Norway – Fjords – Journey to Trolltunga - Part 2

The trip was high on my husband’s bucket list. The man who could care less about travelling, expressed interest in doing some Norwegian hiking. We were only in Norway for 3 full days, so making the most of it was essential. Flying into Haugesund would have truly maximized the trip. It would have cut out about an hour of driving and using the ferry, but we would have missed some incredible views going this route.

We started in Stavanger, arriving around midnight on Friday night. SIXT rental car staff will stay out of hours if you provide your flight information when booking. We stayed overnight near the airport in order to get a good night’s rest for the rest of the trip. Saturday morning we set off to Kyrping Camping. I chose this location as it was centrally located along the area we wanted to see. They offer a variety of accommodations to stay in, we chose one of the log cabins along the lake. The drive took about 3 hours with the ferry and winding roads from Sola Airport. There were so many lakes and gorgeous photo stops along the route. We were able to check in early, drop bags and headed towards Røldal. Røldal is known for having one of the oldest stave churches in Norway, dating back to 1200. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/r%C3%B8ldal-stave-church/1267/

Breath-taking scenery

On the way to Røldal you will see numerous waterfalls, including Langfoss, also known as the 5th largest waterfall in Norway. It was voted in 2006, as the World’s Most Beautiful Waterfall. There is a hiking trail at the base to the top, which could be done in about 3 hours. We chose the photos from the bottom option due to the heavy off and on rain most of the day. There is a small parking lot next to the falls which offered a bathroom, snacks and souvenirs. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/langfoss-waterfall/2135/

Upon arrival to Røldal there is signs for the church along the road. We arrived after they had closed for the afternoon, so a few photos of the exterior and we set off to Skjeggedal.

Along the road you will approach another large waterfall. The famous Låtefoss, also known as the twin waterfalls. It was quite the site to see. There is a waterfall a few hundred yards before Låtefoss that is likely to drench your car enroute. The waterfalls were definitely a highlight of our trip. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/l%C3%A5tefoss-waterfall/1268/

As we approached Skjeggedal we started to see signs for Trolltunga. We stopped in to assess where to park and where the start of the hike was. I had read numerous blogs leading up to the hike and wanted to know what to expect myself. We wanted no surprises at 6am for the start of the hike. We found that there is a large car park at the bottom of the hill which is 100NOK a day at the time of writing.

It is another 6km to the top from here. Many people were parked here, because in high season if you arrive late to the top carpark, you will have to park here and hike up the road to the top. The 6km road to the top was an adventure in itself. It is a single lane road along the cliff side.  Watching for cars and people that afternoon was quite the task. Once at the top you will find another carpark at the base of the hike. This one is hourly parking. We read some of the information on the signs and then headed back to the lodge for dinner and a good night’s rest.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZCeBDgkYgQt

Time to hike

Now here is where the adventure truly starts!!! Remember this was a family holiday and we have decided that it is a great idea to take our 11 year old on an expert level hike in Norway. When I say expert level, I mean grown men were turning back in the beginning realizing how under prepared they were. But, we were committed to making it up and down, and in one piece.

We woke up at 5am in order to make the 1 hour drive to the base of the mountain. We packed everything that was mandatory to hike in Norway. All listed here for your reference. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/trolltunga/8625/

I had read the day before that the car park payment machine was broken. Many people waited until 8am when they opened to start their hike. We decided we were not waiting around 2 hours and paid once we came back. We paid 400NOK for the 12 hours we were gone. The area gets quite a bit of rain so expect a bit of mud. I do mean the thick pull off your shoes kind of mud. Everything I read about the hike stated that the 1st kilometer was the worst. They have closed the funicular to which offered stairs to the top. So the only way up was through a wooded path in the forest or a tour company using the sky ladder.

The 1st kilometer offered a variety of terrain and somewhat stairs along the way up made of rocks. The route up you will use ropes in numerous areas to pull yourself to the top.  I might have been a bit ambitious to get to the top and I rushed to the top. DO NOT do this! As much fun as this part of the route was, my 30 something body paid me back at the back end of the hike.

With the 1km done, I remember roughly the sign said 21km total for the hike. We proceeded up numerous mountains, across waterfalls, wood planks, rivers, mud, lots more mud, more water, cliff side drop offs, and sheer rock face. We took 10 minute breaks a few times, but overall snacked in route. 3-4 kilometers into the hike gets interesting again with lots of terrain changes. This was up there with the 1st kilometer in my book. Worn out and sore, but at 7.5 miles later, yes that 12 kilometers, we reached Trolltunga. We arrived just before 12 meaning it took just over 4 hours to get to the top. The view was incredible to say the least. The line was about 20 people back when we arrived. We agreed to swap out with others in line to take photos. If not we would not have been able to take a photo together. We spent just at an hour here with photos, lunch and a pee stop.

Thrilled with our achievement we headed back with our heads held high. At this point the overnight hikers and many others were all heading back at the same time. There was far more overtaking from experienced hikers. This made the way down much slower as many points it’s a small path along the mountain side. My knees two weeks later still remember the down portion like it was yesterday. At this point even changing out of wet socks and bandaging blisters was not doing the trick. I was tired and we had unusually great weather. That meant that all those layers we packed were wearing us down. The temperature peaked midday to about 85 degrees. We packed two water bottles and filled at each waterfall we encountered, which was quite often. So do not feel you have to pack tons as you can refill about every 2km along the route.

We reached 3-4 kilometers again and the mud was even worse than the way up. Over the hills, through the woods, waterfalls, rivers and mud for another 7.5 miles. We reached the last kilometer and this was my final breaking point. My knees were screaming from the down, down, down and more down. A marathon runner I am, a hiker I am not. The mud, people, terrain and ropes made the last kilometer one of those moments that you wished you got better trip insurance. But WE MADE IT!! We kissed each other, happy that not only that we completed the 25 kilometer trek, but that we FREAKING survived to tell about it. I lived up to my word and my kid got a Fanta and 2 kinder eggs for not complaining the whole time!!

My suck it up, you will survive maternal instinct was clearly on point with this trip.

I am a big goal setter and I used my Garmin Fenix to track the hike. You can find it here: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/1344917714

We paid our parking and headed back to the camp ground. We were exhausted and starving, but totally excited for the opportunity to take on this amazing hike.

The next morning we headed into Stavanger for the day. The journey back to the airport was just as gorgeous as the way up. We parked next to the cruise port in the city following the “Old Town” signs. We visited the cathedral and the oldest part of the town. The old town area is filled with 100 white houses and cobblestoned streets. Perfect for an afternoon stroll to stretch out our legs. Enroute to the airport we stopped over to the Swords in the Rock for a photo op. https://www.visitnorway.com/listings/swords-in-rock/1852/

All in and all it was a good 3 day trip for the family. It offered a bit of everything for everyone. Fun, adventure, sites and relaxation.

 

Happy Traveling,

 

Katrina 

Iceland – Glaciers, Hot springs and Waterfalls

The only way to describe Iceland is down right magical. Everything from the mossy covered volcanic rocks, wooden framed houses and waterfalls around every turn there so much to love about this tiny country.

Blue Lagoon 

We spent only 4 days in Iceland and we didn’t plan a thing before we arrived. We grabbed a map from the airport and we totally winged it. We knew we had to see the famous Blue Lagoon, but the rest of the island was up in the air. We started off from Keflavik airport and headed straight to Blue Lagoon as its just 20 minutes up the road from the airport. They have lockers on site so don’t worry about your luggage. Bring a bathing suit you do not love as the sulfur can do a number on your swimsuit and jewelry. 2hours was more than enough for us at lagoon as we had booked dinner at the very nice restaurant on site. I highly recommend it, but it was pricey. If you want some amazing bread bowl soup stop into Svarta Kaffid. We stayed in a quiet location with free parking right in the heart of Downtown. The apartment had a kitchen and it fit all 5 of us girls comfortably.  

Golden Circle

We didn’t have a lot of time so we headed straight for the big sights. This is most known as the Golden Circle. The route heads through the national park Þingvellir, the waterfall Gullfoss (meaning "golden falls"), and the geothermal area of Haukadalur, which has the geysers Geysir and Strokkur.  This was about easily a days worth of travelling especially at Þingvellir, national park. There is a row of waterfalls right up the path between the split in the two continents as they call it. This was a great find and totally unexpected.

Side trips

We made a side trip based on a postcard we found in a gift shop to Glanni falls just north of Reykjavik. Also a trip to Selfoss waterfall is not to be missed as it spans over 144ft across the cliff side.  The great thing about Iceland is while you can have a plan there is so much to see that unless you have a good month in the country you cannot see it all. So to cover the basics remember that at each main intersection they have huge maps along the road and signs to upcoming waterfalls and sights not to be missed.

Waterfalls and Abandoned airplane

The last day in the country we decided to head down to Vik to the black sand beaches. We headed next to Seljalandsfoss Waterfall in which you can see two waterfalls from the road, but an amazing hidden waterfall exists just up the path past the first two.  So don’t miss this on your trip over. We stopped along the way to see the volcano Eyjafjallajökull that was still smoking pretty heavily since we had arrived. You can see Skogafoss right as you start proceeding up the 1 headed toward Vik. This waterfall also offered a nice café to have lunch. As you are leaving here headed to Vik you can top in to see the US Plane Wreck. Once right past Skogafoss start looking right. You will see small opening after you pass the 221 but before you reach the 219. You can locate it through the following coordinates 63.459523 -19.364618. There are small sticks along the route guiding you to the airplane. It’s about a mile out onto the beach.

From here you can head to Vik to the top of the viewpoint down to the ocean. If you are there the right time of year you will be able to see seals sunbathing on the black sand beaches.  Vik isn’t a large town, but we spent the afternoon strolling the beach. On our way back to Reykjavik our stops included Kerið volcano crater, Hveragerði greenhouse village, Skálholt church. We only had really 3.5 days so we totally made the most of the time. Rent a car and don’t be afraid to explore.

 

Great tips:

Bring a rain poncho for the waterfalls

Lots of layers as the weather changes fast

Rent a diesel car if possible to maximize your fuel