#Ulriken hike

[funcionoacafe]

Ulriken, 2023

[vanderer-i]

[dragonfang-photography]

dA is being stupid and internal-server-erroring on all my upload attempts, so this tiny-ass thing is going to serve as a placeholder until I can get the 23300px version posted.

Got the big one uploaded, finally.

After some mucking around I found out it errored out on files over 50MB (even though the size limit is supposed to be almost twice that), so I had to scale this one way down to 16000px instead of 23300.

Similar to the previous post, but a bit wider field of view. Looking out over Bergen from up on Ulriken, tallest of the city mountains.

[chameleonsynthesis]

7-Fjellsturen completed in 12h20min. Longer than I wanted but shorter than I thought it would take, given the weather conditions. Lots of rain yesterday, and some rain today (and snow and hail; thank you, Ulriken), made for a very muddy trail.

Kilometres hiked: 35

Number of Kvikk Lunsj consumed: 6

Litres of water imbibed: 3

Eggs hatched in Pokémon GO: 27

[ourtriptoswedenandnorway]

Ulriken Cable Car to Mount Ulriken

Tuesday - 6/25/24

More Norwegian artwork at our hotel. The halls in the hotel are like being in the Bergen museum of modern art.

Today we decided we would take a ride on the Ulriken cable car and in the late afternoon take an English speaking walking tour that includes riding a ferry in the harbor.

To get to the cable car we needed to take a bus. Here are a couple of interesting things we saw on our walk over to the bus stop.

Bergen’s equivalent of Lombard Street with many switchbacks, except there are no cars allowed on this street!

However, Bergen does has significantly more cars in the city compared to Stockholm and Oslo. Both Stockholm and Oslo excel at minimizing the number of cars in their city centers, and the difference is remarkable. Walking around these cities is much more relaxing when you’re not constantly competing with cars. Bergen could benefit from following the examples set by Oslo and Stockholm.

We also saw a military marching band playing a concert for the locals. I don’t know what the occasional was.

We bought a 24-hour bus pass and took Bus 5 to the Ulriken cable car. I continue to be amazed at how modern, clean, efficient and enjoyable public transportation is in Sweden and Norway.

Here is base of the mountain where you get on the cable car.

The Ulriken Cable Car, also known as Ulriksbanen, goes from near sea level at the bottom to the top of Mount Ulriken, which is 2,110 feet above sea level.

We experienced spectacular views of Bergen and its surrounding fjords and mountains.

Me at the top of Mount Ulriken.

After enjoying the views from the top of the mountain and watching some people on a zipline, we took the cable car down. We didn't seriously consider hiking down as we had read that the trail has a lot of steps—1,400 to be exact. And we had signed up for a two-hour walking tour in the late afternoon and didn't want to be tired from going down all those steps.

At the bottom of the cable car ride, we walked back to the bus stop and took Bus 5 back to Festplassen, where we sat and ate lunch.

The day continues in the next post.

[hooliganists]

Hiking Bergen- Mt. Fløyen to Mt. Ulriken

Bergen is the second largest city in Norway after Oslo, the country’s capital, and the hike between the two mountains Fløyen and Ulriken is one of the most popular ways to explore the area. From the center of Bergen, visitors will most likely begin their hike from Mt. Fløyen. Although we chose to hike up the this viewpoint, the Fløibanen funicular costs about 5USD per direction and turns a steep…

[stocklivemarket]

Welcome to the gateway to the Vikings and scenic fjords! Charming and colorful Bergen is not only one of Norway's most popular tourist destinations, but also one of its top attractions is its fjords. The city of Bergen is also known as the "gate of the fjords". Its proximity to nature makes the city an ideal destination for short and long tour excursions, where you can experience Norway's stunning nature landscapes and seascapes. Stepping into the same lands once occupied by the daunting Vikings will enthrall history buffs. Bergen Fjords You can see classic Norway in a nutshell on a day trip packed with attractions such as the UNESCO-protected Nærøyfjord fjord and the exciting Flåm Railway, one of the steepest standard railways in the world. This 12-mile train journey is completed by circumnavigating steep mountains, lush valleys, and impressive waterfalls. You can also experience great excitement in a mountain. When you get here, close your eyes and imagine a land filled with famous Viking explorers. Surrounded by mountains, Bergen also offers excellent hiking opportunities. With a short seven-minute ride on the Fløbanen cable car, you can reach magnificent marked hiking trails. Alternatively, one of the paths takes you to the Ulriken cable car to the top of Bergen's seven mountains, giving you spectacular views of the surrounding sea, islands and fjords. As you look down, you can imagine a mighty Viking ship sailing through the waters. Bergen offers a natural and rich cultural life to be explored. This is one of the must-see places before leaving the city. The excursion is suitable for visitors of all ages. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push();

[adito-lang]

Hei! This sounds so exciting!

I'm not Norwegian (have been learning for a few years), but I’ve been to Trondheim, Bergen, and Jotunheimen Nasjonalpark - halfway between the two cities - so here are my recommendations for those places.

Trondheim

I was only there for two days, but I can recommend Norsk Døvemuseum which is located in a former boarding school for deaf students.

You can get a great view from the radio tower Tyholttårnet, which has a revolving restaurant inside.

Then of course there is Nidaros and Kristiansten festning. 

Jotunheimen Nasjonalpark

The entire drive from Otta to Lom (along Riksveg 15) is absolutely gorgeous! You’re mostly following the south side of Vågåvatnet along the way. 

In Lom, you can visit the Lom stavkyrkje, a stave church built around 1170. There's an awesome bakery there (I think it was just called Bakeriet) that has amazing kanelboller / kanelsnurrer.

If you want to hike up Norway’s highest mountain (Galdhøpiggen), drive from Lom to Spiterstulen Turisthytte. I’ve made a post about the hike here.

Another famous hike in Jotunheimen is Besseggen - you can drive to Gjendesheim, take the ferry to Memurubu (there’s a hut there to sleep) and then hike back to Gjendesheim via Besseggen. Here’s a post about that. 

Never been there, but I’d really love to visit Jostedalsbreen Nasjonalpark further west. 

Bergen

Troldhaugen, the former villa of composer Edvard Grieg, if you're interested in his life and music.

Fantoft stavkyrkje, a (reconstructed) stave church famously destroyed by arson on 06.06.92, the first in a string of church burnings…

Hike from Ulriken to Fløyen (alternatively, just take the cable car up to either of them). Or hike up any of the Seven Mountains of Bergen!

When I visited Bergen this June there was a pole vault competition called Bergen Jump Challenge going on in the city center. That was one of the coolest things I've seen in Norway!

The best things to do where always outdoors 😍

Norwegian help needed!

In this post I was asking for help from Swedes, now I need help from Norwegians or people learning Norwegian.

I'm planning to go on a roadtrip to Sweden and Norway this summer and I'd love to hear:

your favourite places in Norway or any place you'd want to visit (we'll drive approximately from Trondheim to Bergen to Hamar)

your favourite Norwegian foods. I'm talking sweets, desserts, (non-alcoholic) drinks, meals, bread... anything (preferably if it has a vegan alternative)

just anything you love about Norway... anything Norwegian I should try?

We'll be travelling with my boyfriend's parents and neither of us has ever been in Norway. We are very excited and I'd love to see as much as possible.

Thank you so much for any suggestions!

[beerselfie]

#Repost @hoppyfriendz It was worth the sweat to enjoy a midnight sun ☀️ beer above the city of #bergen and it’s dramatic fjord landscape. Even if we can enjoy it almost everyday in summer, it takes some effort to get up there 🥵. ☀️ 𝘓𝘉𝘙 𝘕𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘰𝘯/𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘢/𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘺 𝘋𝘋𝘏 𝘐𝘗𝘈 from @birrificiolambrate was a great fit to the moment. Well balanced tropical and resinous flavours, mild bitterness and fantastic colour. Great thirst quencher beer after a steep hike. 😀 Be Hoppy! #sunset #fjord #hiking #beeradventures #hikingadventures #goldenretriever #dogsofinstagram #ulriken #beerselfie #craftbeer #norway #ol #birra #cerveza #beer #summervibes https://www.instagram.com/p/CgmjdF0rK2A/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[vengates]

[vanderer-i]

Bergen, Ulriken

[dragonfang-photography]

Ulriken waaay off in the distance between the trees to the right.

7-Fjellstur 2023

[pyou]

For the past 3 years I have had a trip in March. Not this year. Feeling quite exhausted and missing this place. . . . #norway #travelling #bergen #norge #ulriken #mountain #holiday #autumn #vacation #memories #nature #hiking #throwback #reisimine #matk #loodus #tiredaf (at Ulriken643)

[funcionoacafe]

Ulriken hike, 2022

[conradscrime]

The Isdal Woman

September 15, 2021

On November 29, 1970, a man and his two daughters were hiking in the foothills of the north face of Ulriken, known as Isdalen (Ice Valley) which was also nicknamed “Death Valley” in Norway. This area was known to have multiple suicides and hiking accidents occur. 

As they were hiking, one of the daughters found the charred body of a woman after smelling something burning. They immediately notified the police. 

When police arrived, they noticed this woman had her hands clenched up by her torso and she had been near a campfire. The front of her body and the clothes she had been wearing were burned quite badly, and she was completely unrecognizable. 

Police also found an empty bottle of St. Hallvard liqueur, two plastic water bottles, a plastic passport container, rubber boots, a woolen jumper, a scarf, nylon stockings, an umbrella, purse, a matchbox, a watch, two earrings, and a ring all near the body. Also around the body were traces of burned paper and underneath the body there was a fur hat which later was found to have traces of petrol. Any identifying labels were removed from everything. 

On December 2, 1970, investigators found two suitcases that belonged to this woman at the Bergen railway station. In the lining of one of the suitcases was five 100 Deutsche Mark notes (which was about $137 in US currency in 1970). They also found clothing, shoes, wigs, makeup, eczema cream, 125 Norwegian kroner, Belgian, British and Swiss coins, maps, timetables, a pair of glasses, sunglasses with partial fingerprints that matched the body, and a note pad. Again, no identifying labels were found on any of the items. 

An autopsy confirmed that the woman had died from a combination of incapacitation by phenobarbital and poisoning by carbon monoxide. Soot was found in her lungs, which confirmed she had been alive as she burned, and her neck was bruised. She had consumed between 50 and 70 Fenemal brand sleeping pills and found next to her body were another 12 pills. During the autopsy, her teeth and jaw were removed because they had unique gold-filling dental work. Tissue samples of her organs were taken. 

The last time the woman was seen alive was on November 23 when she had checked out of room 407 at the Hotel Hordaheimen. The hotel staff said she was good looking, around 5 foot 4 inches tall, with dark brown hair and small brown eyes. They noted she had mostly stayed in her room and seemed to be on guard. When she had checked out she paid in cash and requested a taxi. 

The police discovered that the writings on the notepad had been dates and places that the woman had visited. They discovered that this woman, now gaining the nickname the Isdal Woman, had travelled around Norway and Europe with at least 8 fake passports and aliases. The only details she used in every passport that were the same was she always stated that she was Belgian and the forms were always filled out in either German or French. 

She had also stayed in several different hotels in Bergen and had been known to change rooms after checking in. She would tell the staff that she was a travelling saleswoman and antiquities dealer. Others said they heard her speaking in German, Flemish, broken English and had smelt of garlic. People who saw her said she had been wearing wigs. 

No one has ever come forward and identified this woman and the case was quickly closed. Authorities concluded that she had committed suicide after ingesting sleeping pills.

The Isdal Woman was buried on February 5, 1971, in an unmarked grave in Bergen. 

Many believe that due to the Isdal woman’s multiple identities used, she had been a spy as this was the time of the Cold War. Norway had experienced other strange disappearances in the 1960s that happened near military installations. A fisherman is known to have recognized the woman while looking at military movements in Stavanger. 

The taxi driver that had taken the woman from the hotel to Bergen railway station was never found. In 1991, an anonymous taxi driver said that they had picked up the unknown woman at the hotel and that they were joined by another man before going to the station.

In 2005, a Bergen resident came forward and said after seeing the sketch of the woman he had believed he saw her 5 days before her body was found, when he was hiking. He said she had been dressed lightly for a hike and was walking ahead of two men wearing coats. According to him, the woman looked like she was about to say something to him, but didn’t. He said he told someone from the police but was told to forget about it. 

In 2016, the case was reopened and there was 6 new sketches of the woman which were all shown to people who had seen her. 

In 2017, stable isotope analysis of the Isdal woman’s teeth were taken and confirmed that she had been born in about 1930, plus or minus 4 years and was born in or around Nuremberg, Germany, but had moved to France as a child. 

In 2019, a resident of Forbach, France claims to have had a relationship with the Isdal woman in the summer of 1970. The woman supposedly had a Balkan accent and pretended to be around 26 years old but often dressed younger, and refused to give any personal details. According to this person, the woman would get scheduled phone calls from abroad, and they had once gone through the woman’s things and found various wigs and clothes. The person also had a photograph of the woman riding a horse, but he believed her to be a spy and so was afraid to contact the police. His story and the photograph were published in a news story. 

It’s been over 50 years since the Isdal Woman’s body was found in Norway, and no one has ever come forward to identify her. It’s possible that she did not want to be identified perhaps due to her job or personal reasons. I believe this case will be solved eventually due to new advancements in DNA and genealogy technology.

[dailyunsolvedmysteries]

Isdal Woman

On the afternoon of 29 November 1970, a man and his two young daughters were hiking in the foothills of the north face of Ulriken, in an area known as Isdalen ("Ice Valley"); it was also nicknamed "Death Valley" due to the area's history of suicides in the Middle Ages, and a more recent string of hiking accidents. Noting an unusual burning smell, one of the daughters located the charred body of a woman located among some scree. Surprised and fearful, the group returned to town to notify the police.

Bergen Police responded quickly and launched a full-scale investigation (filed as case name "134/70"). Examining the site, police noted the woman's supine position, her clenched hands up by her torso, and the absence of a nearby campfire. The front of her body and her clothes had been severely burned and she was unrecognisable. Also located or placed near the body, and affected by the fire, were: an empty bottle of St. Hallvard liqueur, two plastic water bottles, a plastic passport container, rubber boots, a woolen jumper, a scarf, nylon stockings, an umbrella, a purse, a matchbox, a watch, two earrings, and a ring. Around the body were traces of burned paper, and beneath it was a fur hat which was later found to have traces of petrol. All identifying marks and labels on these items had been removed or rubbed off.

Three days later, investigators found two suitcases belonging to the woman at Bergen railway station. In the lining of one, police discovered five 100 Deutsche Mark notes (c. US$137 in 1970). Among other items, they found clothing, shoes, wigs, makeup, eczema cream, 135 Norwegian kroner, Belgian, British and Swiss coins, maps, timetables, a pair of glasses (with non-prescription lenses), sunglasses (with partial fingerprints that matched the body), cosmetics, and a notepad. As with the body, any possible identifying information had been removed.

An autopsy at the Gades Institutt concluded the woman had died from a combination of incapacitation by phenobarbital and poisoning by carbon monoxide. Soot was found in her lungs, indicating she was alive as she burned, and her neck was bruised, possibly from a fall or by a blow. Analysis of her blood and stomach showed that she had consumed between 50 and 70 Fenemal brand sleeping pills, and found next to her body were a further 12 sleeping pills. At autopsy, her teeth and jaw were removed due to her unique gold-filling dental work, and tissue samples of her organs were taken.

Police then launched an appeal for information in the Norwegian media regarding the case. The last time she was seen alive was on 23 November when she checked out of Room 407 of the Hotel Hordaheimen. Hotel staff told police that she was good looking and roughly 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) tall, with dark brown hair and small brown eyes. Staff noted that the woman kept mainly to her room and seemed to be on guard. When she checked out, she paid her bill in cash and requested a taxi. Her movements between then and the discovery of her body remain unknown.

Police were able to decode the notepad entries, and determined that they indicated dates and places the woman had visited. As a result, based on handwritten check-in forms, police determined that the Isdal Woman had travelled around Norway (i.e. Oslo, Trondheim, Stavanger) and Europe (Paris) with at least eight fake passports and aliases. While details such as birthdays and occupations changed from one form to another, she consistently gave her nationality as Belgian; the forms were filled out in either German or French.

It was also learnt that the woman had previously stayed at several hotels in Bergen, and was known to change rooms after checking in. She often told hotel staff that she was a travelling saleswoman and antiquities dealer. One witness said that she overheard the woman talking to a man in German in a Bergen hotel. Others who met her mentioned she also spoke Flemish and broken English and smelt of garlic. People who saw or met her also commented that she wore wigs.

Composite sketches, based on witness descriptions and analysis of her body, were then circulated in many countries via Interpol. Despite the significant police resources deployed, the unknown woman was never identified and the case was quickly closed. While authorities concluded that she had committed suicide by ingestion of sleeping pills, others believe that there is evidence that she was murdered.