Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the line, you'll find Svartisbåten boats ( & 75-16-23-79 ) crossing the lake and
coming within 2.5km (1 1 2 miles) of the Østerdal arm of the glacier. From the
disembarkation point, it's still a rigorous 3km (2-mile) hike up to Austerdals-
vatnet lake and the glacier.
If you happen to be in superb physical shape, and if you thrive on high-alti-
tude adventures with just a whiff of primordial danger, there's a local tour oper-
ator that might appeal to your cravings: Rana Special Sports, Ltd. ( & 75-12-
70-88; www.rss.no). Its guides can take you on a full-day climbing excursion on
the glacier, with all the equipment included (including pitons and special ice
cleats for your hiking boots) for 600NOK ($85) per person. We advocate this
only for climbers who thrive on rough adventures in the savage outdoors.
The glacier is part of the Saltfjellet-Svartisen Nasjonalpark , stretch-
ing over a landmass of 2,015 sq. km (1,307 sq. miles). The park takes in the ice
field of Svartisen, along with various moorlands that reach as far east as the
Swedish border.
Information about hiking trails in the park can be obtained from the tourist
office in Mo i Rana (p. 396). The trails can be approached from Route 77,
which heads east off the E6 to the Swedish frontier.
Norway's best-known “show cave,” Gronligrøtta ( & 75-13-25-86 ) lies in
the hamlet of Grønli, 26km (16 miles) northwest of Mo. The only cave with
electric lights in Scandinavia, it'll illuminate your way as you take the half-hour
tour into the cave, which has an underground river. As a curiosity you can see a
mammoth granite block ripped off by a glacier and dumped into the cave by the
sheer force of the onrushing waters. Visits cost 85NOK ($12) for adults,
40NOK ($5.70) for children under 16. The cave can be toured hourly and daily
from mid-June to mid-August from 10am to 7pm.
EN ROUTE TO BODØ
North of Mo i Rana (80km/50 miles) toward the Arctic Circle, you'll come to
the Polarsirkelsenteret, on E6. It offers a multiscreen show depicting the high-
lights of Norway. Many people send cards and letters from here with a special
postmark from the Arctic Circle. There's also a cafeteria and gift shop on the
grounds. The center is at N-8242 Polarsirkelen ( & 75-12-96-96 ). It's open in
May and June daily from 9am to 6pm; July to September daily 8am to 10pm.
Admission is 50NOK ($7.10).
Continue north to Fauske, and then follow Route 80 west along the Skjer-
stadfjord. Depending on weather conditions, you should reach Bodø in under
an hour.
WHERE TO STAY
Comfort Hotel Ole Tobias Built in 1993, this is the smallest and the
coziest hotel in town. The hotel was named after Ole Tobias (1827-1912), a
local priest, inventor, and visionary whose well-publicized treks (on foot)
between Trondheim and Bodø led to the construction of a railway for the trans-
port of fish from the Arctic waters of the north to canning factories and con-
sumers of the south. Reproductions of many of Ole Tobias's photographs hang,
framed, throughout the hotel. If you come here, expect an aura that's akin to a
well-mannered but extroverted private club. Its social headquarters lie within the
hotel basement, site of a cozy bar and restaurant. Here, you'll find a wide-screen
TV, a light evening buffet (available nightly 6-10pm) that's included in the price
of a room, and a willingness on the part of many of the clients to dialogue over
drinks. The bedroom decor includes a use of deep-toned “farmer romantic”
Finds
Search WWH ::




Custom Search