From king crab to killer whale safaris, Gwladys Fouché finds a wealth of icy adventures in Norway’s frozen north
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The chill waters of the fjord ripple as a dinghy rushes past. On board, a dozen passengers dressed in red protection suits and Russian-style woolly hats admire the breathtaking landscape surrounding them, with hills that are still covered in springtime snow. This is nothing out of the ordinary here in Finnmark, Norway’s most northerly region, situated about 500km north of the Polar Circle.
This remote part of the world is also a popular lookout and fishing spot for monsters: king crabs. Imported from the Russian Far East by Stalin and his successors since the 1930s, these huge animals – some can measure 1.5m from claw to claw – have crawled their way in their millions along the northern Norwegian coast, where they can be fished and eaten by travellers on safari.
Guides on the boat also act as divers who plunge into the fjord’s icy depths in search of these enormous crabs with elongated, spider-like legs that thrash in the air. Remember to keep your fingers away from their claws, they look like they could snap your wrists in a second.
Back on land, the freshly-caught animals are boiled in huge vats of water and served with bread and mayonnaise. The evening is finished off with a cool beer by the shore, where the loudest noise is the sound of the water clapping.
King crab safaris are not the only adventure you can enjoy in northern Norway, a region that, thanks to its fjords, mountains and Arctic landscape, is a paradise for nature lovers.
Still in Finnmark, but further inland near the town of Karasjok, visitors can try their hand at becoming dog sledders, or ‘mushers’, riding on the tundra-covered Finnmark plateau learning to control a pack of excited dogs.
Just beginning a ride takes skill: you must hold the sled firmly with one hand, as the huskies will be pulling like hell, while untying the sled from its tree with the other. You must then become a human caramel, fluid and flexible enough to absorb every bump on the trail. Oh, and when you’re done for the day, you’ll need to tie the sled to a tree – otherwise the dogs will run off into the horizon with it.
If the sky is clear, chances are that the majestic northern lights, which look like shimmering curtains, will hang above you. At these latitudes, the polar night lasts for two months, from late November to late January.
After an expedition, mushers can head back to camp to enjoy the local cuisine, which can be summed up in one word: reindeer. Reindeer stew, reindeer steaks, reindeer cutlets – if you’re a vegetarian or have cosy childhood memories of Rudolph, be warned.
Herding reindeer has been the traditional way of life for the Sami people, an indigenous nation that has been living across northern Scandinavia and Russia for generations.
A unique opportunity to find out more about this way of life is to take part in some reindeer herding near the town of Kautokeino, 130km south-west of Karasjok. Riding on snow scooters, you will help herd the flocks, which at this time of year are wandering on the Finnmark plateau, eating the lichen under the snow. Like mushing, it’s a remarkable way to discover the Arctic landscape of northern Norway. At night you’ll be able to stay in a Sami tepee, or lavvu, the traditional dwelling when following the reindeer herds. No prizes for guessing what’s on the dinner menu.
At the end of winter, the reindeer are gathered together at a spot called Aidejavre, where they are sorted according to owners and sold on. It’s an awesome sight, with up to 2,000 reindeer coming each day. It’s also an essential ritual of traditional Sami life. Families gather together and teach their children how to do the tasks involved – something that travellers can also take part in.
Those who like their adventures to be more leisurely can travel south-west of Finnmark to the awe-inspiring Lofoten Islands and take part in a killer whale safari. Orcas have been spotted in this region since the early 1980s, when large herds of herring – the killer whale’s food of choice – began to migrate north. Hundreds of these can be spotted here every year, between October and December.
A hearty fish soup and a shot of whisky will keep you warm while you scan the waters in search of a group – or pod – of killer whales. These animals can be an amazing sight, bobbing up and down in the waves and exhaling sprays of water.
If you don’t see any orcas, which unfortunately can happen, you’ll still have the Lofoten Islands to comfort you. With their dramatic cliffs plunging into the sea, they are one of the most beautiful spots in Norway – a fact UNESCO recognised when it declared them a World Heritage site a few years back.
Getting around
Northern Norway by road
Those with a real spirit of adventure and time to spare can hire a car and drive north from Oslo along E6, the main north-south road in Norway. It runs from the southern tip of Sweden into Norway through almost all of the country north to Finnmark. But do check for weather conditions before setting out as during winter months some sections of the road do close.
Lofoten islands by train
For trips to the Lofoten Islands you can take a train with the Norwegian State Railway from Oslo to Fauske and from there, there is a bus connection to the islands. Visit nsb.no for more information
Alternatively go to www.visitnorway.com for more information on travel within Norway
Norvège nature
Paysages de fjords, de montagnes et d’étendues sauvages de l’Arctique, la Norvège est un paradis pour les amoureux de la nature.
Dans le Finnmark, à 500km au nord du Cercle Polaire, vous pouvez pêcher d’immenses ‘king crabs’; certains peuvent mesurer jusqu’à un mètre cinquante de pince à pince. Avec leurs pattes allongées, comme celles des araignées, on a l’impression qu’ils pourraient vous briser le poignet en un rien de temps. Ils sont particulièrement savoureux avec du pain, de la mayonnaise et une bière fraîche.
Un peu plus loin vers l’intérieur, près de la ville de Karasjok, découvrez le plaisir de conduire vous-même votre propre attelage de traîneau à chiens. Démarrer la balade requiert quelques compétences: vous devez tenir l’attelage d’une main tout en le détachant de l’autre, ensuite agrippez-le fermement, courez et montez lorsqu’il se met à glisser. A partir de là, vous devez vous transformer en corps mou, suffisamment souple et flexible pour absorber tous les chocs.
Après votre expédition, revenez au camp et savourez la spécialité locale: le renne. L’élevage des rennes fait partie du mode de vie traditionnel des Sami, qui vivent dans la partie nord de la Scandinavie depuis des générations.
Si vous cherchez une façon originale de découvrir les paysages arctiques du nord de la Norvège, enfourchez une mini moto des neiges. La nuit, vous pourrez loger dans un lavvu, un tipi Sami.
Ceux qui veulent donner à leurs aventures un côté plus paisible, peuvent participer à un safari-découverte des orques, dans le sud du Finnmark, dans les magnifiques Iles Lofoten. Si par malchance ils n’apparaissent pas ce jour-là, vous pouvez toujours vous rabattre sur la beauté des îles Lofoten, patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO.
Natuurlijk Noorwegen
Met zijn fjorden, bergen en arctische landschap is Noorwegen een paradijs voor liefhebbers van het ruige buitenleven.
In Finnmark, 500 km ten noorden van de poolcirkel, kan je vissen op koningskrab, waarvan sommige exemplaren 1,5 meter van klauw tot klauw meten. Met hun lange spinachtige poten zien ze eruit alsof ze zo je arm kunnen breken. Koningskrab smaakt heerlijk met brood, mayonaise en een fris biertje.
Meer landinwaarts, in de buurt van Karasjok, kun je proberen een hondenslee te mennen. Alleen al het starten is een kunst: je moet de slee vasthouden terwijl je hem losmaakt van de boom, hem dan met twee handen vastgrijpen, lopen en erop springen. Daarna komt het vooral op lenigheid aan om alle oneffenheden op te vangen.
Na de tocht geniet je in het kamp van de plaatselijke specialiteit: rendier. Het hoeden van rendieren is de traditionele activiteit van de Saami-bevolking, die al generaties lang in Noord-Scandinavië woont.
Een rit op de sneeuwscooter is een bijzondere manier om het witte landschap van het Hoge Noorden te ontdekken. Overnachten kan in een lavvu, een typische Saami-tent.
Zin in rustiger avonturen? Overweeg dan een orkasafari op de Lofoten-eilanden ten zuidwesten van Finnmark. Ook als de orka’s zich niet laten zien zijn de prachtige eilanden, deel van het UNESCO-werelderfgoed, meer dan de moeite waard.
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