The weather forecast for the Easter holidays was brilliant around Oslo - but not so much for the rest of Norway. That's why we decided to stay in Oslo and do skiing and climbing day-trips to the nearby mountains.
We picked the most sunny Thursday ever (at least it felt like it) to do a ski tour up Gaustatoppen, with 1883 m the highest mountain in the region Telemark. Wikipedia says that "the view from the summit is impressive, as one can see an area of approximately 60.000 km², one sixth of Norway's mainland". The view was indeed impressive, but cold blowing wind made it difficult to enjoy it for very long. Instead we made use of the heated hut at the top that served hot coffee and waffles (very Norwegian!) to warm up before skiing downhill.
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After a very smooth downhill run, we got back to famous Rjukan, to check if there are any ice-falls left for a potential ice-climbing trip the next day. Between September and March, Rjukan lies in the shadow of the steep mountains around and does not get any sunlight, which makes it a prime-destination for ice climbers. Well, obviously, the warm winter caused the ice to melt very early this year. On the southern slopes there was not a single ice crystal left, and also the northern slopes were pretty much ice-free. So instead of ice, we enjoyed the "double-sun" that is shining on the town square due to three large mirrors that were placed on the mountainside to reflect the sun in the dark winter months.
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