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Odda & Trolltunga

Trolltunga is a rock formation that rises about 700 meters above Ringedalsvatnet. The special thing about it is that the rock floats above the lake. It looks like a tongue, a troll's tongue. From here you can enjoy an excellent view of Ringedalsvatnet.

24/06/2019

dear(travel)diary,

28km and 1000 altitude meters - that's how long the hike to Trolltunga is! On average, hikers need 10 to 12 hours for this. However, we made a little workout out of the hike and needed 6 1/2 hours of pure hiking time.

Our "workout hike" started punctually at 8 am. The first part of the hike was probably the most strenuous. Because this is where you cover the most meters in altitude. It was initially 4 km uphill. After a short breather on the straight section, the second steep part was uphill. From then on, the hike continues relatively steadily. After 3 hours and 20 minutes (much faster than expected!), we finally arrived at the “Troll Tongue” and had really earned a break.

Unfortunately, Trolltunga was even more crowded than Kjerag. We sometimes had to wait 15 minutes to get to the stone (and take a quick photo there). However, we managed to pass the time by chatting to other hikers. Once we had our photos in the box and a little snack in our stomachs, we walked back again and were even faster than on the way there. Exhausted from the hike, we headed straight back down the valley to the campsite in Odda. There we put our feet up for a while.

xx Chiara

  Hike

The starting point is the parking lot in Skjeggedal. A parking ticket costs approx. 50 EUR. The hike is 28km long in total. You will climb 1000m in altitude. It took us 6 1/2 hours of pure hiking time with a slightly faster walking pace and a few short breaks.

You can save yourself the first 4km uphill and the last 4km downhill by taking a shuttle for an extra charge or by using one of the parking spaces a little higher up. However, there are only 30 parking spaces, all of which are occupied shortly after opening (at 6am).

You should be aware of the length of the hike beforehand. There are rescue huts along the way, but you don't really want to have to use them. We were quicker than indicated and also less exhausted than expected, but this is our personal experience, which can be different for everyone!

Tip: If you continue hiking for about 20 minutes after reaching Trolltunga, you will reach the “small Preikestolen”. This is a very narrow rocky outcrop that juts out horizontally from the mountain. From here you can look down 1,000m into the depths.

Interesting to know: The 4km long road up to the start of the Trolltunga hike has only been in existence for a few years. There used to be a train up there. After it was shut down, you had to climb up very steep wooden stairs next to the old train tracks. Not an easy affair!


  Where to sleep

We can absolutely recommend the Odda campsite. It is beautifully situated on Lake Sandvinvatnet, which is surrounded by mountains. We paid around EUR 35 per night for the overnight stay. The kitchen at the campsite is well equipped! There were also several places where we could eat well, so we didn't even need our own things.

The campsite is the perfect place for an overnight stay before the Trolltunga hike, as it's only about 20 minutes from here to the start of the hike and there are regular buses to Trolltunga. Of course, you can also camp at Trolltunga itself. However, we decided against it. On the one hand, because of the weather; on the other hand, we didn't want to carry all that stuff around with us for a total of 28km. However, if you want to camp there, be sure to check in which zones this is allowed and in which it is not. There are information boards at the start of the hike. You should also bear in mind that you will have to pay twice as much for the parking lot (two-day rate instead of one-day rate).

If you are looking for a special place to stay overnight, you can also spend the night in a luxury treehouse in Odda - the Odda Treehouse Woodnest. A night in the treehouse is not cheap, but it is a unique experience!


On the way to Odda...

...we passed the Låtefossen double waterfalls. The waterfalls, with a drop height of 165m, are located directly on the RV13 and are therefore super easy to reach. You drive past them over a bridge and stop shortly afterwards in a small parking lot. You can then walk to the waterfalls via a path next to the souvenir office and admire them.

One small drawback: as the waterfalls are so easy to reach, there were a lot of people there.

I have put together a list of all the places on Google Maps.

You can find the list here.