Viking Magazine - June 2013 - 15

But for all beginners, of any age or
fitness level, DNT's emphasis is still
on making it easy to get out and see
Norway up close and on foot. Trails
are graded to show their difficulty: one
hiking boot for easy trails, five boots
for the most difficult. DNT offers
classes on how to pack a backpack,
use a compass, map and GPS device,
and follow outdoor safety rules. In
Oslo, Bergen and about 30 other cities,
Habberstad says, there are DNT offices
and consultants to help people plan
trips that fit their interests and abilities.
Her advice for those who are
unsure of their stamina or skills isn't
necessarily to join a group tour. Some
group hikes are on challenging terrain
and require six or more hours of
walking a day.
Rev. Keith
Homstad
stops to rest
along the
pilgrim trail
that leads to
Trondheim's
Nidaros
Cathedral.
" I recommend people start at a staffed
cabin and take [short] day trips from
there and back to the cabin again, "
Habberstad says. Many of the staffed
locations are in national parks. Quite a
few are so easy to get to that it's possible
to drive right up to the door. And all of
them have experienced outdoors people
available to give tips to novice hikers.
In the spirit of an organization that
has tried to make the great outdoors
great for everyone, Habberstad says,
" You can get very good advice for
finding a trip that suits your condition
and what you want to experience. "
N
orway's trekking association, DNT, " has got resources that are fabulous, " Keith Homstad
says. But the semi-retired Lutheran pastor from Northfield, Minn., has relied on
other help to prepare for his hiking trips.
" My friend and I were blessed by the pastor and off we went. "
A member of Sons of Norway's Nordmarka Lodge 1-585, Homstad has devoted five
of his trips to Norway over the years to hikes on the country's pilegrimsleder, or pilgrim
trails. Trondheim and its cathedral were a major destination for medieval Europe's
religious pilgrims, who came to show penance and seek healing at Saint Olav's tomb. In
fact, pilgrims' offerings helped build the cathedral and the city over hundreds of years.
Pilgrim trails run through several parts of the country, including urban stretches
in Oslo and Trondheim. Some trails became modern paved roads. Others are part of
DNT's trail network today. With help in recent years from the bishop in Trondheim, the
trails, the pilgrim hostels along the way, and the cathedral's ministry to pilgrims have
all been revitalized.
Homstad says that with two pairs of good shoes (in case one gets wet) and a pair of
Both the Norwegian Trekking Association
and Norway's National Pilgrim Center
have excellent websites in English, with details
on routes, lodging and special events.
➜ Norwegian Trekking Association:
english.turistforeningen.no/
➜ National Pilgrim Center:
pilegrim.info/en/
walking sticks for spots where there's loose gravel on a slope, he's found the walking to
be easy, even though " I'm no hiker. "
" If you go on a pilgrimage, of course, there are actually two journeys involved. One
is an interior journey, and one is one foot in front of the other, " he says. But the two are
intertwined. We come from a culture that tends to think of prayer as words, Homstad
says, but " you can let your feet do the praying. "
When the forest provides a " tunnel of solitude, " it's possible to feel far removed from
the world. Homstad says don't worry, you're not.
On one trip, over the Dovre mountains, the weather turned nasty and a member of his
group took a fall. No injury, but their guide didn't want to take any chances-so he called
a cab to take them to the next town. " We were a 15-minute walk from the highway, and
sure enough, there was the taxi. "
sonsofnorway.com VIKING JUNE 2013 15
PHOTOGRAPHY BY (LEFT) © CULTURA CREATIVE / ALAMY

http://english.turistforeningen.no/ http://www.pilegrim.info/en/ http://www.sonsofnorway.com

Viking Magazine - June 2013

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