During our time in Norway, I’ve already scaled mountains in more ways than I anticipated I would. I have hiked (well, almost to the top). I have driven up on roads both public and restricted. Had I the stamina (and the necessary hardware) to bike up a mountain, I certainly would have tried that, too. And one would be forgiven for thinking I had exhausted my options by that point. But one would be wrong.
Dedicated readers may recall our discovery of the Loen Skylift on our journey back from Sognefjellet with Arnor and Kari, and the reluctance of my traveling companions to surrender to adventure at the time. But lo, I am nothing if not persuasive when the occasion calls for it, and with the sky offering another flawless opportunity for sightseeing, my parents submitted to my will, and we were off for a return visit to Loen and an audience with the Skylift.
Road trips throughout my youth were rarely very fun for me; I never understood the appeal. The destination for the trip was usually somewhere exciting, but the journey in between was inescapably dull, involving a never-ending slideshow of flat terrain, disheveled buildings, and people living in ways I couldn’t understand. If it was raining on top of that, it was torture. (Sincerest apologies to my fellow Midwesterners; I know there are some of you out there who enjoy those trips and that flat expanse, and I envy your ability to find joy in unlikely places.) But road trips here are different: the journey is half the day’s entertainment. The sights en route to nearly any destination make the act of getting there feel like its own reward, and today’s trip was no exception. While we have seen the entire road we traveled today once before with Arnor and Kari, it was nevertheless exciting to take in the scenery. (Also, last time, we came to this stretch of highway having already witnessed seven hours of scenic vistas, so our ability to process the sights were considerably diminished at the time.)
Having braved the two-hour trek to reach Loen, it was time to summon the courage to board the Skylift. While the ascent appears foreboding at first glance, the ride itself actually feels remarkably safe as you’re climbing. The aerial tramway (the official term) is fairly new, its construction completed in 2017, and the interiors of the cars are very similar to a typical metro train (think seats, poles, and ceiling-mounted handholds). It takes a staggeringly short five minutes–and it felt more like two–to reach the peak of the mountain, Mount Hoven, where passengers can then enjoy a viewing platform, a gift shop, and the Hoven Restaurant that features panoramic views of the fjords below. And in today’s episode, we shamelessly embraced the roles of unadulterated tourists and partook in all three. (Shrug emoji.)
While I was unable to convince my parents to join me in sampling some smoked reindeer salad, our meal at Hoven Restaurant was nonetheless enjoyable. Of course, when one dines in an establishment 3,300 feet above sea level with floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides, even a serving of gamalost might be–might be–satisfying; the food was certainly not the star attraction in this instance.
We purchased round-trip tickets on the Skylift, but many other travelers had more adventurous ideas. Mount Hoven is a popular destination for hang gliders, paragliders, and base jumpers–the latter two of which we witnessed today taking an even faster descent than we eventually did. As a popular landing zone for many of these daredevils, even the parking lot for the Skylift is full of entertainment.
Our bellies full and lust for adrenaline satiated, we pointed our trusty rental car back towards Sogndal. (It is difficult to overstate what a windfall our decision to acquire a vehicle has been.) As previously mentioned, it is an impossible feat, at least as a visitor, to travel any significant distance across the countryside without stopping for pictures, so one more photo op over Fjærlandsfjorden sealed another day of outdoor adventure in Norway. Road trips back home are going to be so boring.
Where the Waterfalls Mean Home 