How Can I Confidently Conquer the Trolltunga Hike in Norway?

“Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlig klær".  This Norwegian saying translates to "no bad weather, just bad clothing".

Epic Views on the Way Up to Trolltunga (no trolls were seen!)

Looking forward to the legendary Trolltunga hike!

My friend and I arrived in Norway and hopped into our rental car and made for the camp hostel near Trolltunga.- arguably the crown jewels of hikes in Norway.  Yes, it's a bit of a cliché, but isn’t that what travel is all about? Experiencing those iconic spots that everyone raves about?  

Before heading out on the trail we stopped at a convenience store the morning of around 8 am to grab some snacks for our hike.  The attendant was chatting away to us and asked us what we were doing for the day. Trolltunga! we said.  He gasped…. as did all the customers within a 10 foot radius. 

Apparently German Hikers are Awesome

Did we know that they had rescued German hikers off of that hike with helicopters just a week prior? Well, and as it was explained to us… everyone knows that German hikers are the gold standard of hikers, didn't we know that Nope, I was not aware.  The trail was quite difficult, with no amenities along the route. It seems that European hikers are accustomed to "civilized hiking" as they call it with somewhere to stop and refresh yourself.  Being from Colorado, the no refreshments thing wasn't shocking to me.

There was a general consensus in the convenience store that my friend and I were under prepared. I still to this day, don't know what we were wearing or saying that made everyone think we couldn’t handle the hike.  To give you a better picture of my friend and me, let me share a bit about our history.

My friend who's traveling with me is an exceptional hiker. We've tackled the trails of the Slovenian Alps together, which really sets a high bar for hikers, and we've also adventured through the Himalayas. I hold my own, having grown up in the Rocky Mountains. However, at this point in our journey, we started feeling anxious that we might have underestimated the difficulty of this hike.

Strategizing- To Not Be Rescued

We strategized during the rest of the drive.  From what we had read, seasoned hikers typically finished the trail in about 8 hours, while those with less experience could take as long as 12 hours. We figured we’d be somewhere in between, and since it was August in Norway, we thought starting at 9 am would give us ample time (we had overslept due to jet lag). My friend sets a very brisk pace while I will start to wander if left to my thoughts.  She would take the lead.  The trail was bustling with people at the base, and we found ourselves weaving past hiker after hiker.

The rain was pouring down and would stop intermittently but mostly was continuous for the day. And guess what convenience store people, we were prepared with rain gear!  To our surprise we reached the top of the hike after 3hrs45 minutes.  We enjoyed our lunch and took our obligatory picture and then headed down.  When all was said and done, we finished at 7hrs and 45 mins.  Take that amazing German hikers!  We went and had very warm coffee, followed by large beers and a large dinner. 

Preparation Was Key- and Kept Us From Being Rescued and/or Humiliated

I was grateful that contrary to popular convenience store people's beliefs we were prepared.  Armed with rain jackets and pants and a change of socks.  August in Norway brings with it sleeting drizzling rain and brisk breezes.  This may not sound pleasant, but the views were amazing, and who doesn't want to experience the thrill of feeling like a Viking Warrior when hiking in Norway?  I mean, really?  We had each packed 2 thermoses of hot water.  Now- I know what you are thinking, ramen noodles are not the most nutritionally dense option out there- but the salty comforting carbs hit the spot on cold blustery days.  We had brought plenty of protein bars (nutritionally dense option here) and had filled our backpack bladders to stay fueled.

We could hike this trail confident in our preparations. Though we had a moment of doubt, our experience and thorough planning reassured us that we'd be just fine.