Trolltunga is the most spectacular rock formation in Norway. At 1180 meters above sea level, and about 700 meters above the lake Ringedalsvatnet. Over the last decade Trolltunga has grown massively in popularity, and it is estimated that more than 80,000 people hit the trial each year.
For us, the Trolltunga hike was the most unforgiving, awe-inspiring and beautiful travel experience we've had to date. Full of incredible scenery and unique moments that you can literally never forget! Walking over 27km through thick snow, past crystal clear lakes, dazzling waterfalls, across icy fields and over steep rocky hills, with views of the magnificent fjords below.
In this Guide we are going to share our experience with you and give you our best tips on how to get there, where to stay, what to bring, as well as details on how long the hike takes and whether it's something you could do or not. We hope it's helpful for you!
The hike to Trolltunga is recommended from the beginning of June (depending on when the majority of the snow melts) until the end of September. Although, you can climb it before that time (between March and May), weather conditions can be severe and it isn't recommended.
We climbed it on 8th June 2018.
How To Get There
Our trip to Norway began with a flight from London to Bergen. From Bergen we travelled by bus, ferry and taxi to Tysedaal, which took 6.5 hours in total. It isn't usually meant to take that long, but we were stuck in traffic for about 2 hours whilst on the bus journey (after a massive rock fell off a cliff and into the road). Tysedaal is where we stayed in preparation for the Trolltunga Hike the following day.
From Bergen Airport you can get the Airport Shuttle Bus (Bergen Lufthavn) to Bergen City Center & Main Bus Station (Bergen Busstasjon) which takes approx. 30 minutes (depending on rush hours). Then from Bergen Busstasjon you can take a bus to Røldalsvegen ved Odda rådhus. Check the bus schedules etc. for your dates HERE.
If you are unsure about the bus route, it's always worth asking people on TripAdvisor. Just search "How to travel Bergen to Odda" and read what many people have already asked, or ask a new question and you'll soon receive helpful answers from people who have done it themselves.
You can follow us on TripAdvisor too! We always share our reviews of the places we visit and things we do, giving recommendations to the TripAdvisor community. Here's our profile: www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Profile/DanAndLoisGardner
Depending on whether you are staying in Odda or Tyssedal, you can find a local Taxi quite easily to complete your journey to your accommodation once you get off the bus. Also, remember to book a Taxi (in advance) for the morning of the hike, to pick you up around 20-30 minutes before you plan to start. The Taxi will usually take approx. 10-15 minutes to reach the start of the trail at Skjeggedal. Keep the Taxi number so you can call them once you need to be picked up again after finishing the hike.
Where To Stay For The Trolltunga Hike
There are plenty of places to stay for the hike, either in Odda, or in Tyssedal, which are both a short Taxi ride away from where the hike begins in Skjeggedal. We stayed in Tyssedal in a little Airbnb. Our host Saif was a lovely guy, and actually owned a restaurant in Odda (which we ate at, the evening before the hike). We'd recommend his place as an option for somewhere to stay. You can click HERE to see his place on Airbnb.
What To Bring For The Hike
Bring comfortable hiking boots, a backpack for extra warm and windproof clothing, additional/spare clothing (such as socks & lighter trousers), rainwear, a hat, a headlamp, a basic first-aid kit, a power bank charger, sunglasses, sun cream, and enough to eat and drink.
In regards to drink - a single large water bottle will be fine (no need to take multiple bottles and weigh yourself down). You can refill your water bottles from the many fresh streams and small waterfalls you will walk past on the hike. Regarding food, we'd recommend foods such as mixed nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, apples, bananas and similar little snacks to eat as you go, to keep your energy levels up. Then maybe a tin of rice and salmon or pasta for when you reach the top.
And of course it goes without saying, but bring back with you all of your litter.
How Long Does It Take?
The round-trip hike is 27 km with an ascent of almost 800 metres. It can take between 8-12 hours return depending on your fitness and depending (of course) on how often you stop and stare at the incredible views! We started the hike at 7.30am, and it took us 4.5 hours to climb to the submit, and just under 4.5 hours to climb back down to the bottom again. That's 9 hours hiking, and we spent around 1.5 hours at the top to take in the views, eat and get ready for the descent. Our feet felt like they were in bits after we made it back down to the bottom again.. but it was definitely worth it!
We would recommend you starting the hike as early as you can in the morning (no later than 8am), so that you don't feel you are constantly on a time limit and you can really enjoy it to the full. Find out the daylight hours and typical weather conditions for the month you are going and plan accordingly.
There was a moment in particular during our hike of Trolltunga that will stay with us forever. We were about 3 hours into the hike and had been on a steady incline amongst rocks and snow for about 30 minutes when the ground started to even out. From what we could see up ahead we thought we may have reached the top, but just as on many other occasions, we were mistaken. Instead we were welcomed by a wide open stretch of land with a beautiful icy lake. As we approached the lake Lois told me to just stop and listen!.. So I did. And the sound we heard was the most beautiful thing – it was no sound at all, just the purest silence you could imagine. There was no wind, no birds, no people, no sound. It’s the only time we can ever remember such silence in our lives. It almost felt like we had lost our hearing. We both stood very still and gazed into this icy lake, on a mountain 1,000 metres above sea level, in total silence, and gratefully savoured this beautiful moment together.
Here is a photograph of that place.
Final Words..
Whilst we were doing our research on Trolltunga and planning the trip, almost all the websites promoting Trolltunga said that they would recommend booking a guided hike, unless you were an experienced hiker. But as I did more research and read more blogs about the hike it became clear that a Guide wasn't really necessary, unless you had never been on a long strenuous walk before, or were very nervous and wanted a Guide for peace of mind.
We wouldn't consider ourselves "experienced hikers" to be honest, we just try our best to keep relatively fit week to week! But not booking a Guide for the hike was definitely the best decision we made, as following a Guide would have really spoilt the experience in my opinion. But don't take our word as the right decision for you. Everyone is different. If you want to climb Trolltunga, but are unsure of your fitness/ability, then we would just recommend going on some local hikes first, see how it feels, build yourself up to it.
We hope that you've been INSPIRED to climb Trolltunga!
Here's a 60 second video from the Trolltunga Hike:
Thanks for reading.
Dan & Lois
