Nordmark : The relief zone for Oslo folk

Nordmarka is the forest region to the North of Oslo

One of the perks of living in Oslo is it's proximity to nature. The Norwegians are in general an outdoor crowd.  When I moved to Oslo, it came as a surprise to see some one jogging on the street in the middle of the night - Not anymore! A simple glance at the map of the woods, starting from the North of Oslo, provides a rough estimate of the surplus in hiking paths and lakes. Officially the summer of 2013 is my first summer in Oslo.

View from Mellomkollen top

When it comes to hiking, there is always something that can excite me. It does not have to be a new route every time. For instance, Mellomkollen [537 m] is my favorite peak and the highest in the region, there are two major paths leading to the top. The view from the top cannot be matched by anything in the surroundings, one can look all the way down to the Oslo city and the sea.  And I have been up that place several times. Once I even took my bike and biked all the way down to the city center. The area is full of blue berries during the season.

Fagervann

There are quite a few lakes in the region too. One of them is Øyungen, it is a common outdoor excursion for a lot of people on sunny weekends to barbecue here. The lake is quite big and one can even swim there when the water is warm. But if one really wants to avoid any signs of civilization, there are other less popular lakes but small ones. Fagervann has less popularity than Øyungen and it is perfect for an afternoon barbecue session.

The paths also vary quite a bit in the woods. Some paths are well prepared gravel roads that can also be used for biking. And some are well shaped by the flux of the hikers they experience. There are some less trodden paths, where following the signs becomes a must in case losing the way is not a priority.

In general the woods provided me several opportunities to experiment with photography and improve my skills. I made a few time lapse movies in Nordmarka. One of them can be viewed here. It is best if viewed in HD. The idea of time lapse is to capture and exaggerate slow movements that naked eye fails to appreciate.

A moody Oslo sky from Vettakollen

Another favorite spot of mine is the top of Vettakollen, this peak is actually just next to Oslo. So one can take a metro to the Vettakollen station and start walking up to the peak for about 2.5 KM. It has the best panoramic view one can get from an easily accessible peak around Oslo. During summer evenings, it is a very nice spot to be to catch the setting sun. One can reach the top in about 45 minutes from downtown Oslo. The view from up there can be seen in the image. But the timelapse of moon rise as shot from the top,  is something that I like showing off. Nordmarka is one of the reasons that one may fall in love with this city, there are more reasons but they will be covered in a story about Oslo.

View of Oslo city and fjord from the top of Vettakollen