The unforgettable off-grid summer holiday of Louise and her family in Norway and Sweden
Published: December 06, 2022
Onboard their brand-new Hero Camper, Louise and her family managed to improvise a trip through the wilderness of the Norwegian mountains – filled with hiking and great nature experiences for the whole family.
“Our plan was – there is no plan”.
Explains 41-year-old Louise Sevelsted from Roskilde, Denmark about the summer holiday in Norway and Sweden, which she – along with her husband Frederik and their two boys, Betram (aged 12) and Oskar (aged 8) – took in their brand-new Hero Camper in the summer of 2022.
However, they had agreed on two things. The journey was to start in the adventurous Lofoten in Northern Norway and continue the journey as long, as it made sense. When they could not be bothered to continue anymore, they were to return home.
The first leg of the holiday was about 1,700 km from Oslo to Lofoten. On their first night up north, the family spent the night on a campsite south of Trondheim, where the plan started getting of track.
”We are not at all campsite campers with a preference for fenced and designated pitches. We love outdoor living, preferably just us in the wilderness, but we ended up at a campsite anyway, as we could not find anything else near Trondheim”, says Lene Sevelsted.
At the campsite, the family learned that the Norwegian weather in July 2022 was not at all typical summer weather.
Subsequently, after a very cold and wet night, where both Oskar and Betram had a very cold sleep on top of the Hero Camper, and, with a five-day weather forecast pointing towards more rain and dropping temperatures, the family decided to scrap reaching Lofoten and changed course towards the mountains with a warmer climate.
”We had a bit of a crisis on this first night. After all, we had been talking about and planning our summer vacation for quite some time, and we had to swallow the bitter pill that we would not make it to Lofoten. But fortunately, we were able to change our plan, as this is possible with the Hero Camper, and so we did something else instead”, says Lene Sevelsted, who is Sports Teacher at Roskilde 10th grade Center.
The Hero Camper offered the freedom to go anywhere. No restrictions. Every day offered a new adventure, amazing sceneries, and family-friendly hikes that neither parents nor children will ever forget.
They used the Park4night-app along with their experiences from previous trips to both Norway and Sweden to find off-grid campsites in the wild, where the family could park the Hero Camper, set up the hammock and find peace.
Below we have listed some of the best sites found by the family during their first summer holiday in the Hero Camper.
Dovre Nationalpark
Louise, Frederik, Oskar and Betram are all very excited about the national parks of Norway, and the Hero Camper makes it possible to stay in most amazing and remote places. First stop on the journey was Drove National Park. Near Dovrefjeld you may – if you are lucky – spot musk oxen. There is a nice observation “shed” with a fireplace and a fantastic spotting point for the musk oxen. They found a lovely place to stay overnight in Dovre along the small winding trail off the main road. Not far away there was a small stream, which is being used as a local fishing spot.
Jotunheimen
Next stop: Jotunheimen with all the beautiful mountain peaks. The family parked the Hero Camper and spent the night with a view towards Knutshø. From here it is possible to hike to Knutshø crossing streams and up steep cliffs.
“The cool thing about such a trip in nature is the creation of friction spending time outside, which we do not make in our everyday life, where everything is in order. Out here, we have to struggle ‘getting lost’ and learn a lesson from getting our feet wet. This adds to the skill set of our children, which we find especially important”, says Louise Sevelsted.
Bitihorn
The next campsite was at an altitude of 1,600 meters at the bottom of the unique mountain, Bitihorn. The view of this photos speaks for itself. A hike to the top turned out to be quite demanding, but with breaks and chocolate, everyone managed fine. After a well-deserved night’s sleep, the family awoke early to a visit from a local sheep, who came quite close sniffing to the Hero Camper. – “This is a baaaaaaaaa…dass Hero Camper!”, the Norwegian sheep baaed.
Hemsedal
After some hard days in the wilderness, Oskar and Betram needed indoor accommodation. Thus, the family drove towards Hemsedal, where they stayed in a small apartment for a week. The cabin served as base for countless fantastic hikes, whilst the family got warm again. In Hemsedal, among other things, 20 iconic mountain peaks with marked routes have been listed and divided into different degrees of difficulty. So, whether you are an adult, a child, skilled or un-skilled hiker, it offers something for everybody.
Skogshorn
Hemsedal offers a variety of activities with lots of opportunities for physical activity. At the lake, Vannin, at the bottom of Skogshorn, you can rent a canoe. The family packed tent, sleeping bags and went out on the lake to spend the night on a small and ‘deserted’ island in the middle of the lake – Robison Crusoe style. They sat up hammocks, and – against all outdoor principles – they fired up the pizza oven they brought along from home.
Skogshorn Mountain
After having spent a week in Hemsedal, it was time to move on. They have heard about a small remote waterfall on the way up to mountain Ranastøngji. The family parked the Hero Camper at the end of a gravel road approx. 100 meters from the waterfall. Not another living soul was present but the four of them, and the family had both the spot and the cascading of the waterfall to themselves – apart from a few curious cows and sheep. In the background is the iconic Skogshorn mountain.
Waterfall by Ranastøngji
”The water is freezing cold, but really beautiful and very refreshing. Winter swimmer or not – you just have to dive in. Since the water is in constant motion, you can easily drink it as well. The beautiful waterfall was undoubtedly the highlight of the trip”, says Lene Sevelsted.
Oslo Fjord Jeløya
Before returning home to Denmark, they family had an overnight stay in the Hero Camper along the Oslo Fjord. The family used the Park4night app and found an island in Oslo Fjord, Jeløya, where they experienced an amazing sunset, perfect view of the Oslo ferry passing by and great fishing opportunities.
Immeln and Filkesjön
Four days into their return to Denmark, Oskar and Bertram wanted to visit their grandparents for a few days, which granted Louise and Frederik the opportunity to spend the last days of their holiday in the Hero Camper in Southern Sweden at Immeln and Filkesjön, where it is possible to find a camping spot near the lakes with campfires and endless possibilities for water activities. In the summer it can be a bit crowded to find a spot. Alternatively, the area is incredibly beautiful in the autumn. And this is where the Hero Camper makes so much sense – even with the risk of being all muddy.
See Map of Campsites
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