Starfish on the Summit: Filming the Hike to the Top of Askrova
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Time to read 9 min
"Come on, you're almost there. Don't give up yet!"
I told myself this multiple times, each repetition louder in my head. My legs were dead weight. The bag on my back felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. If I collapsed now, I’d smash my camera gear on one of the many rocks in this area of the island.
Just a little further and the cast is waiting for me at the top of a hill. I had sent them ahead while I captured dramatic drone footage of their climb. A few more steps to where they were gathered, and I finally let myself hit the ground. Stephanie would later say I was a starfish the way I sprawled out as I caught my breath. I was having the time of my life.
The Road to Askrova
But we’re getting a little ahead of things. Let’s rewind back to how we got here.
The previous morning, we had checked out of Knutholmen, a wonderful hotel right in the heart of Kalvåg, a small fishing village about as far west as you can go on Norway’s mainland. As we drove out, the fog and rain of the previous night had lifted, providing a view of the beautiful, almost otherworldly landscape. It was totally different than the sharp rock walls of the Scandinavian Mountains we had been surrounded by for the last week. The hills were more gradual; moss grew on the many rocks along the roadside, and we were told to keep a sharp eye for reindeer crossing the narrow roads.
Like most of rural Norway, these roads could easily be mistaken for single lanes – but trust me, they’re not. On some stretches, there is a sheer coastal mountain rockface on one side of you, and a cliff on the other that leads straight to the waters of the fjord. It requires some courage, but we all take to driving these roads quickly, yet cautiously.
We were traveling in three cars at this point: The Convoy, as it is now called. Frank -- Stephanie & Karen’s cousin – led the way in his black work pickup, followed by Karen driving the mighty G-Wagon with Stephanie, and the crew pulling up the rear (my wife Diana and me) in our M-Series BMW SUV -- entirely too much power for these roads.
Soon, we caught a glimpse of the mountain range as we traveled around the fjord, en route to Florø, where Frank’s boat would take us to his island home of Askrova.
As we entered the harbor, we pulled behind a warehouse on the water and parked our cars, where they would stay until we returned the next day to continue along our tight filming schedule. But for now, Frank went to bring his boat to a closer dock for us as we unloaded our cars. Stephanie and Karen were bringing enough luggage for the night.
Diana and I had strategized the least amount of gear needed for the shots we had planned on the island, still what some might call “excessive.” I live by the saying: “I’d rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.” That went through my head as I hoisted another 60lb hard case out of the cargo area of the BMW and onto the gravel parking lot.
Moments later, our luggage and equipment were all in Frank’s boat. He expertly and effortlessly removed the docking lines, and we cast off. I wanted shots of the boat ride with our cast, which presented a few challenges: the camera rig had to be small enough to maneuver on the boat while in motion, and Diana needed to be out of the shot. The bow was filled with our things, so she couldn’t be there. We quickly devised a plan to have her lean and hide behind Stephanie when I was filming Frank and Karen, then lean on Karen when I was getting coverage of Stephanie. It worked well, and I was happy with the shots I got.
At one point, the sisters moved to the front of the boat to enjoy the fresh air as we bounced along the waves. I switched to a wider lens, then got in front of them to capture their expressions. I don’t like giving them much instruction, the film needs to feel authentic and natural, so I prefer to react to what they feel like doing for the most part.
After a few minutes, we hit larger waves and Stephanie decided to head back to the covered area next to Frank. Thankfully, Diana caught the moment from her perspective for a fun behind-the-scenes shot.
As we rapidly approached Frank’s docks, he suddenly banked hard to the right, and we all shouted and laughed at the sharp movement. We asked if he just did that for fun, and he turned to us with a huge mischievous grin. “Yup!”
As we pull up to the dock, we are greeted by Frank’s family: his wonderful wife Veronica and two incredible kids, Nilia and Jack Levian. They warmly welcome us and quickly help us unload the boat and transfer the luggage to a waiting van. It’s a short drive, so I decided to walk with Stephanie and Karen, getting a few more shots as I go. We get to our rental house overlooking the water, and I start taking over outlets to charge gear for the next day’s hike. After dinner at Frank & Veronica’s house, we went back to the rental and I fell fast asleep, knowing I’d need maximum energy for the next day’s hike to the top of the island.
Morning came early. Diana and I worked on our travel logistics for the next 48 hours and tried to minimize ferries on our route. Ferries are a whole thing here; they are literally a part of the road system in the country, and you need to budget extra time for each ferry you need to take. Once, we lucked out and were boarding within a few minutes of arriving. Other times, it was 45-60 minutes of waiting before we could drive onto the ship.
Next, I reconfigured my camera rig and backpack. I needed the bare minimum gear to capture the hike, as well as a dramatic orbit shot of the ascent with the drone. In fact, this scene we were about to film was the main reason I upgraded my drone to the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, which has 3 separate lenses. A little bit of geeky info: This includes a 168mm telephoto lens that allows me to pull the distant mountains closer, so as the aircraft moves around them, it gives a greater sense of speed and drama. It’s going to look amazing, and I can’t wait to shoot it.
The Hard Way Up
After breakfast and topping off my water bottle, we headed out on foot. It’s about 15 minutes to the trailhead, and I’m told an hour hike to the top from there. One thing we didn’t count on is that I’d need to have them wait for me while I jogged ahead so I could film the front of them as they hiked, then let them pass me, then we’d do it again, in clips of 300 - 500 meters. Once the scenery got even more dramatic, I put the drone up. This time, I had them hike about 900 meters or so while I filmed from the air.
I thought to myself, “Woah, that looks great! Look at that climb; it looks tough. Great footage!” Then it dawned on me, “Oh wait, I’m going to be hiking that next, and at a faster pace in order to catch up!”
A moment later I brought the drone back and attempted to land it, but there wasn’t a place to put it down. Like, literally nothing. It was either uneven rocks, or tall grass. It wasn’t happening, and I hadn’t practiced with this larger drone to snatch it out of the sky (which is risky, and not an approved method of landing by the manufacturer). I called the group, found where they were, and ended up bringing the drone to them, landing with guidance from Frank.
I quickly put the controller away and started powerwalking in their direction. The terrain is uneven, and most of the trail is actually the path water takes off the hills. It was slower going than I expected. The trail curved off sharply to the left, but I saw them straight ahead of me, about 400 meters. I decided to walk directly to them in a straight line, over smaller hills, and through swampy areas hidden by the tall grass. Later, Frank would laugh and tell me, “Oh, you decided to take the hard way!”
Finally, the Top
Now we’ve caught up in our story: I collapsed on the ground, and Stephanie ran over to snap a few photos of my “starfishing.” Yeah, I definitely should have stretched before this hike; it was NO joke.
After another hour or so of hiking, climbing and filming, we reached a resting place near the summit. Veronica and Jack had returned to their house to get lunch ready, so it was now just Stephanie, Karen, Frank, and myself. There was a small, but nice, structure on the hill with a deck and picnic table. I hadn’t seen any access roads for quite a while, and asked Frank how they got the material up there.
“The material was left at the trailhead. Every time someone hiked up, they would take a piece.” Volunteers then built it once the material was relocated to the job site. Wow! Today, it’s used as a shelter that you can reserve to camp out there at no charge. Really, really cool. There was a Norwegian flag rolled around a flagpole inside. I asked Frank to grab it to open at the summit once we reached it. After resting and filming another scene, I had them finish the hike to the top, while I would capture it from the air. Hyper-conscious that I’d be following the same path, I watched as they climbed over a pair of ladders over barbed wire fencing, and through more rough terrain. Once they reached the top, Frank opened the flag, and I got some really amazing footage for the film. I brought the drone back, landed it on the deck, then packed up and hauled off to meet them as fast as I could.
No starfishing this time! As I caught my breath at the top, I looked around and let myself take in this moment. Here I was, at the top of Askrova in Norway, looking out over this stunning vista, shooting a documentary I was already so proud of.
I saw the opportunity to get a shot of each of the sisters in a contemplative moment up here, so I set up my travel tripod. To get the angles I wanted, I set up precariously close to the end of the mountain. More than once, Stephanie and Karen told me to be careful. If my wife had come on the hike, there would have been a third voice for sure.
I directed them to pause for a moment and reflect on their own about the trip so far, and what was still to come. “How are you feeling right now? Be very present and let this moment in.”
After a few minutes with each sister, I had the shots I wanted and knew instantly they’d make the trailer. Once we wrapped at the top, I broke down the tripod and stored it on the side of my backpack. We started our hike down to the trailhead, where Veronica would be waiting to drive us back the rest of the way. I wondered if there would be enough space for one more starfish in the van.
