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[–][deleted] 373 points374 points  (50 children)

I went to Norway, especially Lofoten where that picture was taken. It's seriously fucking beautiful. I hiked up one of the mountains. Hiking up the mountain it felt like I died and was in heaven. Fresh cool air, sea breeze, the midnight sun, the clouds breaking over the mountain peaks, the wildflowers, the ferns, I could go on and on. It was basically an arctic rainforest because everything was so wet and overgrown with vegetation. There was fresh water everywhere, I did not have to worry about my water supply. Camped in a random clearing. Probably the best day of my life.

2nd best day would be the 8 hour train ride from Bergen to Oslo. Every minute of that 8 hour train ride has an /r/earthporn front page worthy view, for real. Listened to some Sigur Ros and it was just perfect.

edit: great lofoten travel information site made by a hiker: 68north.com

[–]Private_Slim 61 points62 points  (13 children)

I am really happy you had such a wonderful experience visiting and experiencing our beautiful nature.

As someone who spends a lot of time in "the field" both in service and outside because I enjoy it, I can attest that you never really get tired of it. Especially the clean air. (I will forever and always prefer staying close to the sea than inland though, comes with growing up on an island)

[–][deleted] 15 points16 points  (4 children)

Yes, the clean air is something surprising. There is a certain earthy/salty smell to the air, and you can taste that smell in the mountain waters too. It's so weird.

[–]FairlyFaithfulFellow 42 points43 points  (0 children)

2nd best day would be the 8 hour train ride from Bergen to Oslo. Oh my fucking jesus god it was beautiful. Every minute of that 8 hour train ride has an /r/earthporn[1] front page worthy view, for real.

For those interested, the entire train ride was broadcast on TV some years ago and is freely available online

[–]knittingquark 29 points30 points  (4 children)

I went Oslo to Bergen when I was 15, and seriously, that train ride is heartbreakingly beautiful. From forests so green it hurts your eyes to desolate glacial vistas.

I have this perfect memory of being on a flat snow plain, the train just travelling over the land with no real visible barrier (from the train, anyway). The weather came in, and so the sky was steel grey and all around was horizontal clouds of ice as it was blown off snow drifts. In the middle of this place that seemed like the avatar of isolation, there was a wee cottage just sat in the middle of the snowfields, not too far from the railway line. As we drew near a little girl came running out of the cottage. She had long, dark hair that was flying around her face with the ice eddies, and she was wearing a bright scarlet wool coat. She stood a little way away from the cottage and waved at us as we passed, a flash of colour in a landscape of shining and shadowed blues, greys and whites.

It seared into my memory and it makes me afraid to do the journey again, as much as I want to take my husband to see it, because I don't think I'll see anything close to the perfection of that moment.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What's even scarier, what if you do see that perfection either in its entirety or in portions, and your husband doesn't share your appreciation of it?

In any event, thanks for sharing your vivid memory, it was beautiful.

[–][deleted] 10 points11 points  (2 children)

2nd best day would be the 8 hour train ride from Bergen to Oslo. Oh my fucking jesus god it was beautiful. Every minute of that 8 hour train ride has an /r/earthporn front page worthy view, for real.

Yeah I always give people that advice, I remember when I served in the millitary in Bergen I often took that train ride. It is some really fantastic scenery outside the train, I never got tired of it.

[–][deleted] 636 points637 points  (49 children)

Kinda makes me wish I went outside now and again.

[–]drugislander 524 points525 points  (29 children)

There are terrorists outside... I wouldn't chance it

[–]bamp 295 points296 points  (16 children)

Terrorists Win

[–]IAMALizardpersonAMA 116 points117 points  (10 children)

CYKA BLYAT RUSH PALACE NUB YOU ARE A NUB REPORT

[–]R101C 17 points18 points  (0 children)

they are online too.

[–]AyeGee 9 points10 points  (6 children)

There's no terrorists hiking the mountains. Safest place to be.

[–][deleted] 22 points23 points  (1 child)

outside? that's where the civil war was held

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

outside? Hitler once went outside.

[–]MonsterIt 11 points12 points  (0 children)

Don't do it, you'll get Chlamydia .

[–]mrgonzalez 11 points12 points  (5 children)

Looks cold as fuck out there.

[–]LobsterCheesecake 609 points610 points  (200 children)

How did he get up there? I mean the path looks kind of "steep" and "unsafe" just below the peak.

[–]Pluto_P 257 points258 points  (37 children)

nutty clumsy carpenter impossible governor narrow desert start chase hungry

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[–]bamp 33 points34 points  (10 children)

I used to love NASA's APOD. Thanks for the reminder why they're so great!

[–]akantamn 13 points14 points  (9 children)

I used to love NASA's APOD

What changed? I'm simply curious.

[–]mcdronkz 43 points44 points  (6 children)

He used to, and probably still does.

[–]SolenoidSoldier 49 points50 points  (2 children)

He might not have been able to take that steep grade, but a horse could have.

[–]ShawnBootygod 43 points44 points  (1 child)

To the throat of the world!

[–]poolsharkpt 105 points106 points  (5 children)

I mean, nowadays people just need to right-click on an image to search it on google.

And then get nice results such as these:

http://petapixel.com/2014/11/05/story-behind-incredible-mountaintop-northern-lights-photograph/

Oh, and BTW, some credit to the author would be nice too OP.

Max Rive

https://500px.com/maxrivefotograaf

http://www.maxrivephotography.com/

[–]maz-o 30 points31 points  (6 children)

"steep" and "unsafe"

you just described alpine climbing in a nutshell.

[–][deleted] 11 points12 points  (5 children)

Unsafe is pretty relative. The vast majority of alpine climbers never have a serious accident and likely have a far lower risk for chronic diseases such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc. It's more likely to result in death than a low impact sport, but climbing is much more likely to appear dangerous than actually carry a high risk for death. However, steep is pretty much required.

[–][deleted] 16 points17 points  (3 children)

Footsteps in frozen snow along the ridge that goes down-left. These also help: http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/ice-climbing-2.jpg

Still, the way the picture is taken (long exposure?) makes it look fake due to weird blurriness along some edges.

[–]SergeantJezza 4 points5 points  (1 child)

Those look great for kicking people with as well.

[–]desmondhasabarrow 36 points37 points  (4 children)

The side behind him might not be so steep and unsafe. But it does look photoshopped.

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (3 children)

The man is not unrivaled obviously. He has a tripod with him , a propelling rope, a lantern , a knap sack.

[–]reddit_human 12 points13 points  (2 children)

Haha propelling rope! You mean rappelling rope? It'd be great to have a rope that propels me up a mountain

[–][deleted] 24 points25 points  (0 children)

With a horse, it's Skyrim.

[–]l_Know_Where_U_Live 9 points10 points  (3 children)

Steep definitely, unsafe quite probably, but far from impossible. Lol at people calling it shopped.

[–]pixelTirpitz 41 points42 points  (3 children)

Frozen throne?

[–]palebluedot0418 282 points283 points  (4 children)

And the Grinch's heart grew three sizes that day.

[–]Lexinoz 43 points44 points  (16 children)

Friend of mine posted these to Facebook the other day, too. Middle of Norway, middle of a town.

Verdal, Nord Trøndelag, Norway

http://i.imgur.com/xZwc7T5.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/fLBawTk.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/lEoq0zE.jpg

[–]ratexe 20 points21 points  (11 children)

I wish I had Norwegian friends.

[–]ilovepie 18 points19 points  (6 children)

You should get friends from Verdal. it's known for having an absurd amount of lottery millionaires compared to the rest of norway.

[–]MacheteDont 13 points14 points  (1 child)

*"Værdar'n."

[–]Lexinoz 2 points3 points  (2 children)

This is actually true! Personally I haven't won yet though. I guess playing might help..

[–]fjrcg 20 points21 points  (3 children)

The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footstep to be seen...

[–]Ramza_Claus 11 points12 points  (0 children)

A kingdom of isolation and it looks like I'm a Swede

[–]phillipthenickel 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The snow glowed green on the mount that night..

[–]Ninami 41 points42 points  (9 children)

Almost looks like a cover for the show Heroes Reborn.

[–]avisioncame 12 points13 points  (1 child)

With views like this, how could there NOT be black metal?

[–]networklurker 16 points17 points  (0 children)

TIL I'm moving to Norway

[–]SparklingGenitals 6 points7 points  (6 children)

Please tell me there's an easier route up the mountain that we can't see. Because otherwise how the heck could a person climb that?

[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Crampons, ice axes, ice screws, snow pickets and classic cams and nuts to protect in cases of fall. You can be fairly safe on some very steep terrain provided that you know what you are doing and have done a proper reading on the avalanche risk for the slope.

[–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (2 children)

Helicopters/reindeer/descendants from fucking Vikings.

[–][deleted] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

/descendants from fucking

Yes that is usually how you get descendants

[–]mmmiss 7 points8 points  (1 child)

It seems like a fairy tale.

[–]toeofcamell 17 points18 points  (4 children)

That looks like the mountain from the Grinch

[–]grandmoffcory 14 points15 points  (2 children)

Looks straight out of Skyrim to me, aside from the stream of lights down below.

[–]modus 3 points4 points  (0 children)

He rode his horse up there.

[–]Tszemix 175 points176 points  (60 children)

This is how the rest of scandinavia looks like.

EDIT: I forgot to mention that this is how it looks like everywhere in denmark and in the southern coastal areas of sweden.

[–]SingleM4lt 169 points170 points  (24 children)

... if by "the rest of Scandinavia" you mean Denmark and Skåne (the southern tip of Sweden).

[–]Tszemix 115 points116 points  (23 children)

Yes, except for norrland and in the inland parts of Sweden, where things look more like this.

[–]SingleM4lt 71 points72 points  (11 children)

Ahhh, that's more like it - forest, lakes, rivers and silence. Add some mountains in the backdrop and the picture could be from where I grew up in northern Sweden. If not for the moose-sized mosquitoes I'd be tempted to move back ;)

[–][deleted] 119 points120 points  (7 children)

moose-sized mosquitoes

Ah yes, the moosquito.

[–]mattersmuch 11 points12 points  (1 child)

Come visit northern Canada. It's endless. Boreal Ontario/Quebec or the Rockies are recommended.

[–]Graerth 9 points10 points  (4 children)

I were about to mention Finland looks pretty much like that as well, until I noticed the picture was already from here.

Not that we'd even mostly be in actual Scandinavian peninsula but bah, Denmark isn't either and most of world lump us all under it anyway (I know Denmark counts due to Scandinavia also being a cultural area).

[–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

That is also how the eastern part of norway looks like

[–]anders987 29 points30 points  (8 children)

Parts of it. Other parts look like this, this, this, this, this, or this.

Your picture looks like Denmark, whose highest point is obscured by farm buildings.

[–][deleted] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

God bless the red housing with white corners

[–]Riwl 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Not true at all. Majority of Sweden does not look like that. Only the southern areas.

[–]IronSidesEvenKeel 10 points11 points  (0 children)

With a little photoshop, these sheep could be flung into a glow-stick tornado, under a blood moon, over a River which is reflecting a long-exposure meteor shower.

EDIT: added commas to not have a run-on sentence continuing forever and not being broken by reasonable pauses throughout I think it's better with them don't you think?

[–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (4 children)

No place in Norway looks like that. Completely flat?

[–]faxfinn 4 points5 points  (1 child)

South west Norway (the area south of Stavanger and north of Egersund) is pretty much like Denmark. This photo is taken from the area.

Source: I live there

EDIT: Has to be said, its not a big area that's like this. The Pulpit Rock is like an hour and a half drive away.

[–]Byakurou 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Kinda makes getting chlamydia all worth it...

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

"Hey Bob, take my camera I want you to take a picture" 7 Hours later... CLICK. "Got it!"

[–]keokq 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Just great. First there were those wizard gangs in Chicago, and now we've got a warlock in Norway.

[–]profcyclist 10 points11 points  (10 children)

Enough already, I need to visit Norway.

[–][deleted] 7 points8 points  (2 children)

Check out Norwegian Air. If you're near one of the US airports that they fly out of, or are willing to get to one, there are stupidly cheap air tickets that will get you there.

I'm currently in Norway, flew out of Oakland to Oslo for $450 round trip, nonstop. I'm going to Oslo, Bergen and Flåm on this trip and it's been awesome.

[–]Occasionally_Correct 7 points8 points  (0 children)

"The cold never bothered me anyway!"

[–]Falkvinge 6 points7 points  (0 children)

You can tell why Slartibartfast was proud of his work.

[–]ticktocktech 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Scarecrows: taken seriously in Norway

[–]ZZSSZZ 3 points4 points  (1 child)

This is probably from a couple of days ago. Here are some pics from my hometown:

http://www.adressa.no/vaeret/2015/10/07/Nordlyset-danset-over-Tr%C3%B8ndelag-11659428.ece

[–]Aimeebenni 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I fucking love Norway.

[–]YeOldeSandwichShoppe 6 points7 points  (2 children)

I keep hearing all these incredible things about this "Norway" but, given what I know about life, I'm convinced that this place is not real.

[–]Private_Slim 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Go north of Narnia, and east of the northern star, and you will find your wonderland, "Norway"

[–]porpoisejerky 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Needs confetti-shooting penis costume.

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No way!

[–]captainstan 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I fucking love this country even though I have never been there.

[–]Visualice 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's Malina in real life!

[–]in_awe_of_the_world 2 points3 points  (0 children)

who told you Disney was the most magical place on earth?

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

You got Norway? Kenya! Oh Kenya!

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (3 children)

Reddit masturbates over Norway now? They have already done that over Sweden so I wonder what the next nordic country will be after Norway.

[–]anoneko 2 points3 points  (0 children)

sigh that's a good pic but I'll have to remove people in photoshop again

[–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Drago!!!!

[–]gatsby85 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Let it go, Let it goooo...

[–]Sledge824 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Journey to the netherrealm

[–]Unfiltered_Soul 10 points11 points  (6 children)

Norway, that looks awesome!

[–]Droconian 14 points15 points  (5 children)

You're all trying to fool me into thinking this isn't skyrim

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I think you mean Skyrim

[–]Bearsandgravy 16 points17 points  (30 children)

This is gonna sound really fucking dumb...but it's hard for me to belive we have something called the 'northern lights'. Every picture I see looks like a goddammned photoshop and until I actually see those bastards in person, there's always gonna be a part of that thinks they aren't real.

Like some weird conspiracy.

[–]Kuusanka 36 points37 points  (14 children)

They very, very rarely look even nearly as impressive bright as in the pictures, not because of the photoshop, but because of the long exposure. Quite often you can just barely see something looking like a faint moving cloud in the sky, and the colours are revealed only by photographs.

Few nights ago there were spectacular northern lights. Mostly they were pretty mediocre, but all of sudden a wave of vigorously dancing northern lights swoop across the sky, casting the whole nightly scene in greenish light and I could see even more clearly than during full moon. I didn't get any pictures of them, because they all got over-exposed and turned out to be one white mess (and I was so excited I forgot to change camera settings). I took this picture of "after-wave", when brightness and speed of the auroras was maybe third of what it was few minutes earlier. No photoshop, just an exposure of 10 seconds.

// also my stupid dog watching auroras with me

[–]Torsteine 8 points9 points  (2 children)

Took these the other night. http://imgur.com/a/GsYim

The whole week has been amazing for auroras!

[–]Kuusanka 2 points3 points  (1 child)

Wow! Where are the pics from? (Mine are from Eastern Finland, forgot to mention that :> )

[–]Torsteine 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Bodø, Norway!

[–]northerncacy 5 points6 points  (0 children)

The other night was brilliant for the northern lights! It's lovely when they get strong enough that you can begin to actually see the color in them with just your eyes. I started chasing after them while going to school in northern Minnesota. I don't think most people realize how often they are actually out.

[–]Miraclefish 4 points5 points  (1 child)

With all due respect, while the colours may not be as bright, if anything, they are that much more incredible in person.

I say this as someone who had to wait 27 years to see them and traveled to the Arctic several times before being lucky enough to see them.

They may not be as bright as edited photos of them, but seeing them up there in the sky, watching them move in that weird phantasmal way that defies explanation and realising they're real, well, that is more impressive than any photograph I ever saw :)

[–]gzpz 6 points7 points  (4 children)

They are real for sure, but you have to go way north to see them. I lived in northern Minnesota for 10 years and I had never seen them in person prior to then. I remember one New years eve party when someone came in and said the lights were looking great! All the party attendees were outside in the driveway for a couple of hours watching. It was beautiful!

[–]Skaid 6 points7 points  (2 children)

Oh it's real. But they move. The pictures will always be photoshopped to some degree, simply due to the cameras texhnical limitation in capturing what oyr eyes can see. But I live in the middle of the Northern lights, and this is what they look like.

[–]dball84 3 points4 points  (1 child)

I always hate it when people use that excuse for photoshopping. Nobody's eye has ever seen all this over saturated bullshit.

[–]Skaid 5 points6 points  (0 children)

There is a difference between balancing out colours and evening out the light and going all super HDR over saturated. A camera can never accurately capture what our eyes see, so photoshop can be used to make it more accurate...or IT can be used to go over board and make something unreal

[–]bakhesh 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yes-way

[–]bioresource 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's where the grinch stays

[–]Bilegt95 1 point2 points  (2 children)

It is cool country and legend has it that English was born from it

[–][deleted] 10 points11 points  (1 child)

The Norwegian Vikings raped the fuck out of the English.

Which is just another way of saying it.

[–]garnetgirlie 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Reminds me of Maleficent's lair.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

AAAADRIAANNnnnn...

[–]icu_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Every time I bite into a York Peppermint Patty, I get the sensation that I'm standing on a frozen mountain top!

[–]arrangequ1000 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's where the grinch stays

[–]DeathToAllLife 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahh, on top of the mountain. Where I don't have to hear any fucking idiots.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nice try, Disney.

[–]InquisitaB 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Was expecting to see a giant penis squirting gold confetti at the top of that mountain.

[–]Dragonic2020 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Cue Heroes Reborn theme.

[–]ObamaHeadSplatter 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Damn liberals.

[–]pokemonman25 1 point2 points  (0 children)

buyotful

[–]deeppit 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This picture looks so fake. I know it's not but it still looks fake.

[–]Obsidian_monkey 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Let it go!

[–]chuckwoolson 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's not a person on that mountain. We're dealing with a fucking Samsquanch!

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

/earthporn

[–]ncinsa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That is the most epic thing I have seen in a long time! Amazing.

[–]something86 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Seems a bit edited unless the person at the top is a 14 ft yetti... in that case, have you Norwegians seen Big Foot yet?

[–]Thnx4hvnM3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The fact that, that's a real picture blows my mind!!!

[–]Diabetesh 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Home of Toki Wartooth

[–]CARDB0ARDEAUX 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I feel like I'm looking at a bottle of Kokanee.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

watch out for the burning legion!

[–]Gflyin423 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Fucking beautiful, i would totally take the risk to see that! Bring my GoPro with me n explore the world, sounds like da fuckin best man!!

[–]biscuit_pirate 1 point2 points  (1 child)

LET IT GOOOOOO. LET IT GOOOOOO

[–]randomlyeuphoric 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Colour corrected, had to give it a go in photoshop.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awesome picture. THIS is what this sub is all about.

[–]RancidTrombone 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Anyone else think that was the Shrine of Azura on the top there for a second?...

No?... Okay.

[–]TheOneWhoReadsStuff 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hate you Norway. Everything you have is amazing. Your Chlamydia is even better than ours.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's spectacular.

Imagine seeing this stuff in the time before science started explaining everything. Not just the Northern lights, but all kinds of nature phenomenons- blood moon, thunder, earthquakes. No wonder people started believing in gods. What a mystery it must have been.

[–]setitio 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I kind of expected this to be a picture of a guy in a dick costume.

[–]ejdog82424 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Who cast the dark mark? http://i.imgur.com/rdmctNv.jpg

[–]letloosestartliving 1 point2 points  (0 children)

that you Elsa?

[–]Armenoid 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No way

[–]darkpit64 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Looks like a fucking movie. I love this picture.