Bespoke hiking

After all this hiking all over the world, I did not expect that the home stretch would present me with a trail that seems to have been built just for me.  

Dig if you will the picture:  an obstacle course for grown-ups, and if you complete all the obstacles, your prize is: a glacier!  That's what the hike to Buarbreen Glacier, in Folgefanna National Park, felt like to me.

Let's survey our slate of challenges!

There's the part where the trail crosses a river:

And then a bigger river....:

And then the part where the trail just is the river:

There's the chained section:

And the ropes and ladders course:

And whatever this half-assed eagle scout project is: 

There's this bridge over raging water held together by a single thin, frayed rope: 

And some extended scrambling:

And also a couple of legit bouldering problems:

And then, at the top:  wowza!  Blue ice!  

I love this hike so much.  I was laughing pretty much the whole couple miles of ascent, and then the whole time back down again.  I have done many, many longer hikes and harder hikes and more dangerous hikes in my time, but I don't think I've ever had as much pure fun on a hike.  Thanks, Norway, for designing a trail with me in mind!