Alta

16 – 26 December 2021

As 2021 drew to a close, sadly so too did my time living in Telemark. Having missed the 2020 holiday season due to Covid lockdowns and travel restrictions, it was once again time to find a destination to meet up with my mum. With Norway only recently reopening to British travellers, the choice of destination was quickly narrowed down to somewhere domestic. Picking winter destinations in the far north can be tricky, but we elected to split the holiday period between Sunnmøre and Finnmark. Ålesund would be the starting point, before heading north into the polar night for Christmas proper in Alta. Both areas had risks for a winter trip. By splitting time, we hoped to spread those risks.

Living in small-town Norway: Bø i Telemark in different seasons

16 – 20 December 2021

In the weeks prior to departure, Covid cases were spiking throughout Norway. By this point in the pandemic, there was no lockdown, but there were still heavy restrictions. In addition to the typical winter slowdown, bars were closed and restaurants limited.

Our time in Alesund was characterised by near-continuous torrential rain. I had some exciting winter-hiking options outlined near Barstadvik. On the ‘best’ day we did take the bus across the fjord, but the weather was still far from inviting. I hiked Storevatnet. The snowline was at about 350m and heavy cloud was clinging to the peaks. It was a nice walk, but I did not get much in the way of views. Otherwise, the time was largely spent indoors, with the rare break in the rain used to walk Aksla, the iconic Ålesund viewpoint.

With the dreary weather and nearly everything closed, it felt a very claustrophobic few days. I would have to try again in the fjords.

20- 26 December 2021

We landed in Alta about noon. Despite being mid-morning, we watched the sun set as we flew north. When booking, I was unsure of how I would feel about the Polar Night: would it be at all viable to get out and about? My concerns were quickly alleviated though. There was about four hours of civil twilight as the sun passed just below the horizon. I wouldn’t be able to pack a full day in the mountains, as I am used to. But I could have a relaxed, cozy holiday with a short but very rewarding midday walk.

I had two nice hills to walk: Komsa and Skoddevarre Nord. At an easy 213m and 434m, neither would have occupied me for long in normal conditions. Given the very brief hours of usable light and the bitterly cold temperatures, however, they were perfect. I tried to play with my starting times to catch the best views with different lighting conditions.

Views from Komsa

I seem to have made a new friend

views from Skoddevarre Nord

Sink the Tirpitz!

A shadow of the displays further south that night

Alta was an excellent end to my time living in Norway. I would have liked to have seen a better display of the Northern Lights, but I was at least able to see them.

• Polar Night is an absolute delight: Christmas in the far north just feels right.
• Winter in the fjords was likely not the best choice: a particularly wet season in a perpetually wet region. They are also sufficiently southern and coastal to lack the full ‘wintery’ feel of other options.
• A surprising amount of local hiking was possible in Alta. Norwegian towns always have at least one local hill, and they get enough traffic to prevent constantly having to break trail.

The urban walks can be seen with Komsa route map and Skoddevarre Nord route map.