NDG 2026 was one of the larger events with 19 participants and many new faces. Unlike previous years, this event took place in late May and early June. Thanks to several organizational tweak, it was also very smooth. This time, the event was in Flesberg, on Blefjell. The cabin itself was in a lightly populated area, with plenty of privacy from other nearby cabins and nearby hiking trails. Amenities included a sauna and a hot tub, though we did struggle getting the hot tub in shape as it had clearly not been well-maintained.

This year's plans:

• Oslo Mediaval festival.
• Excursion to Langedrag, animal park.
• Hike in the Blefjell region.
• Visit to the Kongsberg Silver Mine

Friday 29th and Saturday 30th May

Before even driving to the cabin, we spent Friday evening and Saturday attending the Oslo Medieval festival. This is something we had done in some of the early NDG's, but stopped because our schedule stopped coinciding. We had a few participants dressing up and the time was spent enjoying the various performances as well as perusing the shops on the festival grounds. Many of the group left early on Saturday to explore more of the Oslo center or go to Outlands. Eventually we met up at a restaurant in the evening and returned to Etath's and NTTS' lair to finish getting ready for the drive.

Sunday 31st May

The drive this time was a short three hours, which let us leave for the cabin at 11 in the morning after finishing packing all the needed supplies. Like previous year, we took an hour lunch break near Hokksund. We also stopped in Lampeland to buy what we needed for the meal that evening. It was late afternoon when we reached the cabin. It wasn't the biggest cabin we'd had, but it was quite modern and had a practical layout, including many smaller rooms with two beds, which made it easy for everyone to find a place to sleep they were happy with. Once everyone had settled in, and we had a briefing about various useful information, the kitchen team for that day started setting up for the usual pizza dinner. Since the only mini pizza bottoms we found were whole-wheat, we had to buy a large amount of normal-sized pizza bottoms to make sure to fit all preferences.

Monday 1st June

Monday started slow, with a long-winded shopping trip as we gathered the rest of the supplies needed for our stay, as well as for temporarily improving safety in the cabin. The few people who remained in the cabin spent the day relaxing. We had pasta as a late lunch/early dinner and then some of us enjoyed a few rounds of various Jackbox games while the rest worked on getting the hot tub going. We had mini-quessadillas as a snack later that evening. The evening wound down quite fast as the departure for the excursion the next day was quite early.

Tuesday 2nd June

We left for langedrag at 7:30 in the morning, to ensure we would arrive in time. The weather that day was cloudy, and a little cold, but otherwise dry. This year, a number of people had booked for a two hours horse riding activity, starting at 10:00, which we had never tried before. This turned out to be quite popular. While seven of us rode horses, the rest was free to roam around and watch the moose and reindeer feeding. As luck would have it, there were some nealy born moose calves that we got the chance to observe from afar also. Then everyone gathered for lunch, with most people having waffles. Being very early in the season meant we got a relatively quiet meal, but they didn't have their full lunch menu readily available so it took a while until our orders were ready. Once lunch was done the day's program continued with the usual feeding of wolves, lynxes and foxes. Some of our group chose some of the extra options to visit the lynxes and wolves in their cages. The visit to the socialized wolves, was once again quite popular and lasted over an hour. It was late afternoon when we returned to the minibus and then back to the cabin. Lapskaus was served for dinner, with a vegan alternative for those who desired. By that point, the hot tub was fully in service and many people chose to enjoy it.

Wednesday 3rd June

Aside from a shopping trip for obtaining the supplies for wafles and the evening meal, this was another day spent at the cabin. The weather was still overcast and cold with rain shower punctuating the afternoon. This didn't stop a few of us from doing a brief hike in the evening, before preparations for the barbecue started. Grilling meat for 19 dragons took a while, so the meal dragged on quite far into the evening. The evening ended with watching a few videos, before everyone went to sleep in anticipation for the hike the following day.

Thursday 4th June

The hike plans for this NDG were quite simple, with two possible trips planned starting from the cabin and an option for experienced hikers to make their own path. Unfortunately the wether was not with us, which resulted in only the experienced hikers to leave, while the rest of us stuck around the cabin and played board games. The hiking group returned a few hours later cold and drenched. We made more mini-quesadillas to help them warm up, then everyone relaxed until dinner time. The weather cleared up by evening and we went to a local dining place for a meal, before returning to the cabin where some of us were introduced to the game Blood on the Clock Tower.

Friday 5th June

The last day at the cabin was as rainy as the previous one, dashing any hope for a hike in dry weather. The day was therefore spent in discussions and more games. We had tacos for dinner, followed by a few more rounds of Jackbox games and milkshakes.

Saturday 6th June

This day brought NDG to a close as we packed our belongings then cleaned and left the cabin in the morning. We left later than planned but left the place in a better state than we found it, as always. The weather had finally decided to improve and the sun showed up to bless our last excursion: A visit to the King's silver mine in Kongsberg. We got packed into a loud train going deep into the mountain where we could see artefacts from the time the mine was still operating and hear stories about the working conditions of the mine workers from the guide. It was a cool 5C inside and so it was pleasant to return to the outside and the warm sun afterwards. After looking at the souvenir shop, we went on the last leg of the trip back to Hakadal, where we ordered food from the local chinese place for dinner. The evening was filled with discussion and saying good bye to those who were leaving the following day, marking the end of yet another delightful event.