Step by step from Oslo to Trondheim

Av Thoralf Gamlem

Soft cover 15x23cm, 258 pages

B⁄W Illustrated.

ISBN: 978–0–615–27806–3

AllawayBooks 2009

Bestilles fra Pilotprosjektet:

E–post: knut@pilegrim.info

Tel: +47 909 76 389

Thoralf Gamlem walked the Pilgrim Trail from Oslo to Nidaros together with four friends in 2008. This is his personal account with practical advices.

See also: Pilegrim til Nidaros. Searching for St Olav in Norway Mike Smiths pilgrimage from Oslo to Nidaros June to August 2003. 63 pages.

This book is a chronicle of one man's month–long journey along one og the world's most beautiful and undiscovered pilgrim trails. It also includes a guide to be used for preparation by anyone thinking about a similar undertaking. On a trail through the amazing landscape of Norway, I was struck not only by the natural beauty of Norway, but also by the open and welcoming nature of its people. The clean, well maintained homes and farms seem to reflect the good qualities for which Norwegian are known. Stories I'd heard of these honest, hard working, inventive people, living in their often difficult northern setting, were affirmed in the nature and attitude of the people I met during this 466 mile adventure. The spiritual and religious history of the pilgrims who have travelled these paths for various reasons during the past millennium was all around me as I travelled. I felt a strong ancestral tie to both the people and the place. Learning to open my mind and absorb this history while hiking was one of the best lessons of my life.

This book is based on a trip that four friends and I took to Norway starting in July, 2008. These friends are members of The Cascadians outdoor club based in Yakima Washington. We all do many outdoor activities in our wonderful home area, but when I talked about my potential plans during our local hikes, my companions started expressing interest in the undertaking. By the time I had done enough research to know a little more about the Norwegian Pilgrim Trail and its possibilities, four of my hiking companions decided they would like to go along. They obviously trusted me more than they probably should have, considering the rigors we encountered.

Despite the difficulties, or perhaps because of them, we all learned and profited from the experience. It was an amazing feeling to find ourselves relating our daily experiences to those of Norwegian Pilgrims and other travelers who had used those same paths over the ages. It is my hope that I can encourage others to undertake at least part, if not all of this same adventure.

This book is intended to both entertain and inform. This is not a typical guide book, however. Guide books containing mapping and accommodation information, such as the one we had on our trek, which was published in 2005, are often outdated and misleading because of changes that naturally occur in the system over time.

In this the Age of Internet, the best source for specific mapping and accommodation information is the excellent website set up by the Pilgrim Trail Project office in Trondheim, Norway. This website www.pilegrim.info, provides up–to–date specifics on trail conditions, maps, accommodations and other subjects that will help visitors enjoy and appreciate their pilgrim journey.

My purpose in this book is to provide a personal account, in story form, of what I encountered on the Pilgrim Trail plus some advice for anyone thinking about a similar undertaking. If my experience can help others as they plan their own Pilgrim adventure, then I am content, for it is an adventure not to be taken lightly. The pilgrims of old were tough for a reason. The trail is still a demanding one, and potential Pilgrims need to prepare both physically and psychologically to get the most from their experience.

I hope the story of our journey, with all its trials, tribulations and amusing anecdotes will encourage others to try at least a portion of the trail if not the whole distance as we did.

The fact that we were all retired surely made a difference in our ability to devote the time required, but the experience of living in a very different culture for an extended period is quite unique and one that should be shared with all who are interested.

About this book  III

Introduction of the Adventurers  VI

Our first days in Oslo  1

Starting from Oslo  24

From Hamar  65

From Ringebu  97

From Oppdal  143

Arrival in Trondheim  180

On the way back to Oslo  205

Author's Afterword  218

Background of Pilgrimage in Norway  223

Map of Trail System  228

Some facts about Norway  229

Preparing for the Pilgrim Trail  233

Physical conditioning  238

Equipment  239

Appendix 1 – Route by County  254

Appendix 2 – References  257

Our next day was very pleasant. We didn't start from the camping area until 9 a.m., quite late for us, and much of the day was spent hiking on pleasant country roads. There were several unusual sights along the way, including a self service wood lot which depended on the honor system – an unlocked deposit box for payment. In the middle of the day we were met by a resident named Ivar Nordrum, a self appointed Pilgrim greeter.

Ivar was 82, and lived in a house near the road that ran adjacent to the trail. He was just coming out for his morning paper when we were passing by. We had a pleasant half–hour visit on his patio learning about his life, the buildings he had collected on his property, and his involvement with the Fåvang Rotary Club which keeps this section of the Pilgrim trail well–marked and well–maintained. He served us apple juice and delicious heather–honey bread his wife had made, which really hit the spot for a mid–morning snack. The places he had lived during his life as an officer in the Norwegian navy were especially interesting, particularly the time he spent working on projects in Alberta, Canada.

Ivar also told us of his strong interest in Norwegian history, demonstrated by his larger than life statue of a Viking on his property. He also showed us an ancient grain storage– type building that he purchased and has converted into his personal chapel. We were given a tour of the chapel building, which is filled with many interesting artifacts from Ivar's world travels. Many of these artifacts relate in some way to the Pilgrim history of Norway and St. Olav.

Ivar also called a fellow Rotarian in Hundorp at the Dale Gudbrands Hotel to arrange our lodging for the next night. Our destination for tonight was in Ringebu. After we left Ivar's house, we walked another five kilometers into the town of Favang. Coming out of a market where we had stopped for food, we ran into Ivar talking with friends. We said hello again, and people continued to stop by to talk to him. He seemed to know everyone in town. Crossing over the Rolla River on an ancient bridge, we passed burial mounds, medieval farms, and moose and mammoth hunting grounds from the past. There are many ancient hunting blinds and pit traps scattered along the trail. Most of these date back to the Bronze and Iron ages.

Much of the trail in this area originated as a cart track called the Kongsveien which was developed mostly for royalty. Near the end of 26 kilometers we came to a high pass that we needed to cross, but we were all feeling relaxed enough that the effort, though strenuous, was worth the view from higher up. Ringebu Church, one of a few remaining stave churches, was an impressive sight in the afternoon sun. It is the only stave church currently on the Pilgrim Trail. The church has been rebuilt several times over the years, but records first mention it in 1360. Archeological investigations at the times of rebuilding have unearthed the largest collection of ancient coins in Norway dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. They were thought to have been donated by Pilgrims travelling through the area.

The church was located on a hill above the town as many of Norway's churches are. As Pilgrims, we were given a free tour of the church, and then afterward crossed the road to our lodging at Gildesvollen.

The name Gildesvollen has a rather long history as a meeting hall for builders who were active in the area in the 13th and 14th centuries. Church builders in Norway were very specialized craftsmen who traveled the country, spending many months or years on their building projects throughout Norway.

The current Gildesvollen offers a very pleasant small house for Pilgrims, which is nicely appointed and comfortable. It is now owned by a couple who both do wood carving and also keep bees and make and sell honey. The husband does the more detailed carving, but his wife also makes and repairs birch root baskets (an ancient Viking technique). They had an impressive shop containing items they had collected, as well as creations that were for sale. We were initially very tempted to pick out some beautiful keepsakes until we remembered all our possessions were on our backs.