Fjällvandring

Getting back to this blog has been a challenge. It has been an intense few weeks. The good news is that I am working my way back up Maslow’s hierarchy, i.e. feeling less like I am simply trying to find security and more like I am here for a reason (thanks Kim!). The best news of the past week, however, is the fact that my Mom has a new hip! Thanks to her attitude and the wonders of the Mayo Clinic…She’s up and moving, perhaps even charting her next trip on the Superior Hiking Trail!? Miss you Mom!

I’m back from my Friluftsliv conference adventure. A most innovative conference--hiking (approx. 70 km or 42 miles) while discussing the various topics and most importantly, being immersed in our connection to the natural world. Presenters had prepared papers to share their topics to set the stage for each hike; as we hiked we were to discuss the various ideas while enjoying the old barren mts. of the Swedish region of Jämtland.

A day of glorious sunshine followed by days of rain, wind and even a bit of snow—intense hiking! Imagine walking across a mountainous sponge of flowing water for three days! The ground was so saturated it was as if the whole landscape was a shallow stream! Luckily, attitudes were positive.

And in reality, the weather did not stop us! Discussions were rich and evenings were spent “catching up” on ideas. It was a group intent on exploring places and ideas. The ideas to explore were, in part, definitional essays on the history and origins of Friluftsliv.

(New Canadian friends, Emily and Bryan.)

For those of you wondering just what this Friluftsliv is all about, let me share an overview of the concept…The literal translation is “open-air life” yet in many texts Friluftsliv get translated into English as “outdoor recreation.” Outdoor Recreation is, however, a poor translation, insufficient as it does not provide any direct connection to the essential relationship with the natural world; Friluftsliv makes that connection.

Friluftsliv is meaningful and joyful recreational experiences in the natural world that contribute to our connection to nature.

Place and the experience of place are essential to the idea. I like to think of Friluftsliv as a bridge between our affective (or emotional) connections to nature and the way in which we think about it (our cognitive experiences) as mediated by our physical (or kinesthetic) experiences. Friluftsliv is a merging of outdoor recreation, outdoor education, place-based education and environmental education…we get very hung up on labels in academia, for sure! And in my field, walls seem to get built between environmental education and outdoor education/recreation; I am hoping to help knock some of these walls down with a little help from Friluftsliv!

The conference had a distinctly Norwegian approach which highlights the cultural significance of these ideas to the Norwegian people. Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen (Peer Gynt, A Doll’s House, Brand, The Master Builder, etc.) is credited as putting into print the actual word Friluftsliv in his epic poem: På Vidderne (On The Heights) from the mid 19^th century. Ibsen was an important cultural figure to Norway’s emergence as a nation and the romantic ideals of a dramatic and powerful nature infused his work (think Thoreau, Hudson Valley Group or Group of Seven in North America). Scholars describe the Norwegian embrace of the notion of hiking in the mts, of Friluftsliv, as cultural identity. Thinking about these cultural connections to the natural world is refreshing and exciting. (Picture of the Norwegian Border crossing!)

Enough of this history right now, but I will return to it as I am in the midst of a literature review of these ideas. It is not my belief that I can somehow transport the cultural significance of Friluftsliv back to Minnesota, but was reminded in a conversation with Norwegian Friluftsliv icon Nils Faarlund that it is the common values between Nordic Frilutsliv and related North American concepts that are worth exploring and promoting; thus, more about these common values in upcoming posts…

(Nils Faarlund and students from Norway and Arizona!)

After the conference I hiked a few more days on my own—I figured I had traveled so far, that I needed to soak up the mts. as much as possible. I find these mts. to give me a profound sense of freedom (Free-luftsliv!?). It is an expansive and barren landscape…old mts. shaped by the glaciers and now ruled by the elements. I hiked into this landscape solo from the lively community of the conference. I did not talk to a single person for the two days immediately following the conference. I ate blueberries and hiked!

Two more pictures:

This photo is of a young man’s electrical tape design is from the beautiful city of Trondheim. Temporary urban art, what a brilliant idea! It was fun to watch him work, he was fast and deliberate. The other photo I wish to share can be found via this link:

http://z.about.com/d/architecture/1/0/A/q/OsloOperaHouseNorway-ErikBerg.jpg

Copy this link and check out the Opera House in Oslo. It is the most interesting public architecture I have ever seen. I walked all over the building at 6 AM while waiting for a train North to Trondheim…the building truly invites you to explore...space and place. It was a dramatic cultural space as harbinger to my time spent considering the nature and culture of Friluftsliv!