I Can’t Stop Visiting Norway

Having already visited the territories and islands of Norway, I had yet to spend any significant time on the mainland. During a trip to Lofoten, my flight to Bodø was cancelled due to weather and I was stuck in Oslo. It was January and there was at least a metre of snow on the ground, but I thoroughly enjoyed hiking in the small regional parks. I found birds, deer, and I didn’t have to constantly watch for predators. It’s now a long-term memory for me, that hike.

So, I wanted more! It was around this time that I learned about a man named Jostein Hellavik, and his wife Maj-Lena. They are the owners and operators of Dalen Villmarkssenter - a playground for wildlife enthusiasts. His farm is situated in the centre of various wildlife blinds and photo hides, each perfectly positioned with careful attention to the direction of light and the quality of foreground elements. It’s no wonder that Jostein continues to draw the attention of major television productions over the years.

Jostein was kind enough to accept my request to visit. Once again, I found myself boarding the big blue plane and heading to Europe.

I cannot help but feel childish excitement when I see this plane in Canadian airspace.

Arriving in late May, I was pleased to find that shoulder season in Norway had already passed. Greens were vivid and the landscape was completely alive. I spent a few days taking in the fjords at sunrise, hiking mountains, and enjoying the unique bird calls that I didn’t recognize. Soon, I was adapted to the timezone and ready to pay the man a visit.

Arriving at Dalen Villmarkssenter, Jostein and I quickly became acquainted over a meal as we swapped stories and compared lists of birds that were local to each of our homes. He took care to ask about my goals and what I was hoping to see during my stay. It was clear that his mission was to ensure I was successful and satisfied. That same evening, we hopped in the car and drove all over the area. Jostein knew exactly where to find all sorts of animals, birds, and viewpoints - his expertise was on full display that night. The White-throated dipper - Norway’s National Bird was high on my list, and Jostein took me to a spot where he knew they would be hunting. He had a crystal ball - there were 2 of them hunting right where he said they would be! These dippers lived on the side of a cliff-face bordering a very fast-moving river, complete with small waterfalls and white-water rapids. It was getting dark and I decided that I would return to this spot first thing in the morning.

Before sending me out the next morning, Jostein offered many practical tips to capture the dippers in-flight as they hunted. This was to be challenging, as the gorge was narrow and winding. He explained the bird’s nature and taught me how to understand their behaviour. Jostein said that the dippers would choose a direction; either up, or down the river. Once you knew which direction they were flying, you could face this direction and wait for them. Easy right? First, I had to descend the wet rocks and find a place along the raging river to plant my tripod. Freshly melted snow pack and the recent rains had created a torrential flow that drowned out my own thoughts - it was deafening. I slid down the slope on my backside, grabbing roots and branches along the way. Figuring out how to get back up was a problem for Future Dan!

I hadn’t even unpacked my camera when I saw the first dipper fly by at the speed of sound. They’ll zip along the river to their favourite fishing spot, grab a bite to eat, and run it back to their nest. They do this about 1 metre off the top of the waves and repeat the route every 10-15 minutes. The tight angles of the gorge offer no advanced warning. The deafening sound of the water overwhelm your acuity and senses. It really was going to be something of finesse, luck, and sheer will to get this shot.

And so, I found myself waiting at the river’s edge, perched on a rock, hunched under a camouflage tarp that Jostein had loaned me. As I stared intently through my viewfinder, keeping my camera from going into standby, the odd rogue wave would splash over my cover. Everything Jostein had instructed me to do began to fall into place as the little dipper began to make grub runs before my eyes. I was delighted.

After spending a significant amount of time with the dippers as the light allowed, I decided to check out the other locations Jostein had shown me. Ravnejuve (Raven’s Gorge) is an overlook of Tokkeåi that boasts a 350m drop. I regret not flying my drone that day, but the rain was present enough that I decided it was too risky. Still, the overlook speaks for itself. I will never forget Jostein leaning half his body over the edge and clapping his hands, hoping to summon a hawk that sometimes perches in the area.

Later on, I decided to visit the swans that were on Jostein’s tip list. This part of the story is less of a fond memory, but the photo at the end is so worth it!

The swans were nesting in a wetland, or perhaps a bog. I could see their position from the road and I judged the distance to be 300m of grassy fields. Wrong - it was all bog. I had all my waterproofs with me and while I started out carefully choosing my steps, I quickly started making mistakes and going knee-deep in nature’s traps. There were even mice swimming between the reeds! Finally, I made it to a small piece of solid land that was a safe viewing distance from the swans. A bit out of breath from post-holing across the field, I setup my tripod. I looked back down at my camera bag, which was now crawling with possibly 100 ants. It seems, the small piece of land was not only an oasis for me, but this ant colony, as well. “Forget it”, I said out loud, I’m going hand-held. I quickly snapped a few photos as the light peeked through the clouds and one of the swans began cleaning its wings. It was really special.

Looking down at my camera screen to review the photos, my peripheral vision noticed the water pooling around my knees where I was crouched. It seems I was on a floating bog that was now a sinking bog. Photoshoot over. I made it back to my car in one piece, wet and muddy, but happy that I had seen the swans in pretty decent light between rain showers.

It was around this time that my health took a turn for the worse. To that point, I had been feeling strong, my usual self, as I chased 4am sunrises and covered the distance each day. I headed back to Jostein’s and got some rest in my cabin.

The next day, I felt like I’d been pulled right out of that bog - truly awful. I told Jostein that I’d be staying away from him. Whatever this bog-plague was, it shouldn’t be spread. I had plenty of sandwich supplies and I still wanted to check out more of the hot spots Jostein had shown me. I found some great photos and took many naps.

Sadly, I continued to experience a full-blown head cold. I told Jostein that I had decided it would be best for me to leave. I couldn’t run the risk of bringing whatever illness into their home and to be honest, I just needed to rest. Many of my trips to this point had been flat-out, sunrise to sunset, cold winds, zodiacs, elevation gain - you name it. I had 6 days left before I flew home, so I booked an Airbnb at a nearby town. Using an entire box of facial tissue on the drive over, I arrived at Lake Lodge Telemark. This was to be my haven, my fortress of rest and rejuvenation. But that’s a story for another post!

In the days that followed, I sat in this cozy cabin, editing photos of dippers, swans, you name it. Thank you, Jostein, for a short, but rewarding adventure with you in Telemark.