Photographing the Muskox in Dovrefjell During Winter

In this article, I will share my experience taking photos of muskoxen in Norway’s Dovrefjell National Park in the heart of winter. You can consider this my continuation of the essay “Photographing the Muskox in a Winter Wonderland” previously published on Photography Life by Dr. Michael Rübhausen.

What Are Muskoxen?

The muskox (Ovibos moschatus) is a hoofed mammal native to the Arctic, known for its thick coat that enables it to survive in cold climates. This animal is a majestic relic of the glacial era. After a successful reintroduction roughly 80 years ago, a small number of them live protected in Norway’s Dovrefjell National Park.

This is indeed a small population, threatened by several hazards, mostly due to climate change. Warmer winters put these animals in danger because the normal powder snow of the area instead melts and freezes, preventing them from feeding properly. Moreover, they have little resistance to infectious diseases from livestock and wild reindeer, because they all originated in Greenland.

Therefore, respect is paramount. The photographer must always remember that the animal’s safety and wellbeing is worth more than any photo.

My Experience

Visiting to photograph these strong animals during winter is a true adventure that attracts photographers every year. In such an environment, especially with the extreme weather conditions of this region in winter, every visit is different. Well, I could say the same thing about all the places I never get tired of returning to!

I have traveled to Dovrefjell twice, in 2016 and 2022 – both times in late January to experience the snowfall and the true essence of deep winter. During the 2022 trip, I went with my friend Marco, a friend of mine with whom I have shared countless days in the wild nature of the Italian Alps.

On our first day, we faced the first challenge: Our guide ran into a personal emergency and couldn’t join us! Luckily, I do a lot of mountaineering, and I know how to move on the mountains. I even served as an instructor for the Italian Alpine Club when I was younger. And I had a GPS track from my previous visit in 2016, which could help us to reach the location where we had seen animals in the past.

I didn’t know if they would be in the same area after six years, but we decided to give it a try. After a lot of walking and careful searching through binoculars, we found them! It was a challenging day, but we succeeded at finding our subjects in the snow.

It was immensely satisfying to find the muskoxen and take the first photos. But the weather rapidly worsened, with heavy snowfall and increasing winds. We were tired, dehydrated, and troubled by the challenging task of returning. So, after photographing for about an hour, we turned back.

We spent the next day resting and looking for a shorter path to reach the animals. With the help of careful map examination and discussions with a ranger, we were ready to try again on the third day.

In an instant, it was a new morning, and we were heading up as quickly as we could. After half an hour, we reached three Norwegians – a guide with two clients. They planned to spend two nights in a tent and were pulling their pulkas, which are local sleds used to carry supplies.

We smiled at each other, he asked me: “How alive do you feel, huh?”

“Very!” I replied. Nothing is better than spending some days outdoors doing what you love.

Later, we encountered a fourth person: a Norwegian on skis descending alone. He informed us no muskox were visible and warned about an incoming snowstorm, prompting him to head back immediately. The weather forecast we checked before the trip didn’t seem so bad, and since the Norwegian guide we met before hadn’t been concerned, we decided to continue.

Before long, we adjusted our route to climb a ridge, hoping to spot animals from a higher vantage point. It was a good idea. The muskoxen had moved several kilometers, but we found them again from the bird’s-eye view.

In the meantime, the weather was getting worse – the lone Norwegian was right. I suspected the animals sensed it, too, because they moved to a more sheltered place.

After a couple of hours, we met back up with the group of three people from earlier, who had followed our tracks to locate us and the animals. But soon, the storm grew in strength, worrying everybody. Quickly, it was time to head back.

The guide asked me and Marco to confirm two things: that we knew the route to follow, and that we could do it in this weather. Otherwise, we all could take shelter in their tent.

Our experience in mountain activities – and two GPSs between us – gave us confidence in our ability to proceed back home. TAs we descended to the valley to reach the road and our car, the group of three returned to the tent.

The way back was intense. I have never encountered a storm like this, feeling as if we were in the middle of nowhere and without any available shelter. I have no photos of what the next few hours were like! The wind blew the snow horizontally into our faces. It would be impossible to walk without our snow masks.

Eventually, of course, we reached the valley and our car. Unfortunately, the road back to our cabin (the State Road E6, a major route connecting Oslo with Trondheim) was closed. Snowplows wouldn’t reopen the route to traffic until the next day, but thankfully the road remained open to a nearby village in the opposite direction. An end to a successful, though exhausting, day.

Then it was Wednesday. Strong winds again – necessitating snow masks – but no new snowfall. We climbed back up to our location from the previous day, a little worried about the fate of our three new Norwegian friends.

Thankfully, we met them near the same place where we said goodbye, in front of our beloved muskox!

They had endured a sleepless night thanks to the wind constantly shaking the tent. Even though our days had involved more hiking, at least we had a hot shower, a big dinner, and a warm bed to recover our energy.

The weather was brutally cold that day. We spent a few hours taking photos, then the Norwegians gave up first, finally going back down. We followed shortly after.

Photo Gear

This trip was a challenge for packing camera gear. As you can see from the photo above, the conditions are brutal, and saving just a few grams can make a difference on long hikes like this.

In general, when planning a photography trip that involves a lot of hiking, it’s best to choose lightweight lenses and cameras – preferably something that can be used without a tripod to reduce weight. In this specific case, it was also paramount to bring a long lens. Muskox are big, but you can’t get close to them.

The kit I selected for this trip included a Nikon Z9 with three lenses: 24-120mm f/4, 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6, and 500mm /5.6 PF with a teleconverter. The Phase Fresnel lenses provide a unique combination of low weight, long focal, and high quality. But today, I would be sorely tempted to replace both the 100-400mm and the 500mm f/5.6 with the single Nikon Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3. Convenience is more important than sharpness when dealing with snow and wind. Minimizing weight while reaching all the important focal lengths is the goal.

That said, I didn’t carry all those lenses with me every day. Instead, I alternated between the 100-400mm and 500mm lenses, so my bag was relatively light. Don’t forget: The overall weight in the backpack affects one’s performance. It is important to assess your fitness level honestly, because this avoids turning an adventure into a risky experience.

I prefer to use a dedicated hiking backpack to carry all the necessary equipment on trips like this. It is lighter and more comfortable than most photo backpacks. I use neoprene covers to protect the lenses and cameras for added safety.

How to Approach Muskoxen

The most important rule is to respect wildlife and never jeopardize the welfare of animals for your photographs. In addition, there are some specific guidelines for photographing a muskox:

1. Maintain a safe distance of 200 meters to avoid disturbing the muskox. Moreover, muskoxen are large and fast. An adult male can weigh 450 kilograms and run 60 km/h.
2. Make your presence known to the muskox; avoiding sneaking up on them. Muskoxen don’t like surprises.
3. Always keep track of the entire herd, so you know where all the animals are and can avoid surprising one while approaching the others.
4. Pay attention to the muskox’s behavior. If it shows signs of irritation such as digging in the ground, throwing its head, or blowing its nose, it’s time to leave calmly and promptly.

If you have any doubts about the skills needed to be in this type of environment or to see these magnificent but dangerous animals, do not hesitate to hire a guide from a local organization. Doing so will also ensure the best chances of finding the muskoxen and not waste as much time searching.

Mountain Equipment

Winter in the Dovrefjell mountains is cold and windy, so it is essential to be well-prepared. I recommend the following:

• Sturdy and warm shoes, snowshoes, gaiters, snow masks, and thick gloves
• Layers of warm clothing, including Merino wool base layers, fleece mid-layers, a wool hat, and an insulated jacket
• Plenty of food and a thermos filled with a hot beverage, such as tea
• Binoculars! From a distance, a muskox can look a lot like a rock in the snow. Binoculars help you set the right path and observe the animals from a safe distance.
• A GPS, map, and/or compass to find your way back in poor visibility. A smartphone alone is not enough for this; most of them will die almost instantly in weather this cold.

Conclusion

Taking photos of muskox in winter is a true challenge. It needs preparation and a desire for adventure. I strongly recommend hiring a guide or joining a safari managed by a local organization, even if you’re pretty familiar with mountain terrain. It will save you time and energy and help ensure that you get the best possible photos of the muskoxen.

I hope you enjoyed this article, my tips, and the story of my adventure photographing muskoxen in winter. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to let me know in the comments section below.