Trip Report: Trolltunga Norway
When: 09/17/2017
Location: Odda, Norway
Conditions: Norway get pretty chilly and wet this time of year. There were moments of sunlight through the dense clouds, but much of the trip consisted of cold, wet weather. Temps dropped to freezing at night.
Duration: 2 days/3 nights
Difficulty: Moderate difficulty. The terrain can get steep and the first kilometer is straight uphill. The hike is strenuous, but I would argue that figuring out the right layering system is about as difficult.
Kid Friendly: No
Pet Friendly: For active dogs, yes!
Useful links:
norwaytonowhere.com
trolltunga-active.com
visitnorway.com
The Full Report:
Getting there:
Trolltunga is located in the Hardangervi a National Park and is about 6 hours outside of Oslo, Norway. I chose to rent a car and drive, but buses are widely available. Many people also hitchhike in this area. I recommend starting the hike in the morning. I spent the first night at the Odda Campground, where you can pitch your own tent, and use their free Wi-Fi. The campground is a great place to meet people, and coordinate for the hike in the morning! The trailhead is a few miles down the highway, and you can get there by bus. Buses are not permitted through at a certain point in the road which is about 6 miles from the trailhead. There are taxis available at this point. It is a lot easier if you have a rental car and can link up with a few hikers that want to split the parking fee, which is quite high at about 600 NOK (which is what I did). The lower lot is recommended and cheaper, and the upper lot fills up quickly but does bypass the strenuous first kilometer of the hike.
Trolltunga hike:
There are two trailheads for Trolltunga, one is the old route, and one is the new road that was recently built. The old route is recommended, though quite steep. Walk west from Trolltunga Activ to access this trailhead. The first kilometer consists of stairs built from large stones, lots of mud, and some steep sections that may require the use of cables they have put in place. After this, the landscape opens into a marshy area that is full of streams, and large rock slabs. The trail is extremely well marked at this point, perhaps too well marked, but there is no way to get lost even if you tried. An important thing to note is that water does not need to be filtered here! You can take your water reservoirs and fill them up with running water. Also, there are folks that come to do this hike from all over the world, and I heard so many different languages spoken. Additionally, in case of emergency, there are 3 survival cabins along the hike.
After the marshy area, you climb up about another 1 or 2km on some steep slabs. The terrain becomes much rockier. This section has beautiful picturesque lakes, and here I saw my first glimpse of the fjords. At this point, the trail follows along the fjord. The views are breathtaking, and I had never seen anything quite like it before in my life. The trail continues to strut its stuff for the rest of the hike, and then you reach Trolltunga. The rock feature is truly amazing. I sat there watching people walk to the edge, sit down, dangle their feet over, and walk back repeatedly. It is terrifying to watch! I cracked a beer I had hiked up, finished it, asked someone to take my picture, and did the same as I saw the people before me do.
I set up camp near the edge of the cliff, with my morning view overlooking the fjord. The night was a little windy and cold. I had breakfast, made coffee, took one last photo on Trolltunga and hiked out. Norway has some interesting land laws and permits anyone to camp on uncultivated land for up to 2 days, even private property. I looked at a map, dropped a pin, and drove until I reached a nice view that night. I settled on a spot overlooking mountains and surrounded by a few cabins in the distance. I drove back the next day, with some road delays due to a flock of sheep blocking the road.
Remember to Leave No Trace! Due to the popularity of this hike, and the number of inexperienced hikers attempting it, many do not abide by these principles. It is disheartening to see trash and unburied poop, so clean up after yourself no matter where you are, and bury your poop!
What to bring:
Camping supplies: tent, 0F degree sleeping bag, warm rated sleeping pad
Rain shell, and maybe pants also
Puffy jacket
Wool base layers
Waterproof hiking boots
Water reservoir
Trowel
Whiskey
Camera (optional)
Trekking poles (optional)
The Full Report:
Getting there:
Trolltunga is located in the Hardangervi a National Park and is about 6 hours outside of Oslo, Norway. I chose to rent a car and drive, but buses are widely available. Many people also hitchhike in this area. I recommend starting the hike in the morning. I spent the first night at the Odda Campground, where you can pitch your own tent, and use their free Wi-Fi. The campground is a great place to meet people, and coordinate for the hike in the morning! The trailhead is a few miles down the highway, and you can get there by bus. Buses are not permitted through at a certain point in the road which is about 6 miles from the trailhead. There are taxis available at this point. It is a lot easier if you have a rental car and can link up with a few hikers that want to split the parking fee, which is quite high at about 600 NOK (which is what I did). The lower lot is recommended and cheaper, and the upper lot fills up quickly but does bypass the strenuous first kilometer of the hike.
Trolltunga hike:
There are two trailheads for Trolltunga, one is the old route, and one is the new road that was recently built. The old route is recommended, though quite steep. Walk west from Trolltunga Activ to access this trailhead. The first kilometer consists of stairs built from large stones, lots of mud, and some steep sections that may require the use of cables they have put in place. After this, the landscape opens into a marshy area that is full of streams, and large rock slabs. The trail is extremely well marked at this point, perhaps too well marked, but there is no way to get lost even if you tried. An important thing to note is that water does not need to be filtered here! You can take your water reservoirs and fill them up with running water. Also, there are folks that come to do this hike from all over the world, and I heard so many different languages spoken. Additionally, in case of emergency, there are 3 survival cabins along the hike.
After the marshy area, you climb up about another 1 or 2km on some steep slabs. The terrain becomes much rockier. This section has beautiful picturesque lakes, and here I saw my first glimpse of the fjords. At this point, the trail follows along the fjord. The views are breathtaking, and I had never seen anything quite like it before in my life. The trail continues to strut its stuff for the rest of the hike, and then you reach Trolltunga. The rock feature is truly amazing. I sat there watching people walk to the edge, sit down, dangle their feet over, and walk back repeatedly. It is terrifying to watch! I cracked a beer I had hiked up, finished it, asked someone to take my picture, and did the same as I saw the people before me do.
I set up camp near the edge of the cliff, with my morning view overlooking the fjord. The night was a little windy and cold. I had breakfast, made coffee, took one last photo on Trolltunga and hiked out. Norway has some interesting land laws and permits anyone to camp on uncultivated land for up to 2 days, even private property. I looked at a map, dropped a pin, and drove until I reached a nice view that night. I settled on a spot overlooking mountains and surrounded by a few cabins in the distance. I drove back the next day, with some road delays due to a flock of sheep blocking the road.
Remember to Leave No Trace! Due to the popularity of this hike, and the number of inexperienced hikers attempting it, many do not abide by these principles. It is disheartening to see trash and unburied poop, so clean up after yourself no matter where you are, and bury your poop!
What to bring:
Camping supplies: tent, 0F degree sleeping bag, warm rated sleeping pad
Rain shell, and maybe pants also
Puffy jacket
Wool base layers
Waterproof hiking boots
Water reservoir
Trowel
Whiskey
Camera (optional)
Trekking poles (optional)