Øyuvsvatnet: Paddling over the mountains

The streets are mostly empty in the middle of southern Norway. Here are straight roads like the American ones, they lead through vast landscapes without any trace of human beings. A few sheeps are all life you will see the most of the day, a few sheeps and hills after hills after hills. This land called Frafjoheiane, that means something like “from the Fjord heathens” and it looks like some landscapes far away over the ocean in Canada or in the Rocky Mountains of the US of A.

Øyuvsvatnet - a wonder made out of water

But it is still Norway, a small model of northern America. Just 130 miles away from the shore of the Atlantic Ocean and the vibrant city life of Stavanger lies this quiet and peaceful landscape full of lakes, mountains and stunning views. It’s a paradise for trekkers and dreamers, a place where you find yourself and you can find some strange surprises too.

Sheeps are our only companions

The only thing you need to do is to open up your eyes and to get ready to have a stop when you think it could be time for feeling the fresh breeze who is blowing from the ocean straight into this unknown land.

Two boats for lending

It’s easy to make the right choice because every choice is worth the break. We stopped at Øyuvsvatnet, only because we’ve seen a parking lot right before bunch of trekking paths. Well done! Øyuvsvatnet, part of Telemark County, seems like a another hill 500 or 600 meters high at the first sight. But if you take your feet to climb the gently rising hill you will be amazed: Into the quaint area who smells of heather and troll stories mother nature has dug a giant lake with clear water, big enough to make you think you’re looking into the blinking eyes of the hills.

Overview

And they have another wonder right here. DNT, the Norwegian Trekking Organisation, operates a “sors hytter” on a small beach two kilometers away from the highway. The house is old, it’s dusty, but the people there are very kind: After we have seen that there are two small canoes on the beach we asked them – and they they lent us both.

The hytter

Strange feeling to paddle on a lake nearly 800 meters high in the sky! The wind is blowing hard against us, the waves strikes high on the planks of the boats. The blue sky let us think we’re thousand miles further south but if you keep your foot in the water the winter is coming asap. Five degrees! We’re paddling on the top of a mountain, 15 kilometers away from the next village and 100 from the next town.

Troll mountains

A little bit bizarre, but even more bizarre is the hike after the boats tour. We walk around th Øysteinsfjellet, the highest mountain in reach. Everything around looks like the play ground of trolls: Stones like formidable cubes are everywhere, some of them are higher than two man. There is no explanation for how they could have gotten into this complete empty area. The only one who you can ask is the next sheep. But it also has no answer indeed.