As I mentioned earlier, the main reason for my trip was to join the Flash Pack adventure to Norway. I have been on group trips with friends, but this was my first time joining a group tour on my own. I am not gonna lie, I was nervous. What if I didn't get along with the others? How would I cope for 4 days?
The reviews of the Flash Pack trips were so positive and so many people stated they loved their group and everyone got along great. I decided no matter what, the activities would made the trip a dream. Hopefully the people were great, but I would have fun no matter what.
After my Vidden Trail hike, I was able to meet a few of the group and enjoy drinks and dinner with them. Most of us there early were Americans, but we also met my British roommate. Over one drink, I knew this was going to be a fun group and my fears were gone (well I was still scared about my roommate snoring, but thankfully she didn't). We bonded over drinks and seafood. Everyone was so happy to be in Norway and excited for the adventure to come.
Flash Pack Day 1
The next day I was able to meet the whole group. We all met before dinner for a meeting to discuss the agenda. Our guide described the adventures to come and excitement in the group grew. We grabbed a drink out on the harbor and got to know each other. It was a group of Americans, Brits, Germans, and a Scottish girl. There were 3 guys and 13 girls. Following drinks, we decided to start the trip correctly by enjoying Norwegian classics. Given I am not a huge seafood fan, I decided to try reindeer. It was delicious. The company was great too. It was a great start to the group tour.
Also fun fact, bring a professional photographer on the trip with you. Thanks to Sylvia Stojilkovic (@sylvska and @flashpack) for the amazing pictures. Her pictures are called out below. If not stated, the pictures are mine.
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| The early arrival crew |
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| Getting to know each other drinks (Photo Courtesy of Sylvia) |
Flash Pack Day 2
This morning started super early so we could get on the road. Sadly the hotel wasn't serving breakfast yet, but our amazing guide found us some sandwiches to enjoy. The worst part of the whole trip was the bus ride. Our driver liked to speed, fly around corners, and slam on the brakes. So sadly, I felt sick most of the time in the bus. I learned to just close my eyes and rest when needed and enjoyed the views as often as I could. Stop 1 was to view a stunning waterfall. Rumor has it if you touch the water, you will remain young forever so you better believe I touched it.
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| The stunning views from the bus |
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| Photo Courtesy of Sylvia |
Then it was off to our RIB boat ride through the fjord. If you have never been on a boat ride through a fjord, go do it. The views were stunning, the weather was perfect, and our guides provided good information. There were waterfalls everywhere. We even went by the town that supposedly inspired Disney's Arendelle from Frozen. Once off the boats, we hiked up a hillside (not a short hike in 80 degree weather) to a goat farm. We enjoyed a nice sandwich lunch while learning how a goat farm functions in Norway. It is amazing how these small towns on the fjords operate. We also relived the Three Billy Goats Gruff story and learned more about trolls.
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| Lunch at the goat farm (Photo courtesy of Sylvia) |
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| Billy Goats Gruff (video courtesy of one of my group mates) |
Our final stop of the day was to see our guide's favorite spot in the area. It was a stunning view looking over the valley. The day ended with a great dinner at our super cute hotel. Given the sun sets sooooooo late, we were able to enjoy some drinks and snacks outside looking over the fjord. It doesn't get much better than that.
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| Photo courtesy of Sylvia |
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| Hanging out at the hotel after dinner (Photo from someone in the group) |
Flash Pack Day 3
The second full day was the day I was so excited about. It was time to go walk on the glacier. This area was stunning. The water was a brilliant turquoise. Sadly the glacier is melting quickly and was hidden in the hillside, but it was still stunning. We got suited up with our ice axes and crampons and hiked about a mile to the glacier. Our pictures cannot come close to describing the beauty of this area. Once near the glacier, we split the group into two and tied ourselves together. This is for safety in case someone slips although it definitely made moving harder. You have to be aware of the location of the person in front and behind you to ensure the rope isn't too tight or too slack. Walking on ice is strange. Your mind tells you that you need to be careful because ice is slippery, but the crampons are great at grabbing the ice. You just needed to be careful how you step too to ensure the crampons grab the ice and you don't hit your own legs (walk like a cowboy). I had a wonderful time looking at the nooks and crannies in the ice. We had a few stumbles with the group but we made it and had so much fun. There is no better way to enjoy lunch than sitting on a glacier looking out over beautiful water. Well I did have some Nutella so I guess that is how it gets better. For dinner, we had the choice of going into the closest town or just enjoying dinner at the hotel again. Most of us decided to stay at the hotel and relax. The food was wonderful again and it allowed us to rest and hang out.
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| Ready to go! |
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| My amazing group! (Photo courtesy of Erin) |
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| Group photo courtesy of Sylvia |
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| Hiking to the glacier |
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| When a professional photographer is on your trip, it isn't a bad thing to be near them for awesome pics. Photo courtesy of Sylvia. |
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| Thanks Sylvia for catching my shear joy of being on the glacier |
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| Climbing the glacier. Photo courtesy of Sylvia. |
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| Photo courtesy of Sylvia |
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| Photo courtesy of Sylvia |
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| Group shot courtesy of Sylvia |
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| Lunch on the glacier |
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| View of the entire glacier from a distance |
Flash Pack Day 4
This was our last full day of fun. The hotel was located right on the water so getting to our kayaking spot only required a 3 minute walk. I have been kayaking often in the DC area but usually in really cheap kayaks. These double kayaks were incredible. I had foot pedals to control the rudder to turn the boat, but I was horrible at keeping the kayak straight. I am meant to stick to my cheap kayaks where I turn using the paddle. My roommate had sprained her wrist the day before so I did the majority of the paddling, which was actually enjoyable. We had about 3 hours on the water to enjoy the view, learn about the area, and even stop for a sip of coffee and chocolate. The views on the kayak were once again stunning. We all had fun paddling and laughing. And thankfully no one fell in, although some feared it would happen. Only two of us were brave enough (or stupid enough) to jump in the fjord once we were finished. Of course I was one of those people and I loved it. I also cannot state how impressed I was with the guides at each event and our overall guide. They are all so passionate about teaching us about their country, the history and geology, and are wonderful at answering questions.
(All photos of kayaking were taken by others in the group. I left my phone at the hotel)
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| Photo courtesy of Sylvia |
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| I had to jump in. I promise I got in further than my knees. |
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| What a view (and a great crew). Photo courtesy of Sylvia |
The rest of the afternoon was spent traveling through incredible scenery to Voss, where we spent the night at Fleischer's Hotel. We got to take a ferry for a short trip across the fjord. We passed through the snowy mountain area. Even though I didn't feel great when we were in the bus, I couldn't look away. You must visit Norway and get outside of the cities. The views are never-ending and it is so hard to wipe the smile off of your face.
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| Just outside our hotel |
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| View from the hotel |
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| Photo courtesy of Sylvia |
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Ferry views
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| Group photo courtesy of Sylvia |
We spent the last night exploring Voss. This is a cute town right on the water. Sadly most places were closed by the time we arrived in town, but we were able to find a fun Mexican restaurant and enjoy our last dinner together. I found it incredible how quickly a group of 16 strangers bonded and became friends. We still keep in touch following each other's travel plans. I know the group of Americans are trying to plan a trip with each other next year (no offense to the rest of the group...you are all welcome to join if you want to travel to the center of the US). I gained a group of friends in basically 3 days. I can't wait to try another trip and bond with other people looking for adventure.
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| Beautiful views in Voss |
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| I really wanted to try a photo and these ladies were happy to help. Unsure whose phone we used but I love it |
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| The girls photo turned out so well that we brought the whole group back. Photo courtesy of Sylvia. |
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| Celebration drinks on the last night. I miss everyone! |
Flash Pack Day 5
The last day just consisted of driving to the airport to drop a few of us off and dropping the rest back in Bergen. I was one that was dropped off at the airport to continue traveling on my own to Oslo.
It was such an amazing trip. I am so glad I decided to enjoy Norway with a wonderful group of people. I highly recommend going to Norway, trying a Flash Pack trip, and being willing to try new things by traveling solo. Also if you want to see more of my photos from my Norway/Sweden trip, check out my Flickr album at https://www.flickr.com/gp/72047417@N02/82f1s8
