I hiked and bikepacked Norway for many weeks summers of 2018 and 2022.
Norway IS expen$ive. The best way to lower your holiday costs is to sleep FREE in your tent.
A longstanding law called allemannsretten (loosely translated as ‘the right to roam’) allows everyone to wild camp virtually anywhere in open country, for free.
Langøyene island, a 15-minute ferry ride away from Oslo, has grassy glades to pitch up in, right next to the fjord. Sognsvann lake, north of Oslo, is another good spot. …
However — it’s a small percentage of Norway that is both flat enough and dry enough to pitch a tent. I was happy I carried a foam sleeping pad as well as my air mattress. I put it UNDER the tent to keep everything a little drier.
If you can’t find a good free spot, it’s easy to locate one of the 1,000 or so paid campsites.
Protection from the wind is another problem. I did hear of wind breaking tent poles. It’s often gusty.
A hiker had recommended this free spot in Sommarøy. Ideal. Wooden tent pad with protection from the ocean wind.
I like having a picnic table to organize gear and sit down for meals.
This was the closest free site I could find near Svolvær. No picnic table.
Here are a few more typical sites.
Last night tenting, I found my MSR Hubba™ NX Easton Syclone tentpole had broken … somehow. It’s the most unreliable part of MSR tents, along with their lightweight zippers.
My favourite campsite was Uttakleiv Beach, Lofoten. But this cost $20 / night. It’s the trailhead for the Veggen and the more popular Mannen climbs.
British Columbia is a fantastic hiking destination. BUT campgrounds and some of the best hiking areas require difficult-to-aquirepermits — most famously, the West Coast Trail.
Juan de Fuca Trail in Juan de Fuca Marine Provincial Park near Port Renfrew (requires backcountry permits)
Wild Side Trail on Flores Island near Tofino (requires a water taxi to reach the trailhead)
Forbidden Plateau Core, Bedwell Lakes, Elk River Trail, and Arnica Lake in Strathcona Provincial Park (All require backcountry permits except Arnica Lake.)
Nootka Trail on Nootka Island near Gold River (requires a water taxi to reach the trailhead)
North Coast Trail, Cape Scott Trail, and San Josef Bay in Cape Scott Provincial Park near Port Hardy (requires backcountry permits, North Coast Trail requires a water taxi to reach the trailhead)
Raft Cove in Raft Cove Provincial Park near Port Hardy (requires backcountry permits)
Carmanah Valley in Carmanah-Walbran Provincial Park (requires backcountry permits)
Interior and Eastern B.C.
Trophy Meadows in Wells Gray Provincial Park near Clearwater (requires backcountry permits)
Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park near Keremeos (requires backcountry permits)
Okanagan High Rim Trail near Vernon and Kelowna
Spectrum Lake in Monashee Provincial Park near Cherryville (requires backcountry permits)
Gwillim Lakes in Valhalla Provincial Park near Slocan
Kaslo Lake in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park near Nelson (requires backcountry permits)
Earl Gray Pass in Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park near Kaslo
South Chilcotin Mountains Provincial Park near Lillooet
Northern B.C.
Hunlen Falls in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park near Bella Coola (requires backcountry permits)
Monkman Memorial Trail in Monkman Provincial Park near Tumbler Ridge
Wokkpash Valley and McDonald Creek in Stone Mountain Provincial Park near Fort Nelson
Mount Edziza in Mount Edziza Provincial Park near Dease Lake
Backcountry permits are not reservations. And they don’t sell out.
655 metres elevation gain on switchback trails — easy in the summer, but potential slippery and dangerous with snow and ice.
Once you reach the Sulphur Mountain Gondola top station, the best is yet to come. A network of trails along the ridge, and viewing decks at the gondola station, provide stunning views of Banff, the Bow Valley, and 360-degree views in every direction.
The highest point is the historic Cosmic Ray Station.
On return to the bottom, consider the short walk over to Banff Upper Hot Springs. Let’s call it recovery.
Click PLAY or see the Gondola and the Above Banff interpretive centre on YouTube.
besthike.com 