Neither rain, nor wind nor lots of mud managed to stop thousands of Norwegians from heading into the great outdoors over the weekend, and officials at the Norwegian Trekking Association (Den Norske Turistforening, DNT) hope such hearty spirit will last through the autumn storm season as well.
On Sunday, DNT arranged another of its “Kom deg ut” days (literally, “Come outdoors”). While the sun was shining in northern Norway, participants in southern Norway had to brave pouring rain including thunder and lightning in Kristiansand.
For Anne Østensen, the weather didn’t matter. “Rain is no hindrance, and with the kind of summer we’ve had in Østlandet (eastern Norway), we can’t wait for the sun to come out,” Østensen told newspaper Aftenposten.
DNT officials estimate that around 30,000 people took part in special activities organized by the national trekking association (external link) that maintains hiking trails, a large array of lodges and service centers around the country and promotes most all aspects of outdoor life in Norway. Late summer and early autumn are high season for mushroom and berry-picking treks, and hiking in the forests and mountains.
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