FLY BY Portal to Creativity The Vatnahalsen Hotel Aurora borealis illuminate the sky above Norway’s activity-based Vatnahalsen Hotel. Words and Photos Chris Baldry IN SNOWBOARDING there are many separate yet connected sub-cultures. Within these communities, the search for new experiences and uncharted territory is a tangible goal. Different disciplines merge with excitement and challenge, which sometimes leads to a search for a place where fairytale aspects of urban life blend seam-lessly into the untamed realness of the backcountry. Vatnahalsen, an activity-based hotel at the top of Flåmsdalen, Norway, accessible only by the mystical Flåmsbana rail line, fits such a bill. Our voyage starts on the shores of Nærøyfjorden, with lush green hills surrounding the narrow yet beautiful fjord. The Flåms-bana railroad, a.k.a. The Flåm Railway, serves as our vessel from the fjord through rugged, wind beaten mountains to the enchant-ing world of Vatnahalsen. Only after hurling through stunning valleys, traversing precariously across cliffs and winding through hand carved tunnels, we arrive at Vatnahalsen Hotel at the top of Flåmsdalen Valley, a true backcountry paradise. It feels as is if it’s been plucked from the pages of an old fairytale, with its aura of a bygone era and 127 years of eyebrow raising history. 030 THE SNOWBOARDER’S JOURNAL
The Snowboarder's Journal The Snowboarder's Journal 21.2: Page 30
