Outdoor Heroes of Sunnmøre

Norway, a country of cross-country skiing and hytte, has a long outdoor life tradition, that even has a concept — 'friliftsliv', translated as an 'open-air-living', that's very tied to their culture. That's why having a healthy work-life balance, in order to spend more time outside, is essential for most Norwegians.

But how is it like to spend most of your life out there in severe Norwegian weather conditions? Is it an enjoyable or rather challenging experience?

Åsmund and Christopher, the outdoor workers in Sunnmøre, tell us, why they wouldn't change working outside for anything else...

Following Åsmund, who promptly walks up the mountain, we start our hike towards Molladalen — a magnificent path between rugged peaks in the north from Ørsta — trying to keep up with his energetic tempo. "This is the most attractive hiking area here, the famous valley!" he says. "But as you can see, it's also rocky and steep — not that easy".

Work in the mountains

With the heavy equipment behind his back, Åsmund begins his daily working routine: cutting off the vegetation from the sides of the path and digging out the water.

"Let's begin here", he says, stopping next to the bushy trees covering our next turn. "In two years these will get on the trail, so let's take them away. There're a lot of them here though, I can't take everything!" he says laughing. The amount of water is higher then usual and we struggle balancing on the muddy path, while Åsmund quickly progresses up the mountain, adventurously climbs under the bridges, steps in the rivers and removes heavy stones from the water.

"Taking away a few big rocks would be better, the water will flow faster and follow the right way", he explains. He has to do a lot of work with his digging bar today: push the edges of the path to release the water out of the trail. We assume that's done to make the hiking for tourists easier, to which he just laughs: "It's not about protecting people from wetting their feet - I do it mostly for the tracks. People can't drown here!" he jokes. "They have to care and get dressed after conditions, this isn't a place in the city. You need good shoes".

The tasks of DNT workers vary from season to season: cutting the trees, marking the routes, removing water from the path, building and maintaining the huts, doing guided hikes for beginners and professionals. For the last five years, Åsmund has been responsible for maintaining the hiking routes and nature in Sunnmøre and never doubted his choice of profession.

Challenges of nature

Long working days in all kinds of weather conditions, physical labour, difficulties to get help due to the isolated working locations — these are the few among many struggles the DNT outdoor worker faces while maintaining fragile Norwegian nature. However, Åsmund's love of outdoor adventures keeps him motivated: "When I was younger and didn't have a family, I could've been weeks outside!" he says wistfully. The balance between doing what he loves while coming back home every evening is what drives Åsmund pursuing working outdoors.

As we go out of the forest to an open valley, steep mountains tower above the horizon, hiding their peaks in the foggy sky. We see the path getting steeper in front of us, curving between rocky cliffs. "We'll only do the work down here closer to the road today", Åsmund says, noticing our puzzled looks, "but sometimes it can also be a long way, up to five hours, before we start to work". That's why Åsmund can't allow himself carrying too much: one or two good jackets, a saw and a digging bar - that's enough. "The most important is that the thing works", he says, "In the mountains less is more".

It's windy Monday morning, let's call it a normal early November day in Norway, when we run into Christopher Toronga. Fully wrapped up, wearing a flashy yellow work vest and dark grey hat, he tells us that pedestrians don't have to pay on a ferry. Impressed by his fluent English, we decide to ask if we can make a portrait of him. A bit modestly, but as always very friendly, the young ferry worker agrees.

Christopher, 21 years old, has been working on the ferry between Volda and Folkestad for over a year now. Before that he was a fisherman, but he found that job unsustainable. "Sometimes we were five week straight away from home," he says. With that in mind, he decided to quit. "Now, I'm working twelve hours a day for two weeks and then I have two weeks off. That's way better."

Yet the story is a little more romantic than it seems. When we ask again why he enjoys this job so much, he reveals a little more. "I like the spare time," he begins. "When I'm off work I can go home, sit down and have dinner with my girl." A sentence that sticks with us and fully describes the kind of person Christopher is. Gentle and enjoying the little things in life. In addition to the love story, more free time also means more time to drink beer. A side effect he's happy to live with.

Although the charming ferry worker doesn't seem to have a problem with it, after our brief introduction it quickly becomes clear, why working on a ferry is not an everyday job. The wet weather and strong wind wake us up immediately. Only Christopher seems almost not bothered by the weather conditions. He admits though, that the weather can be bad. "It's just very windy and sometimes it makes docking and undocking very difficult for the guys driving the boat." But for the men down on deck, the matelot has only one message: "Keep dressed."

Work on a ferry

We note quite fast that duties on a ferry are limited and soon enough that gets confirmed. With his hands in his pockets, Christopher tells us the following: "The worst part about the job is probably that it can be quite boring sometimes." With that he refers especially to working on weekends, when Norwegian traffic comes to a virtual standstill. "On days like that you stand on the end of the boat, just looking into nothing and waiting for the clock to hit the right time, so that you can go to the other side again."

Fortunately, not everything happens on autopilot, because sometimes they have to work really hard. This is the case with dangerous loads: Christopher and his colleagues have to help manoeuvre the truck in question to a certain position. "It usually involves flammable cargoes, such as gasoline. Sprinklers have been installed around the red lines on the ship, and they extinguish everything resembles fire or smoke," he explains.

The boat itself travels from one side to the other about 30 times a day. The 20 minutes each ride takes, looks about the same each time. Together with his colleagues, he takes the cars on board, points them to where they need to park and makes sure that the ship is stable during loading and off-loading. They're also responsible for general maintenance. "That mainly involves fighting rust," Christopher clarifies. In the past, they also did ticket sales, but that's pretty much all done electronically these days, so not much work remaining there.

"Working outside is just fun," we hear from all the ferry workers. If one thing is clear, it's that everyone here on the ferry prefers an outdoor job to a desk job. "You feel the weather and it makes you feel a little tougher when it's freezing outside. More fun than sitting inside a heated office," Christopher stresses. He also recounts that his father did it for two years, when he developed back problems, and to this day says it was the two worst years of his life. "He will never work in an office again and neither will I," he says without any doubt.

If there is one thing that these pleasant encounters have taught us, it's that the people of Sunnmøre love working outdoors. Being at one with the elements of nature is of great value to them. Though Asmund and Christopher are just the tip of an iceberg.

Besides mountain trail maintainers and ferry workers, there are countless similar outdoor heroes like the ones we spoke too. One job more spectacular than the other. One after the other outside, in the grip of the bleak Norwegian weather. Not for everyone, slightly more for those with Norwegian warm blood.