homepage - outings - national - brochure - 13665a

The Trip

Travel with us to one of the most scenic countries in the world, where the inhabitants love to spend as much time as possible enjoying their country. This trip is an opportunity to enjoy Norway the way Norwegians enjoy do. Throughout Norway there are hundreds of huts, which are used for eating, resting, and sleeping after spending time in the outdoors. We will be hut-to-hut hiking through Norway’s first national park and adjacent areas, just like Norwegians do it. As it name implies, Norway is a northerly country with long days in summer. We will enjoy the extended daylight, walking and savoring nature. Then we will join other Norwegians for a wonderful family-style dinner before we retire for the night.

On our walks we will enjoy spectacular scenery: mountains, rivers, forests, and meadows. Even though it will be summer there can be snow in the mountains. We will look for signs of the wild reindeer and the mischievous trolls. Rondane National Park has herds of wild reindeer, which we will see if we are lucky. The trolls are legendary creatures; supposedly they have several heads and long noses for stirring porridge. We are not likely to see them, which is a good thing because they do not like humans, but we will look.

Itinerary

Day 1: Meet in Oslo for dinner. Hotel in Oslo.

Day 2: Visit to Viking Ship Museum and outdoor Norwegian Folk Museum with old wooden Stave church. Hotel in Oslo.

Day 3: Morning walk to see works by noted sculptor Gustav Vigeland. Afternoon depart by train for 4.5-hour journey to stop at Hjerkinn hut. The train will be part of the system of the Norwegian State Railway, which are clean and efficient. Second class is generally superior to second class in other European countries. After leaving Oslo we will pass through countryside with forests, villages, lakes, and mountains. Watch for the typical farm buildings painted in a shade of red that the trip leader believes is unofficially the national color.

Day 4: Hike from Hjerkinn to Grimsdalshytta: 16 km (9.6 mi) at 1,340 meters (4,422 feet). The day will start at an elevation of 920 m (3,036 feet) in open landscape. After passing the high point, the last part of the hike will be a steep drop down to the hut. The ending elevation is 1,000 m (3,300 feet).

Day 5: Hike from Grimsdalshytta to Harverdalseter: 13 km (7.8 mi). Hike up to 1,300 meters (4,290 feet) and drop back to 980 m (3,234 feet). We will be on the west side of Gravhoe Mountain. Our hut this evening is known for good food.

Day 6: Hike from Harverdalseter to Doralseter: 7 km (4.2 mi). Most of day will be hiking in Haverdalen Valley. The last part of the day will be over a narrow and rocky pass and down to our hut at 1,040 m (3,432 feet).

Day 7: Hike from Doralseter to Rondvassbu: 9 km (5.4 mi). Hike through Droaldn Valley to Bergedalen Valley then up Rondhalsen 1647 m (5,436 feet) above Lake Rondvatent and down to hut at 1,165 m (3,845 feet).

Day 8: Hike from Rondvassbu to Bjornhollia: 13 km (7.8 mi). Hike through the wide Illmanndalen Valley. There is a birch forest just before the hut. Hut is at 914 m (3,017 feet).

Day 9: Layover at Bjornhollia. Possible optional hike to Hogronden peak 2,118 m (6,989 feet) above cirque or other nearby locations. Or you can hang out in the hut all day! The hut in this location was awarded the Municipality of Sel Architecture Prize. There are several buildings all of sturdy traditional timbers. Some buildings have grass or other plants on the roof. There is a community room with books in Norwegian. If you want to get out of the hut there is a possibility of nearby fishing or short strolls in the mountains.

Day 10: Bjornhollia 6 km (3.6 mi). Hike to bus at Straumbu at 740 m (2,442 feet). We will catch a local bus from Strambu to Rigbu. In Rigbu we will catch the express bus to the Central Oslo Bus Station in the center of town. Once we board the Express Bus in Rinbu we will be on Highway E6, which is limited access much of the way. We will pass by Lillehammer and the Mjosa Fjord. We can expect the bus trip back to Oslo to take about five hours and fifteen minutes. Hotel in Oslo.

Day 11: Depart after breakfast.

The itinerary may be changed due to weather conditions, for safety concerns, or for any other compelling reason. We will attempt to stay as close as possible to the itinerary. Whatever happens, Norway is a magical place and the trip will be wonderful.

Getting There

The trip will begin and end in central Oslo, Norway’s largest city. While there are not direct flights from the U.S. to Oslo, it can be easily reached from many "hub" cities in Europe such as Paris, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London, Copenhagen, or Stockholm. There are direct flights from major U.S. cities to the European hubs. If you do not live in a major U.S. city, you may have to fly to New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, DC or other large city to get to Europe. Most airlines have websites where tickets can be purchased online with a credit card. The very modern airport in Oslo is named Gardermoen. You will probably not need to pass through customs in Oslo since you will obtain your visa when you land in Europe. Once you claim your luggage, there are several means of transport to central Oslo including trains, busses, and taxis. The price to get to central Oslo will vary depending on the method you select from NOK 140 (US$25) for the local train, to NOK 600 (US$120) or more for a taxi.

Accommodations and Food

In Oslo we will stay in hotels and eat in restaurants. In Rondane National Park we will be in huts. There will be wooden bunks in rooms that sleep four to six people. The trip participants will need to bring a sleeping bag or sheets for the bunks. Food is served family-style in a dining hall. The meals are hearty with plenty of food. Dinners typically include soup, fish or meat, vegetables and potatoes, and dessert. Food is prepared at the huts and is typically quite tasty. Restrooms are shared. There are showers in the huts.

Trip Difficulty

We will be walking from hut to hut as much as 16 km/day. There will be elevation gains and losses on many days. Participants must be able to carry gear in a backpack along with lunch and water. However, this trip is less strenuous than a normal backpacking trip since food is provided at the huts and will not need to be carried.

Equipment and Clothing

A full equipment list will be provided to participants who sign up for the trip. Good hiking shoes that are well broken-in and provide ankle support are required. A large day pack/small backpack with a hip belt will be needed. Rain gear and warm clothes are a must.

References

Websites:

• The official Tourist Bureau website is www.visitnorway.org

Books:

• There are many guidebooks. The Lonely Planet is good. So is the Rough Guide since it has more details. The Rough Guide also has an exceptional section on literature and other types of books from Norway. It is a great place to get some ideas for books to carry with you to read. If you can read French, Routard publishes an updated guide book every year that is good.
• Walking in Norway by Connie Roos, Cicerone Press, 1997 is a great book for hiking.
• Welle-Strand, Erling, Mountain Hiking in Norway, Nortrabooks, Oslo, 1993. This book was the first book in English published on hiking in Norway.
• Su-Dale, Elizabeth, Norway: Culture Shock, A Guide to Customs and Etiquette, Graphic Arts Center Publishing, 1995. This book is one of a series of books for various countries to help Americans understand other cultures.
• Lindow, John, Norse Mythology: A Guide to the Gods, Heroes, Rituals, and Beliefs, 2001, Oxford University Press. This is a very compressive guide to Norse mythology.
• The Making of a Land: Geology of Norway, Norsk Geologisk Forening, 2008 is a coffee table-sized book with lots of pictures about the geology of Norway. It has been translated from Norwegian and is available from the London Geological Society. However, occasional pages did not get translated. If you want to know about the geological history of Norway, this is the book.

Maps:

• Map: Rondane Nord, Turkart 1:50,000 from Ugland covers the part of the park we will be hiking though.

Conservation

The Norwegians have a strong conservation ethic. The hotel we use in Oslo is part of a chain that is moving toward a goal of carbon neutrality. In the rooms we can expect to see bins for recycling rather than sending trash to landfills. We will be using public transportation to travel to the trailheads and in Oslo. Finally, even in Europe wild places can be found such as Rondane National Park. As we travel by foot through the park we can celebrate this wonderful area that Norway has chosen to protect forever.

In the late 1960s oil was discovered in the North Sea off the coast of Norway. Before this time Norway was the poor backwater of Scandinavia. Norway is now one of the richest countries in the world in large part due to the impact of oil wealth. Norway has taken a different course than most other countries, which have become wealthy from oil. They have placed most of the oil money in a national fund called the Sovereign Fund, which the principal is to be protected forever. The interest is used to help keep Norway unchanged and protected. As a result the magnificent landscape of this country has one of the best schemes for protection of any place on earth. That being said, Norway is one of the most northerly countries on earth and the impacts of global warming are being felt most strongly in the zones nearest the polar regions.

Trip Price

This trip requires a $200 per-person deposit. An additional payment of $300 per person is due six months prior to trip departure. International trip prices are subject to change and are based on double-occupancy or group accommodations as described above. Single rooms may not be available or may cost more than the listed price. If you have any questions regarding double occupancy, please contact the trip leader.

See the How to Apply for an Outing section for more details on registering for this trip and details about our Reservation and Cancellation Policy.

The payment of a deposit does not confirm you as a member on the trip. Participants must be approved by the trip leader. After signing up for this trip, you will be sent a confirmation packet containing approval materials (Participant Approval Questionnaire, Medical Form, Liability Release Form). Each applicant (including those on the waitlist) must fill out these forms and promptly mail them to the trip leader. The leader will review the approval materials and notify you of your acceptance in a timely manner.

The Sierra Club accurately and fairly budgets and prices our trips. However, unforeseen costs such as devaluation of the dollar compared to other currencies and fuel surcharges assessed by our international providers may necessitate adjustment in trip price. We will make every effort to mitigate and absorb these fees. If a price increase is necessary, however, you will have 14 days after announcement to cancel without penalty.

Staff

Lee Thomas first visited Norway several years ago. He liked Norway so much he kept returning. He is a life member of not only the Sierra Club but also the Den Norske Turistforening, the Norwegian Trekking Association. He has traveled to most of the countries in Europe and Latin America as well as parts of Asia, Africa, and New Zealand. He has led international Sierra Club trips in England and Switzerland. When he is not traveling he works in the environmental field as a groundwater hydrologist.

E-mail: LAT1028@yahoo.com

---

General Notes About Sierra Club Trips

• Carbon Offsets
• Electronic Devices
• Equipment
• How to Apply for a Trip
• Leader Gratuities
• Liability Release and Assumption of Risk
• Medical Issues
• Non-discrimination Statement
• Participant Approval
• Reservation and Cancellation Policy
• Seller of Travel Disclosure
• Travel Insurance
• Trip Feedback