Last year I decided that there were a few animals and experiences on my bucket list that I needed fulfill. Pretty close to the top of that list were Musk Ox.
I looked at some options for organised tours in Canada and Greenland, but ever the masochist, I decided I didn’t need someone else to do the planning and that I’d go to Norway myself and find them.
I spoke with a few photographers locally and one them, Jamie Stone (master of the infamous pan fried pizza), decided to come with me. We booked flights and a 4X4 for the last weekend in October, in the hope that we’d either get the last of the fall colours or the first snows of winter.
We then reached out to some local tour guides, as while it is fine to plan the logistics and photography elements of a trip, it would be foolhardy to head in to the mountains without an experienced local guide. After some discussions we booked with Oppdal Safari for two guided days in Dovrefjell.
Jamie sorted the accommodation at Dovregubbens Hall, just minutes from Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park.
Both the guide and accommodation choice turned out fantastically for us, and I can recommend both of them, without hesitation.
We flew in on the Friday, collected the 4X4, and began the 4.5 hour journey north, stopping only for a bite to eat and to collect some supplies.
Norway is a beautiful country, and I really must return in the summer, and autumn, visit the lakes and mountains to appreciate it fully.
We arrived late in the evening to find the cabin heated and ready. A quick bite to eat, prep the camera equipment, and we were off to sleep, eager for what the morning brought.
We woke to a crisp white morning, around -6 degrees and 6 inches of snow, but with not even a breath of wind. At breakfast we watched out the window as a dipper flew from rock to rock in the stream, looking for some food of it’s own.
When finished, we loaded up the car and headed off on the 10 minute drive to meet our guide Sig.
We met Sig and followed him to the car park of the national park. He explained the plan to us, to hike in to the park in search of the musk-oxen, and that we were lucky there was no wind as this meant two things; the snow was staying on the ground and the temperature shouldn’t drop lower than -12 during the day.
We were prepped for a decent length hike but, once again got lucky, and Sig found us a family group of musk ox about a kilometre away. We circled around and found a spot a few hundred metres from the herd. As the morning passed they grew more comfortable around us, approaching closer and allowing us to change our vantage point as needed for photo’s.
They really put on a show for us with the young bulls play fighting, the calves running and even the flehmen response where the male curls back its upper lip exposing its front teeth, and inhales the pheromones & scents of the cows.
We stayed with them for over 6 hours and also saw distant reindeer, redpoll, bullfinch and even grouse.
It was a fantastic day and just as well, as I found myself sick the next day and stayed in the cabin, while Jamie and Sig went out again for another spectacular day with more hiking, musk oxen, Snohetta and full moon silhouettes, but those are Jamie’s stories to tell and his photos to share.
Future Plans and Tours
I would recommend this trip to anyone, and I will be returning for summer and fall shots, and hopefully for the rut.
If you would like to accompany me on any of these trips, to witness and photograph these imposing animals, or would like some help in organising your own trip to Dovrefjell, then drop me an email to tours@patricknoonan.ie and we will organise a tour with you, or help you make a tailored program for yourself.
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