Now that we are home again and back to our regular work schedule, we have to make sure that we don’t let the rest of our summer go to waste. One advantage to being home, however is the opportunity to catch up with my good friends and enjoy some of the beautiful nature here just outside of Oslo. All pictures are taken with my Nokia mobile phone.
On top of Kolsaas
This weekend my usual hiking gang and I decided to take a day trip up a mountain in our local area. This is actually the same mountain where my son works in the winter time at a ski resort; however we climbed up the other side to the rocky face at the peak. It isn’t impressively high but it is a lovely trip and a good workout. The trail is challenging enough without being too difficult, and I only fell once 🙂 When I say climbing I mean hiking, we didn’t climb with hooks and ropes of course.
On the way up Kolsaas
There were some others who were rock climbing on the face though and it was exciting to watch them. I saw one couple which was clearly a man who was an experienced climber, and his girl friend who appeared to be on one of her first times out…and I thought…hmmmm what us girls won’t do for love!!! Fortunately Renny has gotten me into some crazy situations but none of them involved repelling down the face of a mountain!
Rock climbing on the face
On the way down we saw a sign to a public cottage which is used by sports organisations and the Red Cross as a place to have outings for young people. The cottage is in a traditional Norwegian style and I thought it quite worthy of a picture.
KIF cottage, Kolsaas
As usual we had our back packs filled with coffee, chocolate bars, and sandwiches to make our trip more enjoyable..so this seemed like an appropriate place to have one more cup of coffee before we hiked the rest of the way down. For the record…if any of you haven’t done any mountain hiking..the trip down is often the worst, for me at least! Oh, I know you are thinking its all downhill, but it seems to me like it’s easier to go up a steep rock then down without falling. I sat down to prevent sliding quite a few times so the first thing I did when I got home was to wash my jeans hehehe!!
Hope you are having a good weekend and have gotten out in the fresh air for some healthy R & R!!!
DianeCA's Metamorphoses 
Comments on: "Home again, and hiking in Norway" (28)
If only I knew you wanted to go repelling dear 😆
I’m so glad you had this fun with the girls outdoors while I was sitting indoors, watching the Olympics and recovering from the boys evening a couple of days ago!
DianeCA: You needed your recovery time, but tomorrow I will get you out of the house!
I can climb up almost anything, it’s the going down that is often painful for my knees. I’m just plain getting old and the knees aren’t in the best of shape.
I love the little cottage for other hikers and such. What a beauty. I sure wouldn’t mind staying there for a week or two!
DianeCA: I thought the same thing. I wondered if they rented it out when it wasn’t in use 🙂
The view is breathtaking! The colors look so vibrant, the whole thing looks so… clean. You’re lucky to have such wild spaces close to home.
DianeCA: Thanks. I do appreciate the clean environment and nature up here. Although Canada has quite a lot of beautiful nature to enjoy as well!
What a fun girls day out. I love it that you had food too. I can always depend on you, Renny, Tor and Anna to have such wonderful food. Big hug to you and Renny. 🙂
DianeCA: We love to eat, and its always better on a picnic hehehe!
What a beautiful view. I love hiking also but will pass on the rock climbing. I am not brave enough to do that.
I hope to see Norway one day. It is on my list of 100 places to visit before I die. 🙂
DianeCA: I think I am too old to start rock climbing, I will stick to the trails too!
oh that looks like a great place to go for a hike! and i actually think the rappelling would be fun too, though i’d probably be better off hiking up and rappelling down rather than trying to climb with the ropes and such.
DianeCA: Okay you repell and we will watch and eat and cheer you on!
Looks like a wonderful place for a hike 🙂 I don’t know if I could do that rock climbing though, I’m such a chicken!!
DianeCA: It was a perfect day as well, we had a little shower on the way down but it didn’t last long and it was nice to cool us off a bit.
… everytime I come here I’m jealous! …
I’m so so so happy you get to do these things in your life. I also hope you got your hubby out of the house after his rest!
Hugs Diane! Beautiful photos, you can really feel like you are there!
DianeCA: I did get hubby out and he blogged on our date too.
Gosh! That mountain looks pretty daunting to me! 😛 I agree it’s easier climbing up a mountain, I hate the going down part.
I like your mobile phone. It takes awesome pictures.
DianeCA: Thanks 🙂 My mobile is actually 2 years old, but the quailty is good so its still going strong.
Hi Diane! I gave you a well deserved award. 🙂 Come to my site to get it.
hee hee
DianeCA: Sorry I didn’t get in right away, things got hectic. life happens hehehe!
Hi Diane,
You are right, the way back down can be the worst!
What a beautiful place to hike though. 🙂
DianeCA: I am not good at going down. Chicken. One advantage with climbing down though is when in doubt you can sit on your butt and creep down….My jeans were so dirty when I got through!
Hi Diane,
Beautiful beautiful place! I wish I could hike too. Well it’s on my bucket list- I will do it someday.
– I am back now. Sorry I was MIA for awhile. We’ll make it up with new posts;) Thanks for always visiting.
DianeCA: No problem, now I’m MIA a bit myself. We have to live life if we want to have something to write about.
The countryside looks stunning, but I get dizzy just looking at the rock climbing picture, let alone contemplating it!
DianeCA: We can sit safely on the top and not get too close to the edge if you prefer. I’m all for that.
You got some good shots with your phone! Looks like a beautiful hike.
DianeCA: Thanks, was fun too!
Beautiful shots. Too bad there’s no mountain in Denmark to hike.
DianeCA: Well Denmark has lots of other beautiful sights to offer! Great beaches for example! And I have been DYING all summer for one of those Danish waffle cones. You know the shops where they make waffle cones fresh, and you smell waffles long before you see the place, and then you get a nice fresh one filled with your choice of ice cream! To die for!!
Gosh I admired both your energy and the love for nature, what a beautiful day to go hiking with your love one and I thank you for sharing with us 😀
DianeCA: My legs were so sore the next day hehehe, but I actually get energy from being outside in natural surroundings so it was worth it.
Wow, absolutely beautiful views. I’m adding Norway to my list of places to visit!
DianeCA: Norway is well worth the trip. The dramatic landscape is quite unique. Let us know when you are stopping by!
Like to read your trip with your friends! i am fan of such sport expedition!
Beautiful cottage!
I have still 4 days before going at work and to be in form I swimm every day at my sister’s swimmingpool wich makes vawes and massages! So I have my everyday sport and when I start the school again I decide to go each day for the lunch at the town swimmingpool! Good resolution as always when the schoolyear starts!
DianeCA: I might be less tempted to climb mountains if I had a swimming pool with a massage function!!!
Beautiful pictures! I wanted to go hiking today because it’s my day off but it’s pouring outside… and I’ve had terrible experiences with hiking up mountains when it’s raining… I slipped 3 times in one day a year ago and I only managed to not die by grabbing on to some ferns which, thankfully, were firmly in place!
Maybe you should try repelling down that mountain the next time you go! 😀 I’ve never done that but if a guy asked me to, I would be up for it!
DianeCA: You go for the adventurous types huh!! Me I think I will stick to hiking it. View is the same, less dangerous hehehe.
Great report, thanks for sharing! That’s one of the charms of living in Oslo, we are surrounded by lots of nature and every weekend can turn into an adventure.
DianeCA: Kolsås is just 20 mintues outside of Oslo by bus. There will soon be a tram there again but for now its being upgraded.
[…] Read my wife’s mountain climbing adventures the day […]
What a wonderful hike. And view from the top.
I have not been at Kolsaas for 40 years or so. A shame.
Agree with you, it’s harder to go steep down than up. One thing is fear av falling, another is the fact we then uses muscels not often challenged.
DianeCA: Yes, I definately found some of those muscles not usually challenged!! But it was good to work them a bit from time to time.
grand pics for a cell…looks like a very healthy, relaxing and happy visit. glad you’re back. i shouldn’t be blogging, but i just missed you. have a great weekend. *lovies*
DianeCA: Glad you stopped in. Hope your writing is still going well!
Sounded like you had a great time out with the girls up there. The view is so beautiful, it must have ben very refreshing sitting up there. I simply adore that cottage style too!
Hello there! I gave you an award. 🙂 http://www.zyriana.com/?p=651
Hugs, hope all is well!
Mon
DianeCA: Sorry, took a ‘reality’ break.
What beautiful pictures – and taken with your camera phone?! WoW! 🙂 Makes me want to go hiking!
DianeCA: We will have to take you someplace fun when you come to visit. We are looking forward to it!
I know Norway is a long, long way to the Philippines. However, if in the future you have a chance to visit the Philippines, I recommend Mt Malindig, Marinduque Island for a mountain adventure you will never forget. It ia an easy hike, but the mountains has wild orchids. a lot of rare tropical flora and fauna. You could time your visit during Easter week when the island also celebrate the Moriones festival. For additional information on Mt Malindig and marinduque, visit the government website, http://www.marinduque,gov.ph or my website, http://www.chateaudumer.com Enjoy your pictures and blog.
Your hiking experience reminds me of my weekend. I hiked with my sweetie up a peak called Icicle Ridge near Leavenworth, WA (USA). I was quite nervous because it was a steep climb and I knew from previous experience how easy it is to slip on gravel or dirt mixed with gravel. It was a long way down and the path was narrow. A good long hike for me, I was quite winded by the top. My fiance, a Marine, hardly broke a sweat, it seemed, and it was quite annoying! :o) But gorgeous views are the reward so it is worth the effort. I came to this website while initially surfing the Internet for German Erzebirge nutcrackers. I love Bavarian wooden creations, which I first came to know while living in Bamberg Germany for a year, and then a village in Franconia for another two years. My favorite book is Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset. I’d love to visit Norway one day. When the dollar stabilizes! Your website is very nice.