Friluftsliv
"Open air life." The value of spending time outdoors for physical and spiritual well being.
Long before Henrik Ibsen coined the term in the 1850s, friluftsliv was a way of life in Norway, and time spent outdoors is still second nature to modern Norwegians. Telemark’s variety of topography is particularly inviting, no matter the season. Although Norwegians are said to be born with skis on, Sondre Norheim found particular inspiration in the steep hillsides of Morgedal Valley and is credited as the father of modern skiing. Whether heading to the summer farm (seter), hiking the slopes of Mount Gausta, fishing, enjoying an open-air museum, relaxing with a waterfall view, or trying to spot a herd of wild reindeer as they migrate across Hardangervidda the philosophy of friluftsliv pervades. Telemark offers incredibly breathtaking nature to connect with.
Hardangervidda
Hardangervidda is the largest plateau of its kind in Europe. It has a cold year-
round alpine climate and is home to one of Norway’s largest glaciers,
Hardangerjøkulen. It is located in south central Norway and covers parts of
Vestland, Telemark, and Buskerud counties. It covers an area of about 2,500 square
miles with an average elevation of 3,600 feet. The highest point is Sandfloegga,
which reaches a height of 5,646 feet. The prominent peak of Hårteigen (5,545 ft.) is
visible across much of the plateau.
All of the Hardangervidda landscape is above the tree line, leaving it a barren, treeless
moorland with numerous pools, lakes, rivers, and streams. There are significant
differences between the west side and the east side. The west side is considerably
wetter and dominated by rocky terrain and expanses of bare rock. The east side is
much flatter and more heavily vegetated.
Hardangervidda’s wild reindeer herds are among the largest in the world. They
migrate across the plateau during the year, moving from their winter grazing lands
on the east side to their breeding grounds on the more fertile west side.
The Hardangervidda has been occupied for thousands of years. Several hundred
nomadic Stone Age settlements have been found in the area, most likely related to
the migration of the reindeer.
Much of the plateau became protected in 1981 when 1,321 square miles was
designated as Hardangervidda National Park. It is Norway’s largest national park
and has two visitor centers: the Hardangervidda Natursenter (Nature Center)
in Eidfjord, and the Hardangervidda Nasjonalparksenter (National Park Center)
in Tinn at Skinnarbu, near Lake Møsvatnet, the town Rjukan, and the mountain
village of Rauland.
The Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT) maintains a comprehensive
network of huts and paths across the plateau. As such, it is a popular tourist and
leisure destination for hiking, climbing, and fishing. In the winter, it is used a lot for
cross-country skiing from hut to hut.
Ciclosporin, an immunosuppressant drug widely used in organ transplants to
prevent rejection was initially isolated from the fungus Tolypocladium
inflatum (Beauveria nivea), found in a soil sample obtained in 1969 from
Hardangervidda.
Snowshoe Thompson, Viking of the Sierra
Ski-shaped snowshoes were as common as ordinary shoes during John Torsteinson Rue’s childhood in Tinn, Telemark. Nearly twenty years later, half a world away in Placerville, California, John Thompson would use his childhood ski experience to craft 10-foot-long, 25-pound oak skis to attempt his first mail run over the Sierra Mountains to Mormon Station (now Genoa, Nevada). Where traditional woven snowshoes had failed, Thompson succeeded. His five-day winter mail runs would become legendary.
Carrying more than mail, he was the only link between California and the Atlantic states during the winters from 1856 to 1876. With no compass or weapon, he fearlessly flew down the mountainside with a mail sack that often weighed 100 pounds. As the stories of his daring high-speed routes spread through the region, others began making skis and racing down hills. His rescues of prospectors and trappers on the back of his skis added to his legend.
Thompson and his wife raised their son on their cattle ranch, where they also farmed. He was never paid for his risky part-time mail delivery route, which he performed faithfully every winter until he died at 49.
More about Snowshoe Thompson
Sondre Norheim, Father of Modern Skiing
One of the many Norwegians who immigrated to the United States during the end of the 19th century was legendary skier and innovator Sondre Norheim of Morgedal, Telemark. Sondre is recognized worldwide as the "Father of Modern Skiing." This poor cotter from Telemark played a crucial role in transforming skiing from a means of transportation into a source of enjoyment and a popular sport. Sondre introduced the Telemark style and the slalom using a new type of skis and bindings. Ski historians credit Sondre and the rich ski environment of his home village, Morgedal, with a significant impact on the development of alpine skiing worldwide.
In 1884, Sondre, his wife Rannei, and their three children left the mountains of Telemark for the rolling hills of Minnesota and North Dakota. Few who knew Sondre in America knew of his fame and critical contributions to Norway's national sport. He lived an anonymous life as a hardscrabble farmer on the Dakota prairies and died in 1897. Norheim was not forgotten in Norway - when word of his death reached his home in Morgedal, a skiing competition was held in his memory.
More about Sondre Norheim and Telemark Skiing
A history of skiing from Telemark Talk
A history of skiing from Life in Norway
Telemark Skiing History from Absolute Telemark