NDG 2024 was one of the more relaxed events, with only 18 paricipants and a cabin that turned out to be a good starting point for our hike. It took place on the very west part of Norway, on the beautiful island of Sotra barely an hour from Bergen centre. The cabin was located next to the sea, with a gorgeous view and a lot of nearby nature to explore

The proximity to Bergen allowed some participants to arrive and leave directly from Bergen airport. The rest of the participants got to experience the longest road trip in NDG history, departing from Hakadal, going through Hallingdalen and over Hardangervidda, then down through Hardangerfjorden, through Bergen before finally arriving at Sotra after 9 hours on the road.

This year's plans:

• Excursion to Bergen, low and high
• Hike on Sotra
• Visit to Borgund Stave Church

Sunday 30th July, 1st day

NDG 2024 started easy, with 5 participants arriving directly in Bergen and one having driven all the way from Germany to Hakadal in their own RV. This meant only a few people needed space to sleep in the Elmandrian's lair. The night to Sunday was short however, as we needed to be departing at 8:00 in the morning. The morning part of the drive became exciting once we began crossing the Hardangervidda highland plateau on our way to Bergen. We made a stop at Vøringfossen for a decent lunch before resuming out journey. The drive then continued offering everyone some scenic views of Hardangerfjorden, including a crossing of Hardanger bridge. After a stop in Bergen to pick up our five remaining participants, and do some shopping, we finished our trip to the cabin. The arrival at the cabin was a bit chaotic as the sleeping accommodation were a bit more cramped than we expected. After some compromise, everyone got a bed and the preparation of the "make-your-own mini-pizza" dinner started. A short info-meeting took place just before everyone started eating. And finally the evening wound down with many people trying to hot tub.

Monday 1st July

Unfortunately for us, the fair weather we'd had the previous day did not last and we began getting a fair bit of rain as early as monday. The day was spent mostly sleeping in, settling in and shopping for whetever was missing. Some people went to explore outdoors in spite of the rain. We ended the day with a "make-your-own pasta-salad" dinner, which was both easier to make than the spicy soup from previous years and also better for accommodating all food preferences.

Tuesday 2nd July

The main excursion day saw us go to Bergen and started with a fjord cruise along Osterfjorden, Mostraumen and the scenic Mofjorden, to Mo and back. The weather was cloudy and a bit cold, but thankfully not as rainy as the previous day. The boat offered "some lunch" (snacks) for an "ok price" (exorbitant).

For the second part of the day, we went to the top of Ulriken. Half the group took the cable car up, while the rest walked up the 1333 steps of the "Oppstemten" staircase up the mountain. Finally, we all went back down to the center of bergen for sharing a few sushi platter at a fresh fish restaurant.

Wednesday 3rd July

The rest day was mostly spent chatting, relaxing and sharing waffles and snacks. A few people spent the evening hiking in the area, while the rest of our kitchen team set up for barbeque. The day ended grilling and eating a bunch of meats fish and vegetables.

Thursday 4th July

The main hike for this NDG was on Sotra itself, starting and ending at the cabin. While a few participants opted to spend another relaxing day, most joined the climb up to Veten. The day started cloudy, and remained so for the largest part of the hike. After a lunch at the top, we made our way down via Kleppaksla. The weather turned windy and rainy as the last of us made our way down. By that point, it was too late to finish the trip on foot and the bus picked up the stragglers as we went shopping for the evening's dinner. Lapskaus (norwegian beef stew) and fiskekaker (fish patties) were shared. Finally some of us settled down for a game of Wyrmspan while others made more use of the hot tub, before going to sleep.

Friday 5th July

The last day was a welcome rest after the hike. The event started winding down with two people already leaving (from Bergen Airport). Dinner was ready early, with Raz once again overseeing the preparation of Tacos. The evening was otherwise spent cleaning as much as possible, as we once again needed to leave at 8:00 the next day. A few rounds of JackBox games were played before everyone went to bed.

Saturday 6th July

We left the cabin only 20 minutes late after a short breakfast and a hectic morning of cleaning. The cabin was left spotless as always and we set off oon the long drive back. Like previous year, we stopped at a stave church for a quick visit on the way back, alongside with lunch. Finally we crossed back over Hemsedalsfjellet and returned to Hakadal to finish the day eating ordered food from the local Asian place.