Gold Key Goals

I've mentioned Olav Thon on this blog a few times before. I first heard of the Thon name from seeing Thon hotels around Oslo and during a visit to Tømtehytta, I happened to find a book about Olav Thon and his contributions to the trekking association. What I came to learn was that he is a very, very wealthy 93 year old man who loves hats, colour blocking, and DNT. Olav's contributions to DNT cabin life have taken a few of my cabin stays to the next level. And I too love cabin trips, hats, and power clashing, so it was only natural to dress up as him for Hallowe'en.

© EvenFoto.no (CC BY 3.0) - http://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/thonproperty/images/olav-thon-453727

The costume itself was pretty simple to put together: blazer, baggy collared shirt, necktie, and toque. I also wore wool socks pulled up over my pants and opted for hiking boots when we went out. Props included an issue of Fjell og Vidde, DNT's member publication, and some play money.

Most people were able to guess who I was when given a hint, so I'd say the costume was a success! Happy Hallowe'en!

The Tømte cabins are not far from the city and a popular place to visit. We went to the "little" Tømtehytta mid-week so that we'd have the place to ourselves (the "big" Tømtehytta is right beside the little one but on a Wednesday in June nobody had made any reservations at either except us). We left after work and didn't get to the trail head until around 8pm but there is lots of sun in the summer and we had a few hours of daylight ahead of us.

From the bus stop, a sign notes that are two ways to get to the cabin, one is 7.5km and the other is 3.5. We chose the 3.5km route based on the fact that it was "steeper, but also 4km shorter". What the sign did not mention was that the route we chose was substantially steeper than the alternative. (Not pictured because that was not a fun time.) When we finally had just 500m left to go, the switchbacks started.


Eventually we made it and it was so worth it. This is another cabin that has been renovated with funding from Olav Thon's DNT Foundation and it was at this point I became an Olav Thon super-fan. There was not one, but two couches, as well as a guitar, rocking chair, and cow-print footstool. Plus at least 10 decorative pillows and a loft space for sleeping. AND new ikea cabinets in the kitchen and a brand spanking new outhouse with a poured cement foundation. We lived the dream cabin life for one night and loved every minute of it.

The next day we popped over to the "big" Tømtehytta and took the longer route back, but more on that next week. If we were to do this trip again, I'd take the 7.5km route in. It's also uphill but much less gruelling. On the way out (in the 3.5 km stretch) there is a side hike you can do to a nearby look-off. For us, having walked up that path already, we were not prepared to hike back down (and then up) those switchbacks to see it. Maybe another time!

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Dølerud is an old cabin from the 1800's that opened through DNT in November 2015 after being renovated with funds from Norwegian hat superstar hotel magnate Olav Thon. It is not too far into Østmarka (the part of the greenbelt east of the city), which makes it an excellent candidate for a day trip.

We went in early April, just as the ski season was ending. We started at Skullerudstua and stopped to eat lunch at Rundvannet (lake). Having eaten, we continued on our way and hiked uphill a bit before coming to a really steep descent within a kilometre or two of the cabin. The photo doesn't quite do it justice. We had to hold on to the trees to navigate our way down.


The rest of the trail was relatively flat. When we got to the cabin, it was still boarded up for winter. We didn't open the window coverings so it was dark but the cabin was really nice inside. Dølerud was my first visit to an "Olav Thon cabin" and I had no idea that the comfort of not one but two couches was within the realm of the possible. The outhouse was also new and fancy (read: clean). A huge improvement over some others we've visited.


After lazing around on the couches for a while we went home the same way we came but stuck to the gravel road when the marked trail pointed back to the forest, as to avoid the steep hill we had come down.

If you're planning a trip to Dølerud there are a few things you should know:

1. Dølerud is close enough to the city to have cell service, 
2. There were some passer-by's in the short time we were there so you might expect some visitors if you are staying overnight, and
3. Østmarka is full of blueberry bushes that are ripe for the picking in June/July through to September. 

Plan accordingly!

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