This is an intense wildlife photography tour which has been described by many as an experience of a lifetime. An official National Park guide will take you into the mountains of Dovrefjell to photograph wild roaming musk-oxen. You will photograph these impressive animals in the harsh Norwegian winter conditions, with temperatures dropping well below -20 degrees and a good chance for a winter storm to pass through. This tour is for the more adventurous nature photographer. This particular tour is different from the other musk-oxen winter tours we offer, since we won't be camping. We will stay in comfortable cabins just outside the National Park, eat nice meals in the restaurant and will hike every day to the musk-oxen. ​​

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The tour

In the winter the musk-oxen move higher up in the mountains, to the higher plateaus. Here the winds are stronger, and therefore there is less snow on these higher plateaus. This makes it easier for the musk-oxen to find and reach their food. The best way to photograph these musk-oxen, is to camp in the mountains, to reduce the daily walking distance. But not all musk-oxen move up the mountains at the same time. Until the end of January there often are several herds of musk-oxen on the lower mountain plateaus. During this specific tour we will target the musk-oxen on the lower plateaus. As these animals are easier to reach than the animals on the tops of the mountains, there is no need to camp in tents in the mountains. We can hike in and out of the terrain and stay in comfortable heated cabins just outside the National Park and eat amazing dinners in the best restaurant of the region.

 

Even though you won't be high up the mountains, you will be above the tree-line in a very photogenic area. The hikes will be in rather flat terrain. If there are no musk-oxen on the lower plateaus, we have to get higher up in the mountains. In that case you have to expect an altitude difference of around 600 meters spread over 3.5km and an additional 3km for the longest hikes. You need to be in a good condition for this tour.  

 

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Itinerary

• Day 1. You will fly on Oslo Gardermoen airport. Here you will be picked up and be driven to the accommodation just outside the National Park of Dovrefjell. The drive takes about 5 hours. The first night we will stay in comfortable cabins, just outside the National Park. A nice warm meal will be waiting for us in the restaurant.

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• Day 2, 3, 4 and 5. After a good breakfast we head out into the mountains to the musk-oxen. Depending on where in the area the musk-oxen will be, we will have to hike between 30 and 120 minutes to get to the musk-oxen. ​​The time of sunrise and sunset during this tour is at about 09:30 in the morning and at 15:30 in the evening. Depending on how far into the mountains the animals are standing, we try to be with the animals before sunrise and will stay with the animals until sunset. Every evening we eat a nice warm meal in the best restaurant of the region, right next to our cabins. ​

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• Day 6. In the morning, after breakfast, you will be driven back to Oslo Gardermoen airport and fly home again.  

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The accommodation

We are staying at the comfortable cabins of Dovrefjell Lodge. Each cabin has 2 two-person bedrooms, a bathroom, small kitchen and living room with electricity and warm water. The restaurant with an excellent kitchen is on the same location, just a minute walk from our cabins. 

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The weather

The temperature will probably be between -20 and -10 degrees Celsius on day time and between -15 and -25 degrees Celsius at night time. These mountains are known for the strong wind which suddenly can pick up and disappear again. This means that the weather can change rather fast from hour to hour. During the tours there is a good chance that we will get into blizzards. With the arrival of a storm, the temperature normally rises until between -2 and -10 degrees. With the windchill this will feel much colder of course. Proper clothing is an absolute must!

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The guide

This tour are guided by Jonas Janss Haugli. Jonas is one of the official Dovrefjell Nation Park guides and has been working in the National Park since 2023. He is experienced and knows the area and animals well. Even though the conditions can be challenging, you will be safe in his hands. Additionally, he is an extremely talented photographer. He plans the tours to maximize your photographic results. You will be on the right spot at the right time and can always ask for tips and feedback.

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Physical condition of the participants

You need to be fit for this tour! You have to be able to walk several (3-5) hours per day. Even though we target the musk-oxen on the lower plateaus, you will need to be able to walk in rather steep terrain in case we need to get up the mountains. We will walk mostly with snowshoes. Only on the tops of the mountains, we will not always need snowshoes. Snowshoes are provided for you. All participants have to carry their own photo equipment plus 1 Liter of tea or coffee and food for the day. We have pulks which can be used by our guests for transporting the gear during the walks. 

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Food and drinks

To be able to get out early into the mountains, we have early breakfasts in one of the cabins. During breakfast we also make our lunch packages for in the mountains. The dinners are served in the restaurant of the accommodation. 

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Disclaimer 

Dovrefjell is known for the harsh weather conditions. If the wind picks up and will stay for a longer period above 20 meter per second, there is a chance that the roads will be closed. Luckily the accommodation is within the road barriers. If there is not too much snow on the roads, we will still head out for the musk-oxen. But in some extreme cases there will be too much snow on the roads and we will be stuck at the accommodation until the roads are opened again. It can happen that we won't be able to head out into the mountains every single day of the trip if the weather conditions are too extreme. Luckily, this very rarely happens. 

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Please contact us for any questions.

Or to book the tour, please fill out the online booking form.