en.malanginspirasi.com – They told me, “Santy, if you want to feel how small you are, go to Gaustatoppen.”
I am Santy, a Muslimah from Malang. I have stood on the slopes of Bromo where the wind whispers. But I have never felt wind like this. Never.
Gaustatoppen stands at 1,883 meters above sea level. From Notodden, it is the crown that watches over all of Telemark. On a clear day, they say you can see one-sixth of all Norway from its peak. One-sixth of a country, from one mountain.
But to reach heaven, you have to go through the heart of the mountain itself.
This is where Norway humbled me with its genius.
Also Read:
The Light from Malang to Notodden: How a Small Town in Norway Touches the Soul
To get to the top, you don’t just hike. You enter a secret inside the mountain – the Gaustabanen.
A tram built deep inside the rock during the Cold War, once a NATO secret facility.
I, Santy from Santy Trip, held my breath as the small, historic funicular pulled us up at a steep, impossible angle, inside total darkness.
For 1,050 meters inside the mountain, climbing through stone that has existed for millions of years. No sunlight. Only the sound of steel on steel, and your own heartbeat.
It is breathtaking. How can humans build something so clever, so hidden, inside a mountain?
Then the doors opened. And the storm welcomed me.
At the summit of Gaustatoppen, the wind is not just wind. It is a storm, a wall, a living creature. It hits your face, it tries to push you back, it screams in your ears.
My hijab flew wildly. I had to hold on to the rocks to stand. The cold bit my cheeks, my hands trembled – not just from cold, but from awe.
I am speechless, in front of me, there was nothing but sky, clouds below my feet, and fjords far, far away. I, Santy, a small girl from Malang who runs a small travel named Santy Trip, felt so incredibly tiny. Smaller than a speck of dust on this giant mountain.
And in that smallness, I found Allah.
Allahu Akbar. How great is the Creator who made this wind, this mountain, this endless horizon. How small are my worries, my fears as a traveler, my sins, in front of His greatness. The storm on Gaustatoppen does not destroy you; it cleanses you. It strips away your ego.
The Norwegians understand this. They built a small, warm stone hut, Gaustatoppen Turisthytte, right on the top. Inside, there was hot chocolate and waffles and smiling faces red from the wind. From brutal storm outside to warm humanity inside. In just one step.
I sat on that peak, my legs shaking from the wind and from emotion, and I made a du’a.
If you ever feel lost, if you ever feel your problems are too big, come to Gaustatoppen.
Come and ride the secret tram through the belly of the mountain and be amazed by what human hands can build.
Then come and stand in the storm at the top and be humbled by what only God’s hands can build.
Let the wind hit you. Let it make you feel small. Because only when you feel small, you will finally understand how great God is.
Come. See it for yourself. Gaustatoppen is waiting.
