Ditch the Itinerary? Exploring Norway’s Philosophy of På Loffen in the Sunnmøre Alps

After a cowboy breakfast, we set our sights on the hills surrounding our hut. We forded streams, slid down more sections of spring snow, stopped for a snack, and enjoyed the views. Below us, we could see the Hjørundfjorden winding inland, creating a maritime highway that settlers used centuries ago. We wondered how daunting it must have been to discover these endless fjords before they were mapped, when with every peninsula portaged, a new fjord unveiled itself.

Inspired by these notions of exploration of old, we charted a course towards the fjord. We had more of Sunnmøre to explore. The next feature of the landscape which caught our eye was Egilbu, a rock shelter perched 3,000 feet atop the fjord’s ridgeline; we had a hunch it would be a perfect setting for dinner.

We filled our backpacks with the essentials for a traditional Norwegian Taco Friday (believe it or not, tacos are very popular in Norway) and started to climb up the ridge. Sunnmøre is infamous for its steep climbs—these ridges rise to dramatic heights straight from sea level and will keep your heart pumping. After zig-zagging through the spruce forest up to tree line, the never-ending views of Sunnmøre revealed themselves, as did the ridge we were meant to traverse.

Source: https://fieldmag.herokuapp.com/articles/amundsen-pa-loffen-sunnmore-alps-hiking