I had recently graduated from college and would start my first full-time job in NYC in a couple of months, and I itched for a serious getaway. I decided to take a trip to Europe with my sister that wasn’t all about partying or “touristy” activities... We sought to do something different that would take us outdoors (soon enough, I’d be locked in my corporate office for 60+ hours in a densely-populated city). Trolltunga it was.
I found only a couple of articles helpful when planning for this trip (listed at the end) thus I’m writing this to give you our take of the trip from packing to transportation to the hike. I want this to dispel any doubts or stress around making Trolltunga a reality. I believe this blog could be perfect for all first-time hikers trying to go big and don’t know what they’re doing (like myself).
No holding back on the details.
Summary
- Date: June 23, 2018 (Sunday)
- Duration: 9–10 hours
- Length of hike: ~17mi round trip or 28km
- Difficulty*: Medium (at times easy, at times hard), a tour guide is not necessary
- Stay: Trolltunga Hotel in Odda
*I’m relatively athletic, work out semi-regularly, with no joint/bone problems, and I grew up with an adventurous spirit. My sister is 2x more athletic than me and recently did a backpacking trip through Big Bend National Park. We both found this hike challenging but capable of being conquered. I don’t think this requires training. Just go at your own pace and plan wisely!
Transportation
- Travel: Bergen -> Voss -> Odda
- Duration: ~3–4 hours
- Mode: Train & bus
- Cost: $-$$, not expensive but suggest carrying cash if you don’t purchase bus tickets in advance
- Keep your eyes open!!! Some of the most amazing sights
I’m probably a little more anxious about planning but in general, this does require forethought in order to time everything perfectly or you’ll be set back in your schedule…
The arrival:
- We flew into Bergen on a Saturday early afternoon. Bergen is recommended because it’s the closest and largest city w/an airport to Odda/Trolltunga
- We took a shuttle bus into the city and was dropped off near the train station. At the train station, we booked a train to Vossevagen (Voss Station) in order to catch the bus to Odda. We bought all bus tickets in advance and link at the end
Note: Once we were dropped off in the town center of Odda, we realized we were quite a distance away from the hotel. There were no taxis and obviously no Ubers available. I think we arrived a little later in the day plus it was a weekend. We figured we could walk (Google maps indicating ~30min) but would not recommend. It was nearly all uphill; fortunately, some nice locals (saw us struggling) gave us a ride. Ideally, would try to coordinate this in advance, possibly calling ahead to the hotel to schedule a taxi, but it’s not the end of the world as you can see (we made it!!)
The return:
- We scheduled a taxi from the hotel to Odda city center (~$12) and the rest of the travel back to Bergen was the same as described
- The timing was seriously crucial: the bus encountered some traffic/construction causing delays and we almost missed our scheduled train back to Bergen…
Stay
- Highly recommend Trolltunga hotel. For a two person bedroom for two nights it was ~$400. Couch surfing and Airbnb are also viable options but I thought the hotel was worth the higher price for convenience, comfort and views. Can I wake up to this view every morning??
- Complementary Scandinavian breakfast was AMAZING! Load up before your trip
- They also provide dinner at their restaurant
Preparation
What we brought:
- 1 full size back pack
- 1 hydration pack filled with water
- 2 big (> 24oz) bottles of water (lots of H20)
- plastic bags (for trash)
- flashlight
- snacks
- toilet paper
- phone & portable charger
- GoPro
- ziplock bags*
- walking stick**
*I feel like this is usually not thought about — but in case of rain, leaving electronics in ziplock bags will help protect them
**We didn’t have this but this trek has a lot of elevation and climbing so could be useful
What we wore: simply pack layers but expect to take them off during the hike. You never know what the weather will be like so plan accordingly. I would dress with warmer clothes to start and remove along the way. I began with 3 layers on top but for the majority of the hike, I only wore my long sleeve t-shirt and rain jacket.
We were semi-lucky. It was a cloudy day so the view wasn’t as nice but lucky enough the fjords weren’t completely shrouded in clouds. We experienced light rain, trekked through light snow, climbed over rocks, and crossed a wet makeshift log bridge.
- Hiking shoes (honestly my shoes were not the best & not made for hiking)
- Leggings (Lulus, Nike, Columbia outdoor tights, etc.)
- Long sleeve t-shirt
- Fleece/Sweatshirt
- Rain coat
- Sock liner
- Thicker socks
- Additional in back pack: track pants (to wear over leggings if cold), gloves, head band (covers ears)
The Hike
The easiest 5:30AM wake up ever.
We hit the road around 6:30AM to start the hike at 7AM local time.
The hotel front desk was very helpful in coordinating taxis and informing us about the hike. There’s a Trolltunga shuttle that arrives near the hotel to pick up hikers and drop them off at the foot of the mountain. Be a little early. We planned to catch it on time and still almost missed the shuttle and would have had to wait another 20–30min…
Once dropped off at the destination, your adrenaline is pumping and a wave of excitement washes over you… BUT don’t get your hopes up yet because technically, the trail doesn’t start until you walk up literally the steepest roads you will have ever trekked (depicted by the initial zig zag lines in the map below). It took us around an hour to get to the trail head. You’ll read that some travelers rent a car and pay to park at the top. As comfortable and luxurious as that seems, this prelim hike gets you warmed up and stoked for the actual beauty and trails to come (although I would have preferred a car on the way down the road… Bless my knees)
Other notes:
- It’s truly about the journey
- Trolltunga is not a circuit type trail but one with a destination and you take the same way back
- Markers to guide you, easy to follow for the most part. Guides in the form of stacked rocks and red marker
- My sister and I actually trailed off a bit but it was easy to reroute back to course (and we got a better view this way)
- Your hands will swell during the hike… it’s normal
- Extensive climbing is involved so be aware of your body’s limits
- No trash cans or toilets along the way but there is one at the foot of the mountain
- Surprised to see a decent amount of hikers along the way, which is comforting to know — you’re not alone but there were plenty of moments where we were the only ones around
- That said, you will have to wait in line for your photo op…
I look back and I’m seriously in utter disbelief that I did this… Trolltunga was the most breathtaking trip — so challenging, beautiful, and seriously some of the purest air I’ve breathed.
Of course if you have any additional questions or comments/feedback I’d love to hear them. Enjoy your hike!
