Norway is know as a wilderness country because of its dramatic landscapes and an unique wildlife. Some remote places are still untouched and I could imagine that Europe used to look a lot like this national park thousand of years ago. I wanted to immerse myself into the past so I decided to meet the primeval beast, survivor from the ice age, living on the high plateau of Dovrefjell - Sunndalsfjella National Park, the Musk Ox.
Really excited to arrive at the national park, I started by doing some research on the Musk Ox, before climbing up in the mountains. They are arctic hoofed mammals more closely related to sheep and goats than to oxen. I also found out that they used to live in Europe 2000 years ago and that they were reintroduced in Scandinavia a few decades ago.
But let's talk about measurements, Norwegian adult Musk Oxen can grow up from a meter to a meter and half high, hoof to shoulder and mesure up to two meters and a half large with a weight range from a hundred eighty to four hundred kilograms. They might look clumsy but it's just an impression, they are incredibly fast and can reach you with 60km/h!
In order to meet them for sure and safely, I decided to book a safari with a guide. The best way to get some advice is to meet a professional. I chose the Moskussafari which starts from Furuhaugli Tursithytter and it looks good.
The safari group meets up at 9am, as it appears I'm the only one, so it's going to be more like a personal tour. I feel so lucky. The guide is here, we meet each other and sit around a table. Marcel, the guide, is a young man passionated about nature. Like me he is a wildlife photographer too as well. Before we leave, he tells me more about the Musk oxen and their lifestyle, he gives me advice about the way one should react to their behaviors and shows me what their wool, bones and a horned skull look like.
It's time to get going, I grab my camera. We drive for approximately 10 minutes to the starting point.
The weather is already warm and sunny, it's going to be a hot day. We are at the bottom of a hill and are going to hike to the top. I really hope we will spot some of them... Sweat is running down my back, we have arrived on the top of the first hill. The Musk Ox should be there. We both watch trough our binoculars. There seems to be nothing around but than I hear something. I spot golden plovers above me, but no oxen.
Marcel knows they are close and he's right. Shortly after we notice the animal's droppings. We continue our walk, the sun is high up in the sky and I know that it's not going to be a good day to take photos.
After walking for another half hour, I see a Musk Ox for the first time in my life. Due to the long walk in the heat, the animal appears to me like a mirage. I try to take some pictures but the conditions are quite bad. Trough my lens I can see that it is a female with her calf, they notice our presence and they slowly move away.
I think to myself: is it the end of this safari? No, it is still early and Marcel tells me that there is some snow patches from last winter on the East from here and that we should check there. We take a short break, drink some water and continue until we reach this snow patch. And he is right, there are really Musk Oxen there. The weather is so hot, the poor Musk Oxen struggle in this heat. They try to cool down themselves by lying down in the snow. Now, we can cautiously try to approach them.
Despite our presence, the animals stay quiet and relaxed. I take some photos and enjoy the moment for at least an hour. It was a great experience, I feel grateful to the Moskkussafari and to Marcel especially for picking me up here.
As I had already planned to come by myself the next morning, I decided to park my van at the bottom of the hill close to where the starting point was. Early in the morning, before any safari could start, I was ready to go.
During the early morning, the chilly weather and the fog in the mountains, made me think that the day would be perfect for some good ambiance shots. Unfortunately the fog and clouds would disappear shortly after and the thick heat of a bright sun created bad conditions for the photo shots I had planned... I promised myself to come back in autumn.
Pictures from that Morning:
Pictures from September 2018:
About Dovrefjell - Sunndalsfjella National Park:
The National Park was established in 2002 to replace and enlarge the former Dovrefjell National Park, established in 1974. It occupies 1,693 km² and preserves a large, continuous and predominantly mountainous region. It's also the home of the last wild reindeer herd in the country and of the endangered arctic fox.
If you have ever the luck to visit this area, please remember that out here, you are nature's guest. This is the real deal, not a zoo. Wild animals should not be disturb. Musk Oxen can be dangerous especially when they feel threatened and they might attack.
I have edited two short videos about my experience at Dovrefjell National Park with the hope to convey my emotional experience trough it.
View Point Snøhetta
It is an architectural viewing pavilion overlooking Tverrfjellet mountain at Hjerkinn. The building was designed by Snøhetta architects and opened in 2011. To reach the viewing, you have to follow the 1500m long gravel path. Along the path there are few stone slabs which tells you more about the history of Dovrefjell over the last 10000 years.
Useful links:
- https://www.furuhaugli.no
- https://www.instagram.com/wild.guide.life/?hl=en
- http://www.nasjonalparker.org/en/nasjonalparkene/dovrefjell-sunndalsfjella-nasjonalpark/
- https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/viewpoint-snØhetta/181161/
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