
Best of Norway

Looking back towards the ferry landing we just hiked up from, along the Besseggen Ridge Trail in Jotunheimen Nasjonalpark

Nick beholding the vast, rugged Norwegian landscape along the Besseggen Ridge Trail in Jotunheimen Nasjonalpark

Fjords and mountains, as far as the eye can see, along the Besseggen Ridge Trail

A sunburst breaks through the clouds of the impending snowstorm while hiking along the Besseggen Ridge Trail in Jotunheimen Nasjonalpark

A view from the bottom of the valley Visdalen at Spiterstulen in Lom, located within Jotunheimen Nasjonalpark

A view of mountain streams meandering down into Visdalen valley within Jotunheimen Nasjonalpark

A panoramic view of Visdalen valley in Jotunheimen Nasjonalpark, captured at the start of the day-long hike to the summit of Galdhøpiggen

Nick pauses to enjoy the cool mountain air. Photos struggle to capture the sheer scale of the landscape, but you can see tiny silhouettes of hikers further down the trail.

A panorama shows clouds appearing to fly low over a massive valley filled with snow and ice

A panorama facing the other direction shows a long line of hikers from another route making their final ascent up Galdhøpiggen

James and Nick pause to rehydrate during the hike to the summit of Galdhøpiggen

James sits to take photos from the summit of Galdhøpiggen, while Nick towers over the entirety of Northern Europe (2,469m / 8,100 ft)

James, Nick, and Rob posing at the summit of Galdhøpiggen ("peak of the steep and rounded mountain")

View from the summit of Galdhøpiggen, Norway. At 8,100' (2,469m) tall, Galdhøpiggen is the highest mountain in Scandinavia and all of Northern Europe.

"So Much High!" A local school band plays traditional Norwegian marches at the summit of Galdhøpiggen. They hiked up a different route while carrying their instruments, trying to set a Guinness World Record.

An icy lake nestled in the mountains along the steep descent into Geirangerfjord

A view looking down into Geirangerfjord within Møre og Romsdal county in northwestern Norway

Large buildings in the port of Geirangerfjord are dwarfed by a giant cruise ship, itself dwarfed by a massive mountain towering behind

Water falls many hundreds of meters down into Geirangerfjord

Sharp turns of a mountain road, with homes built confidently on the steep slope, a common sight amongts Norway's many fjords

Sun rays burst through the mist to create a rainbow lens flare in Geirangerfjord

A breathtaking sunset at a small campground near Geirangerfjord

Nick attempts to use lip balm on his extremely chapped and burnt lips

Rob steadies his camera to photograph musk oxen in Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella Nasjonalpark

Nick and James pause to admire the distant peaks and warm sunbeams breaking through the cloud cover in Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella Nasjonalpark

The summer sun melts snow in Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella Nasjonalpark, causing mountain streams to grow

Heddal Stave Church, the largest stave church in Norway, was built in the 13th century in modern day Notodden

Heddal Stave Church, the largest stave church in Norway, was built in the 13th century in modern day Notodden

A canoe awaits its next voyage at Heddalsvatnet in Notodden

Early morning reflections on Heddalsvatnet in Notodden

Sailboats docked near the picturesque buildings at the water's edge in Bergen

Sailboats docked near the picturesque buildings at the water's edge in Bergen

James captures a mountain scene from the car on the road to Senja

A winding road leads to mountains shrouded in mist on the road to Segla on the island of Senja

The road to Segla passes by massive peaks shrouded in mist

Bob poses in full Nordic safari regalia on a hike in Senja

Nick and Rob take in the view from the summit of Segla

A Norwegian flag flies at the summit of Segla, an iconic mountain on the island of Senja

Golden light reflects off the water in Senja on the road to Skrolsvik

Old German artillery from a WWII battery in Skrolsvik

Bob poses next to old German artillery from a WWII battery

Rusting German artillery protrude from old bunkers that now blend into the landscape in Skrolsvik

A road passes by an entrance to a bunker at an old German WWII battery in Skrolsvik

Rob and Nick gaze down from a beached landing craft while Paula looks on from a distance

Rob and Nick pose on a beached ship in Skrolsvik

Paula captures some Norwegian wildflowers in full bloom in Skrolsvik

Tall mountains visible from a dock near the ferry to get to the Lofoten archipelago

Nick walks out to the shoreline on a secluded beach along the road west to the tip of Lofoten

A mountain with multiple peaks is visible on the road west to the tip of the Lofoten archipelago

The road continues west out to the tip of Lofoten and to Reine, our destination

A fishing boat is docked near a raised bridge with jagged peaks visible behind

Drying racks for cod fish stand empty near several rorbuer in Reine

James is dwarfed by massive rock formations as he photographs the scene

Nick, James, Rob, Paula, and Bob pose near the water in Reine, Lofoten

Two people use a small yellow motorboat to travel between islands in Reine, Lofoten

A massive peak looms over bright red boats docked in the town of Reine, Lofoten

Massive jagged peaks are visible behind Eliassen Rorbuer, which served as our lodging while visiting Reine, Lofoten

A majestic scene with the jagged peaks of Lofoten towering over the fishing village

Cod fish drying on racks by the thousand in Lofoten

Golden light illuminating a patch of purple wildflowers in Lofoten

James surveying the scene of Reine and the surrounding area in Lofoten

Looking down on Reine in Lofoten from the top of a nearby mountain

Looking down on Reine in Lofoten from the top of a nearby mountain

Preparing to descend the jagged peaks of Lofoten
