Fjords mountains and…read morerocks Sukkertoppen is a well known hiking and camping place not far from the Norwegian town of Alesund. The name means Sugar Top, probably referring to how it looks when covered in snow during the winter months. Sukkertoppen is more of a hill than a mountain, at a bit over 1,000 feet high the hike gives a good workout but probably won't kill you unless you do something really stupid. Lots of vertical climbs, rocks to step over, roots to trip over and wet things to slip on. In the winter the snow and ice probably adds a whole new dimension to the hike. Of course the reward of reaching the top are the marvelous views. You can see the town of Alemund, fjords, mountains in the distance, clouds and all kinds of cool and beautiful stuff. The hiking trail can get a bit crowded at times but cool places like this usually have to be shared. Not, it's not Mount Washington in New Hampshire, Mount Everest or Mount Elbert in Colorado. Sukkertoppen is a cool and fairly easy hike to the top of a cool Norwegian hill that gives a visitor a nice chance to become intimate with the local rocks and roots and then rewards the persistent with some absolutely gorgeous views at the summit.

What is this preoccupation all of us have in seeking higher ground? I suppose it stems mostly from…read morea fear of drowning, but I think it also comes from a need to contextualize where one is in the world. Jamie W. and I had no idea where we were when we arrived in Ålesund after eight hours of train and bus travel from Oslo. I had read about this panoramic viewpoint and thought this would be the ideal way to introduce ourselves to this part of Norway. We didn't know it would be a 418-step climb to the top of Mount Aksla, but luckily there were resting benches along the way. Hell, we needed the steps, and it only took fifteen minutes to reach the terrace where there were tables and chairs available to enjoy the view of the fishhook-shaped peninsula filled with the handsome Art Nouveau architecture for which Ålesund is well known. Of course you have the climb down to look forward to, besides which, your FitBit will thank you. RELATED - Exploring Norway? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/3PEL4Fe