Dovrefjell 2022- Eye to eye with the Muskoxen

Eye to eye with the Muskoxen.

A November tour to musk ox country with Philipp Jakesch. This one presented a real challenge for me given that we had to carry all our beautiful photo gear with the backpack through the freezing Dovrefjell National Park in central Norway. Our local national park guide, a gaunt older gentleman, has little sympathy for me and on the first day we hike 17 km cross-country with full luggage (about 16 kg for me). The pay off? Despite the given safety distance, because musk oxen are known to be stubbornly thick skulled in every sense of the way, we get an almost intimate animal sighting with a single male ox. In the next few days we see even more musk oxen, both in the context of a family herd and also in the form of two shy oxen right in front of our lenses. Our travel group is composed very harmoniously and, safely led by Philipp, climbs the plateau twice to be closer to the oxen. These animals are strictly protected because of their small number (<300), which is why we follow all the rules so as not to scare them (away). Then one evening on the mountain we even get to witness a big showdown with two oxen against a dramatic sunset–just phenomenal. Unfortunately for me, my frozen hiking boots and toddle chains leave marks on my forefeet…looks like I’m not getting any younger. Time really waits for no man.