Bergen: Running Mt . Floyen

Beginning the run by climbing stairs, short cuts between the city's parallel, ascending neighborhood streets.

I mentioned in an earlier post that after the first day of rain and gloom and Kip attending his conference, I decided I needed to get out. And up.

I grabbed my running shoes, the warmest running clothes I could find and headed out the door, through the maze of switchback streets, out of the town and into the park above Bergen.

It was exhausting and exhilarating. When I told Kip about it, he decided he needed to experience it too, so we ran the same route the next two days. The sun came up early, around 4 a.m., every morning, so it was no problem for us to be up and out long before Kip needed to be at his conference.

The first day that we ran I took the camera. I knew it would slow us down, but the sights were too amazing not to stop and enjoy. And for blogging sake, I am glad I did.

Bergen is surrounded by seven mountain peeks, and Floyen (about 1,000 elevation) rises straight up out of the city. A tram carts visitors up the mountain everyday for it’s famous view of the city, the fjords below and the infamous cruise ships coming into port. We road the tram on the only really clear day earlier in the week, but everyday we ran it was overcast by the time we got to the top.

On the way down the mountain we were drawn off road to admire the natural hanging gardens, the cascading water filtering down the mountain at every turn and the lush greenery everywhere.

It was cold and wet, but a great way to start the day. Every runner should have a mountain like that in her backyard.

The first view, after just climbing a couple of streets above our guesthouse.

The floyen funicular track -- it takes the mountain in five minutes. It took us more like a half an hour.

Water runoff cascading down the mountain.

After we made it through the Bergen neighborhoods we ran up this steep road with switchbacks until we made it to the top.

The cloudy view from the top.

I'm feeling like a champion, and look, I am still a little double jointed.

More spontaneous waterfalls, rain runoff really.

Going dangerously off path just because ....

Lots of cool morning creatures to avoid on the road.

As we descended into the Bergen neighborhoods again we saw the steep switchbacks. It's a mystery to me how people drive these. Of course most people seemed to walk to work.

Almost "home" back to the guesthouse.