We had to adjust our plans due to the limitations of the public transportation network. On Sundays your options become rather limited so we decided to tackle what we had been thinking of as a local city walk though it isn’t actually in the city proper but above it.
We left the hotel just before 10:00 and walked through town (with a peek into a shop or two) before winding our way up 50 steps and a steep ascending road to the entrance to the city park. That bit of steepness is a prelude to the climb to come: 418 concrete and stone carved steps. I’d not be surprised to learn the steps ascend close to 100 meters over certainly less than 400 meters of travel. It’s a workout. As we climbed,it sprinkled ever so gently. Just enough to notice. But the climbing is worth the effort for the views you have.
Once we arrived at the top we began the walk along a paved path that wound its way through forested hillside that would feature an occasional opening in the trees for more fine views. Over the next 3.5km we followed this cement-like path gradually descending and enjoy a break now and then on a bench to just rest our feet and absorb the scene. People come up here to get a workout, to use an outdoor gym, to gaze at the views, or even to fly drones. Everyone is on foot. This is not, it seems, a bike path. That makes me happy. As we walked and the morning changed to afternoon the clouds moved away and the temperature steadily rose. In direct sunshine I would not be surprised to learn it was edging into the upper 60s and even touching 70. In the shade I am sure it was registering the recorded temperatures we noted on our phones of around 64 F. Wonderful.
Eventually we would leave the woodland path for the sidewalks of a suburb and find our way to the Sunnmøre museum. This is a cultural museum, like the Norsk Folkemuseum in Oslo, but we felt no real desire to explore the grounds after walking about 7km and climbing 169 meters and descending as much. We actually ended up doing this walk faster than the notes suggested (they give times for walking without breaks). We took a lot of leisurely breaks to extend our time outside which made this walk a bit better. It’s not a bad walk but it probably won’t live in our memories too long either.
Photos
This cannon faces north about 62 meters above sea level. It’s probably a good 500 meters to the shoreline which seems like a fair bit of distance to me but I know nothing about artillery. For those wondering there is a metal rail fence here to ensure you don’t do something dangerously stupid. I thought it would be an interesting exorcize to remove it and present a view that the gunner would have seen.
—June 18, 2023 at 10:18 AM.
At this point we might be a bit over halfway up the 418 steps. This viewpoint is about 82 meters above sea level. It provides another fine view of the waters to the south of Alesund (I think). What is most notable here is the cruise ship. It really looks like a floating building but I doubt a typical building is home to as many people as a large (and this isn’t the biggest we have seen) cruise ship can hold.
—June 18, 2023 at 10:23 AM.
At this point I am sure there are fewer than 80 steps to climb. Mom is approaching the 117 meters above sealevel point where I am standing. The majority of the steps are concrete (cement?) and probably the standard height. Now and then stone-carved steps must be dealt with and they tend to have slightly greater rises. You get frequent breaks, which I expect are gently climbing, between sets of steps. It’s a workout and I am glad we were climbing not descending which might make me feel more nervous.
—June 18, 2023 at 10:31 AM.
At the top, well at the end of the steps. I suppose the highpoint is on top of the building to my right. The road jsut beyond is also a bit higher but this is the top for practical purposes about 140 meters (454 feet) above sealevel. We made the ascent in probably about 20 minutes. We were hardly the only ones climbing. However, once we got to the top the crowds thinned out and I wonder where they all went since they clearly were not following us along the paved path. We would soon take to the edge of the park at Fagerlia.
—June 18, 2023 at 10:39 AM.
Not long after we started along the forested path we found these wooden sculptures off to our right. I am not at all sure what they are supposed to be: creatures. Anyone know? Photo by Jonathan
—June 18, 2023 at 10:51 AM.
We followed a forested paved path to the end of the park for, I think, about 3.5km. There were a couple places we had to follow a road but they were short. While on the forest path we would now and then, as we gradually descended, pass through an open space in the trees. Here is one such example. Photo by Jonathan
—June 18, 2023 at 10:56 AM.
After leaving the forested path for the last time our last several hundred meters were on wide sidewalks and over a major highway to reach the Sunnmøre Museum. We saw this mirror-smooth body of water creating some fine reflections just before reaching the museum building. We didn’t explore the grounds. By this point we had walk about 7km on hard durable surfaces which is tiring on the feet. We were ready for the walk to be done. Photo by Judy
—June 18, 2023 at 1:08 PM.
—June 18, 2023 at 3:30 PM.
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