Traveling with the Jones

Sailing by Torghatten Mountain; later on shore we climbed through the “hole in the mountain.”

We sailed by Torghatten Mountain, known for a distinctive hole straight through its center. Seeing it from the distance was intimidating, as we had signed up for the ship’s Torghatten Mountain Hiking tour that mentioned that we would be hiking into and through this hole.

Once in port, we boarded a bus, and toured through the small town of Brønnøysund, with its brightly colored houses. As we drove to Torghatten, we passed green fields filled with grazing dairy cattle.

At the mountain, our tour guide estimated 20 minutes of hiking. Our group took longer than the 20 minutes but enjoyed the amazing views along the climbing path. (The tour was rated 3-man but should probably be a 4-man; regardless we loved it!)

After reaching the “hole”, you could actually climb down through it and hike over to the other side, which provided a “window” on the valley below and the waters that we had sailed. Everyone took turns taking photos standing at the edge.

As we were returning down the mountain, the sunshine suddenly turned to light rain which subsided by the time we got back to Brønnøysund. We left the tour at the downtown drop-off, and walked about 2 miles back to the port.

Swimming the Arctic Circle

Back on ship, we sailed over the Arctic Circle about 11 pm. 91 crazy cruise passengers jumped into the swimming pool during this crossing, earning ourselves “Successfully Swam the Arctic Circle“ certificates.

At 7 am the ship anchored in Hellesylt for shore excursion guests to disembark. About 8 am, the Prinsendam continued to sail into the spectacular narrow and winding Geirangerfjord. (Those who we talked to on these excursions thoroughly enjoyed them.) Around 10 am, we arrived at Geiranger, the village at the head of the fjord, and anchored with a short tender ride to the shore.

At the pier, our first stop was the tourist office. This town only has 150 permanent residents but is well-developed for summer tourists. We considered various hikes and the Sky to Fjord Downhill Bike Tour (25 euros ), but settled on a local bus  from Geiranger to Mt. Dalsnibba. The bus departed at 12:15 pm, giving us time to walk to the Norwegian Fjord Center and step inside the scenic Geiranger church.

The bus trip cost 160 NOK and departing close to the pier, across the street from the large troll. Our bus slowly drove up the winding road, from sea level to Mt. Dalsnibba, 5000 feet above sea level and the highest point in the region. We found the scenic ride breathtaking (the road is narrow and it appears there is no way for the bus to make the turns while staying on the road). At the top, the driver stops for 15 to 20 minutes for everyone to take photos. From the outlook, Geiranger and the fjord look tiny.

Back onboard, we were treated to one more trip sailing through the Geirangerfjord, passing the Seven Sisters and various other scenic waterfalls and a few remaining step farms.