Trolltunga Overnight Hike: The Complete Guide For Camping In Trolltunga
May 10, 2022
Norway
By guy yefet
This Norway hiking blog is all about the Trolltunga overnight hike where you can do Camping near Trolltunga and experience this amazing place in the best way!
What do you think of when you imagine Norway? Right, On fjords.
Of course, you're probably also thinking of snow and glaciers, cascading waterfalls, endless greenery, and high mountains, but mostly fjords.
Well, you are not mistaken in any of these thoughts because in Norway you will find plenty of all of the above, and one of the places where you can experience some of these things in the best and most interesting way - is in the Trolltunga hike.
When you are planning a trip to Norway, you must put the Trolltunga hike on your bucket list!
You can reach the Trolltunga about 3.5 hours from Bergen, as it is located in the Odda area of Hordaland in the west of the country.
By car:
Take road 13 to Tyssedal and follow the signs to Skjeggedal and Trolltunga.
After about 7 km from Tyssedal, there is a paid car park where the route begins.
By public transport:
From Odda: During the summer (15.6-15.9) a round-trip shuttle service from a variety of accommodations in Odda.
From Stavanger: Paid shuttle service and registration for it is only online.
From Bergen: Line 930 Bergen to Odda.
It is not possible to book in advance on this bus and the payment for the trip is in cash only.
By train:
Travel on the Oslo-Voss railway line of the Norwegian Railway Authority and travel from Voss to Odda on bus line 990.
It is not possible to book a place in advance on this train and payment for the trip is in cash only.
Travel on the Oslo-Odda railway line
Through the "Haukeliekspressen" train service.
Booking for this train is only online through this website.
Length: 22 km, 10-12 hours round trip.
Start and end: The parking lot in Skjeggedal near Odda. There is also convenient public transport and shuttles there.
Difficulty: The route is considered relatively difficult, mainly due to the many climbing hours, which are sometimes steep (note that the first km is the most difficult!).
In 4-5 hours you ascend at an altitude of about 900m, and the highest point is 1,100m. In addition, the weather can be very unpredictable, so it is important to have everything you need for extreme conditions.
Seasons and Weather: The official season for the trip is between July 15 and September 15, depending on the snow on the trail.
It is very important to check the weather forecast before setting out because in some cases (heavy rain, fog, wind) it can become particularly dangerous.
Every year the authorities are forced to send rescue to stuck travellers because they did not organize properly and did not respond to the weather conditions - so be well equipped, and do not underestimate it. Remember that the top is always colder than the bottom.
From September 16 to October 16, you can only go out with a certified guide.
From October 16 to March 15 it is not allowed to hike normally.
From March, there are guided tours with snowshoes.
The Trolltunga cliff rises 700 meters above Lake Ringedalsvatnet and is considered one of the most beautiful of its kind in the world in general and in Norway in particular.
This huge cliff, which is almost inconceivable to be formed from the erosion of huge glaciers, is located on the shores of the Hardangerfjord in western Norway.
The meaning of the name Trolltunga - The tongue of the troll because it is similar to a giant tongue that rises above the fjord.
Most hikers start the Trolltunga hike by parking at (P2 - Skjeggedal) - from it is an 8-12 hour route (round trip).
You can park on the spot, but it is also better for car owners to take a bus because parking is very expensive.
For those who are interested - it's possible to shorten the time and save a significant part of the difficult ascent of the start by booking another bus (more expensive) from the lower parking lot (P2) to the upper parking lot (P3) at Mågelitopp.
Save about an hour and a half to two hours from the route.
It's not recommended to reach this parking lot by car.
All buses to Trolltunga are recommended to be booked in advance.
the hike to Trolltunga isn't easy, but it is well worth the effort, because the way itself is beautiful, and passes between small streams, lakes, and the highest number of waterfalls in the country.
The Trolltunga trail is well marked, and there are distance signs so you can know how close you are to the desired destination.
The surprising catch of this trip is the waiting line.
If you want to take a picture in the end-of-the-world poses in Trolltunga cliff, you'll have to wait for all the other people at the summit to do it, so it's important to take that into account when calculating times (and maybe bring something killer to eat or drink) - sometimes it's an hour!
As mentioned the Trolltunga hike is super famous and as such everyone wants to come and see this phenomenon and this unique place so there are lots of tourists during the summer.
I wanted to avoid the tourist crowd (I did camping near Trolltunga) and the fact that one has to wait in the line of people just for a picture of the Trolltunga.
People say they waited 45 minutes or more just to take a picture.
The Trolltunga hike begins with great beauty, next to you is a steep stream, a flowing and exciting route.
Everything is green and shiny from the last summer rain that fell at night.
The valley below us, where we left the vehicle, is covered in heavy fog. The peaks on all sides are covered with snow and glaciers too and this is just the beginning!
The hike will start with a moderate ascent in the area of a swamp meadow tundra, low meadow, rocks covered with colored lichens.
The lichens shine in a dazzling green-yellow light.
Here you will cross some small streams over modern and beautiful wooden bridges.
The continuation of the route moves to a not easy climb. On a high ridge.
The climb is done on huge stairs that ancient trolls have prepared for you.
Whenever you climb and think you have reached the end of the ridge, You will find that you can always climb a little more…
The hike reaches an almost maximum height, and from there you can already see from the heights of the ridge in all directions, towards glaciers Folgefonna National Park Reserve.
700 meters below the Trolltunga cliff, you will see the azure waters of Ringedalsvatnet (Ring Lake).
The lake is amazing in its beauty, which will accompany you along the entire route west of you, to your right.
The route will continue in an easterly direction. ups and downs, Occasionally a stunning alpine summer bloom.
Northern tundra vegetation. Flat and huge bedrock. Granite, genius, slate. Cross small and large tributaries. Occasionally another small bridge, or walking on rocks in a small stream.
Drinking water on Norwegian hikes:
Here comes the good news for all hikes in Norway: you do not have to take a lot of water!
It is enough that you carry one bottle of water and a half-liter that you can fill on all routes from the water of snowmelt that drips everywhere.
Of course, you will try to fill water in places where people have not passed, so that the water you take will be as pure as possible and not polluted.
So where is the legendary rock, the famous trolling, the well-known Trolltunga?
The Trolltunga cliff is found after a 10-kilometer walk, no less than a 4-hour strenuous walk from the P3 upper parking lot.
Towards the last kilometer, there will already be more crowded signage, and you will be sure that you are on the right path.
Some bridges, more climbing, more rocks to cross. In the end you will reach the Trolltunga.
Trolltunga - the best show in town:
All the guys here. Sit and rest. Eat and drink, make coffee and tea.
Everyone is photographed, and most of all, waiting quietly and comfortably for their donor to go up the rock, and get the picture of life - I was here at Trolltunga in Norway!
Waiting in line to get your picture taken at Trolltunga: While you wait your turn to bring pictures home, or to your Instagram, You will enjoy every moment.
Here you can enjoy a wide variety of plays and performances prepared for you by the tourists who will come to you on the Trolltunga.
Jumps pose ninja endurance at the end of the cliff, brave and utterly insane sitting at its end. Lying on the edge of the cliff.
In short: the best show in town. Not boring and really fun to be with tourists from all over the world in a real thrill of getting to the right place after hard physical exertion.
We started the hike around 2pm and took the water and food equipment with us so we could have camping near Trolltunga.
Already at the beginning of the walk, we started to see huge amounts of people coming back after finishing the hike.
Already there I realized that our move is right because once we sleep in the reserve we will be alone without all the load of tourists and we will have time to experience the Trolltunga without so many tourists around.
Another thing is the colors… Because of the midnight sun phenomenon, the sun does not set and there are 24 hours of daylight, as you get closer to the night the colors in the sky become more impressive and spectacular.
After several hours of walking we arrived at a perfect place for camping.
In the Trolltunga you can only do wild camping there are no other places to stay.
There were a few people with us, maybe 2 more tents at different distances I could see.
We made dinner and mostly admired the amazing colors of the lake in front of us.
After we set up the tent we left the bag and equipment inside the tent.
we took some water, a few light snacks, and a camera, of course, we started walking towards the Trolltunga.
We debated whether to go to the Trolltunga early in the morning or in the night.
Eventually, we decided to get to the Trolltunga at night.
The sun does not set during these hours so there are even more special colors.
We reached the Trolltunga in the middle of the night at 23pm, we were alone and we had the time to take as many photos as we wanted.
We stayed there for more than an hour just admiring this beautiful nature.
One of the best experiences I have had in my life and the decision to set up a tent and camping near Trolltunga was great.
We could experience it alone without any tourist load and that's was the best decision.
One way or another, you do not have to do the Trolltunga hike with a tent and equipment like me, you can definitely go on the trek in one day, just try to get out as early as possible (not after 6 in the morning).
And most importantly - check the weather before leaving for the hike, and stay at the summit for at least an hour.
The place is so magical and beautiful that you will remember it for your whole life.
A short hike that allows you the magical view of Trolltunga (minus the tongue, of course) without the crazy effort of climbing.
The route is relatively easy (there are even stairs and railings!), Suitable for all ages and lasts about an hour.
On the way, you will enjoy the spectacular views of the fjord and glacier.
If you arrive in the summer (and probably will arrive then, right?), You can sit in the cafe upstairs and look out over the area, or go on an organized tour of the caves and tunnels of the power station upstairs.
1. This is not a hike to do if you have no hiking experience, particularly when there is melting snow.
2. Dress appropriately - For the most part, people were fine, but we did see a hiker pass our campsite around the 8km mark at around 8.30pm with a light hoodie and sneakers - no added protection.
The next day we saw a group of day-trippers in jeans/sneakers with plastic bags over their socks to keep out the snow. Not a great decision!
3. Camp overnight if you can! That way you can avoid the rush in the morning, take your time getting up the steepest parts of the hike and enjoy the calm the following morning.
Between the two of us, we had around 15kg of gear including a tent, blow-up mattress, food, stove, cooking implements, and sleeping bags.
Obviously, if you go this route you need to be able to carry the gear up the mountain - you can definitely save weight if you have professional sleeping bags/mats/tents etc.
4. Bring double the amount of quality food! Pasta, sandwiches, fruit, etc are great, along with some sweet snacks.
You burn through calories fairly quickly, especially if you're carrying camp gear/the weather is very warm.
We found having a hearty pasta lunch at the top gave us the energy to get back through the more technical parts of the trail.
5. Don't overestimate your abilities - Yes, you'll see people jogging the track and it sometimes feels as though you're the slowest person on the trail.
The inexperienced hiker needs to understand their limits and needs to know when to stop for a break/water intake.
Even after splitting the hike up over two days, we were still extremely stiff and tired the next day because you use a heap of different muscles.
You need to understand the risks and what issues were likely to face and that it was unlikely we'd be able to go up and back in one day.
6. Keep in mind that the weather is unpredictable and could turn on you at any moment.
So no matter what you wear at the starting point, make sure you also have a wool / brass hat, gloves and a rain-resistant-windproof coat with you.
I hope this Trolltunga hike guide will help you plan your Trolltunga hike in the best way for you.
No matter which way you choose to do the hike, whether it's camping near Trolltunga or doing it in one day - one way or another, you will enjoy one of the most beautiful and impressive places in Europe and the world in general!
An unforgettable experience!
Read My Other Europe Blogs:
How to plan the ultimate norway road trip
8 most scenic routes in norway
how to spend weekend in Amsterdam
2 weeks in sicily: the perfect sicily road trip
scotland road trip Itinerary for 14 days
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