been a lot of heavy rain all over southern Norway this summer, making it somewhat less appealing to head into the local hills and woods after work and go on a hike. But every now and then there’s been a break in the seemingly constant downpours, and then the still-long summer evenings invite for [...]

Wolf killed dog in Oslo

Wildlife authorities believe a wolf killed a dog that was found dead on Monday in a residential area bordering on Oslo’s eastern forest called Østmarka. Oddbjørn Rosendal, who owned the elk hound named Wendy, found her badly mauled cadaver near the high-rise apartment buildings at Lindeberg on Oslo’s east side. He’d gone out looking for [...]

Norwegian trees survived Ice Age

There’s no question that Norway has a lot of trees. New research now shows that the abundant Norwegian spruce and pine have been around much longer than previously thought, since before the last Ice Age ended 10,000 years ago, and aren’t just relative newcomers from Russia. The new findings by a large team of international researchers [...]

Etiquette guide to the ski trails

With ski season in high gear, and thousands of skiers taking part in some big races most every weekend, calls have gone out for better etiquette on the ski trails. Oslo residents were offered some polite guidelines last week, just before what’s now known as the Holmenkollen Ski Marathon began. Around 6,000 skiers actually started [...]

Gorgeous gorges of Hauktjern

PICTURE STORY: The forest on the eastern side of Oslo, called Østmarka, offers lots of popular trails, scenic vista points, accessible lakes and the capital’s most unusual rock formations. They’ve long been a major attraction for climbers but are open to hikers of all ages via well-marked blåstier (trails marked in blue). The closest trailhead [...]

Autumn trails in the Oslo hills

PICTURE STORY: Autumn treks are popular past-times in Norway, before snow and ice cover the hiking trails. A relatively gentle blåsti (a hiking trail marked in blue) into the hills of eastern Nordmarka from the parking lot next to the Hakadal train station, north of Oslo, leads outdoor enthusiasts through refreshingly open pine and spruce forests [...]

Fall colours of the fairy tale forest

Autumn has arrived in southern Norway and the “fairy tale forest” known as Krokskogen, just outside Oslo, has been ablaze in fall colours in recent weeks. Krokskogen, on the way to Hønefoss, was the setting for many fairy tales written by Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe back in the 1800s and also for a [...]

Fall colours gone with the rain

Norway is supposed to be ablaze with fall colours at this time of year, but the landscape in both the mountains and lower-lying areas is decidedly dreary. Months of rain are to blame, because the wet weather gave rise to a fungus that’s hit birch trees all the way north to Finnmark. Not only did [...]

Welcome skiing weekend looms

Fresh snow and even some sunshine in the forecast for Sunday were boosting prospects for great skiing all over Norway this weekend. A new survey indicates that’s what most Norwegians want to do, and that in turn bodes well for the state health care budget. The survey, conducted by research firm Synovate, shows that fully [...]

Hills beckon in all their glory

EXCURSIONS: Autumn has arrived with its characteristic blasts of color over most of Norway. The hills, forests and mountains are ablaze and waiting to welcome hikers, bikers and all the lucky folks who headed off on holiday last week. Thermometers have dipped below the freezing point for the first time in the Oslo area, with [...]

Huck Finn’s spirit alive in ‘marka’

EXCURSIONS: Norway’s forests and streams are long from the Mississippi, but nonetheless can offer the casual hiker a chance to be like Huckleberry Finn for a day. One popular trail on the outskirts of Oslo runs right over a body of water, but a raft is standing by to cross it. The unusual hiking experience [...]

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