Mountain retreat: Norwegian hut blends in with the landscape

The Rabothytta hut, or Rabot tourist cabin, nestled 1,200m above sea level in the shadow of northern Norway’s highest mountain, Oksskolten, is the 500th to join the nationwide network of remote refuges set up by the Norwegian Trekking Association.

Norwegian architects Jarmund/Vigsnæs designed the building, which sleeps 30, to harmonise with the local surroundings and withstand heavy snowdrifts in winter. ‘We wanted the hut to be a precise object standing inconspicuously on the edge of the lake, blending into the mountains and allowing the wind to sweep uninterrupted over the seamless, compact exterior,’ said architect Ane Sønderaal Tolfsen in a statement.

The cabin features an eco-friendly wood treatment called Kebony, which enhances the strength of non-durable hard woods such as pine. Bio-waste liquid from crops is applied to the wood, fortifying its cell wall. The process offers a sustainable alternative to the environmentally costly harvesting of tropical hard woods.

The remote location of the hut and its sensitivity to the environment make it an ideal New Sublimity Tourism destination. For another recent example of innovative travel projects, read our Seed on the Social Pool in the Mojave Desert.