About Mandal
We spent part two of our Southern Norway weekend trip in Mandal, Norway. Mandal sits at the southernmost tip of the country. It’s a Norwegian favorite in the summer months for it’s access to the sea, hiking and beaches. The town is small and only has a few shops and restaurants perched on either end of a river that cuts through town.
Where to stay
We stayed 10 minutes from town at one of the Mones Feriesenter cabins.
Mones Feriesenter seemed like a strange place at first. The check-in desk is located inside the gas station. Towels and sheets are not included. Apart from that, the apartment is fantastic. The Deluxe Apartment is fully equipped for 11 persons. A big upgrade from our spot in Kristiansand, Norway. We all had a room to ourselves, two balconies, a full kitchen and plenty of space for activities.
Where to climb
Once we checked in Julie and I headed out to search for a crag for tomorrow’s climb. It was trickier than anticipated. We hopped fences, trespassed and fleeted through thick forests before giving up. Technically we’d found the crag, but we couldn’t access it from the forest.
Climbing at Bukkespranget
The crag is called Bukkespranget and it sits right on the water’s edge at the end of an industrial park. Determined to find our way there, Julie resorted to social media and blasted a message seeking help. Within only minutes we got a response from Jan, our climber in shining armor. More about Jan in a bit.
On our way back to the car it started to pour. We sought cover and our friends texted asking us to stop by the supermarket. Easy, we thought. 6 pm on a Friday, shouldn’t be a problem. Wrong. Every supermarket was closed until Tuesday – but one. The Eikass open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, attached to a gas station and absolutely buzzing.
This place turned out to be where we picked up our snacks, mixers, dinner and breakfast for the next few days. Thank God it was open.
Dinner in Mandal
That evening we went for an early dinner at Provianten. Online it said it was a pizza and beer joint. In real life, it was not. Instead, we got a rather upscale restaurant and despite telling the waitstaff that no, none of us were named Oliver, we were seated at Oliver’s reserved table.
The meal was reasonably priced and the ambiance was enjoyable. Nothing overly special. I had the fish soup as my main and it ate more like a Boullabaise than I would’ve liked. Not my favorite. Overall, the meal was tasty and everyone else was happy with their dishes.
Back at Mones, we played Monopoly Deal! and sipped vodka sodas until the wee hours of the morning.
Hopeful the weather would look up on Sunday, we hit the hay around 2 am.
Sunday in Mandal
The skies started to clear in the early afternoon. We had booked a boat for the day from Tregde Ferie, another resort just 15 minutes away. We stopped at the only open bakery in town, Edgars, hoping to grab some pastries and sandwiches.
Edgars Bakery, Mandal
Edgars was a disappointment. They had a few pastries, but the sandwiches they had sat sadly wrapped in plastic in the case. Coffee wasn’t an option either, they only had it black, no much-needed cappuccinos or lattes.
Pizzabakeren, Mandal
Disappointed, we hit up Google for a backup. There were two other restaurants open in Mandal. We chose Pizzabakeren. It was a knock-off Dominoes run by one incredible woman. She took calls, made pizzas and took orders at the counter all by herself. I was impressed. There were only two stools by the window. We made due and ate our pizza there before the boat.
Sunday boat trip Tregde Ferie
By the time we arrived at Tregde Ferie it was nearly 2 pm.
Julie got the details about the area and the recommended course and off we went. The further out we went, the rougher the seas. The waves were getting bigger and bigger. We decided to dock at one of the islands the people at Tregde recommended so we could hike for an hour or so.
Skjernøy
By foot, we followed the coastline until we arrived at the suspended red bridge. The highlight was definitely the two mountain sheep chilling just by the path. After we saw them we couldn’t help but notice the vast amount of sheep poo dotting the trails. There have to be dozens of them living there.
We spent about an hour and a half exploring before heading back to the boat. The cruise back to the marina was much more gentle. It gave me the opportunity to admire the cliffside homes nestled in the forest. Some were absolutely stunning and looked like an image out of Architectural Digest. A few even inhabited their own private islands. Talk about a weekend escape.
When we got back we toasted with a bottle of bubbles at the Tregde restaurant. All the liquor stores were closed, so we asked if we could take a bottle to go. Desperate times.
Crag hunting in Mandal, part 2
At 7:30 pm we met up with Jan. Turns out Jan is a local celeb, the president of the climbing association in Mandal, and a cheerful, helpful man.
He escorted us to Bukkespranget. This was certainly not a place we would’ve found on our own. The approach was tricky. Over cement blocks and large boulders for about 15 minutes until you hit the wall, perched beautifully over the deep blue sea.
Jan explained the grades and showed us his favorite climbs. Then he suggested he show us one more spot on our way back to Mandal.
This crag was much much easier to reach. It sits next to a red building where they clean RVs, not the best of odors, but just behind it is a little oasis. There were a few people perched in this amphitheater-style setting watching the sunset.
He showed us two crags, one to the left and one to the right. He explained where we could catch the morning sun and which rocks were likely to dry the quickest. We decided we’d head here in the morning since we only had a half-day before our flight.
Excited for the climb, we had a quiet evening in.
Last day in Southern Norway
Up at 7, we were out the door by 7:30 and at the crag by 7:45. We climbed until noon, checked out of Mones Feriesenter, and headed back to Kristiansand for lunch and a quick climb at Odderøya before the airport.
All in all, it was a great weekender. It felt like we were there much longer. With it being only an hour and 20-minute flight, I’m sure we’ll be back soon for more adventures.
In case you missed it, here’s part one of our Southern Norway weekend.
