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Besseggen Ridge, Jotunheimen National Park, Norway

View looking west. Gjendevatnet lake (left) and Bessvatnet lake (right)

Description

Norway has Northern Europe's largest concentration of mountains higher than 2,000 metres. The highest mountains in Norway are all in the Jotunheimen National Park, including Galdhøpiggen which is the highest (2469 meters above sea level). The word 'Jotunheimen' means 'home of the giants'.

Jotunheimen has great day- and thru- hiking possibilities. The scenery is spectacular it is packed with waterfalls, rivers, lakes, glaciers, and valleys. There is also beautiful wildlife.

Memurubu lodge and Gjendevatnet lake

The Besseggen Ridge is located in this park and it is the most famous mountain hike in Norway. This trail has a sort of cult status because many Norwegians feel that they must do this hike at least once. It therefore gets crowded during the summer so it is ideal if you can avoid it during the school holiday period. I went there on a weekday after the school holiday had just ended. This was perfect because the crowds were gone but since I was hiking solo, I was not after complete solitude either.

Besseggen Ridge walk.

Access

To get there, you have to take road 51 (i.e. Scenic Route Valdresflye) which is a very scenic road. Access is easy by public transport, including direct buses from Oslo to Gjendesheim Lodge. There is also bus connection to the other cities such as Bergen and also connections to other nearby locations. You can check bus routes here.

Trail overlooking Memurubu lodge.

Accommodation

There is accommodation available e.g. at the Gjendesheim Lodge and at the nearby camping site along road 51.

Hike characteristics, difficulty and safety aspects

The choices are easy: you either take the ferry to Memurubu and hike West-East to Gjendesheim Lodge or hike to Memurubu and take the ferry back to Gjendesheim (ferry information is available here).

First glimpse at the Besseggen ridge and Knutshøe mountain.

I chose to hike West-East to avoid being bound to a ferry schedule at the end of the hike. I also chose this direction because it is considered easier. I saw someone experiencing a panic attack in the steepest part, so if you are afraid of heights make sure you are aware of what you are letting yourself into before heading out (for example by studying the contour lines on the map of the Norwegian Mapping Authority. This walk should not be attempted in bad weather because a section involves scrambling on all four (as in using your hands to pull yourself up as opposed to just using them to provide stability). This trail is absolutely awesome and the views out of this world but it is not suitable for beginners. This is not your average stroll in the park so if you are a beginner, a good option is to do the low-level route instead.

View looking west.

Regarding weather forecasts, I relied on the forecast of the Norwegian Meteorological Institute for Gjendesheim. It proved to be pretty accurate.

Also on the topic of safety, navigation is easy because the trail is well marked with red ‘T’s and it is almost impossible to get lost. The route I recorded using my smartphone is available for download here. Topographical maps are available, for example from Nordeca.

View looking west.

If photos matter to you, be aware that the best views are in the west direction. If you are hiking in the East-West direction, you should not leave Gjendesheim lodge in the afternoon because the sun will be right in front of you which means that flare (and big shadows) will spoil your shots.

There are limited water refilling options during the first half of the hike and none thereafter. I forgot to bring along my water filter but I don’t think that is critical in a place like this.

View looking west.

Some websites mention the length of the trail being 13km but the length of the track I recorded using my smartphone was 15.20km. The altitude gain was around 1100 meters. Don't be fooled by these numbers; this is a demanding hike which requires good fitness. It also requires good concentration during the steep sections where scrambling/climbing is necessary.

Description

My preferred option for the ferry journey was the 7 am ferry out of Gjendesheim Lodge but it was sold out when I tried to book it. I therefore went for my plan B which was taking the afternoon ferry the day before, spending the night at Memurubu Lodge and hitting the trail early on the next day.

View looking west.

The lodge at Memurubu offered a room, dinner and breakfast deal. Nothing in Norway is cheap but the food amount and quality was good. Note that when you check in, you can hand over your thermos flask so that on the next morning you leave the lodge with hot coffee or tea. I only wish I'd brought a flask with me.... live and learn!

View looking west.

In reality I did not manage to start hiking early because I chatted too much during breakfast (mea culpa). However, that was worth it because it was great to experience a Norwegian lodge and chat to fellow hikers, particularly those who had just completed the hike.

I started the hike at 9am and that was fine. It took me slightly under 7 hours to complete the hike and therefore had a buffer of several hours of daylight. I only stopped to take photos so if you plan to take proper breaks, 8 hours might be a more realistic estimate.

View looking west.

The most dominant nearby features are the emerald coloured Gjendevatnet lake (984 metres above sea level) to the south, the Bessvatnet lake (1,373 metres above sea level) to the north and the Knutshøe mountain ridge with nearby Ovre Leirungen lake to the south. The views are spectacular in all directions but the iconic one is to the west so don't forget to turn around and snap a few photos when you are through with the steep section. Besides, at that point you will be so happy and relieved that a photo with a fantastic smile on your face is warranted.

View looking west.

Once you reach the top, the landscape turns unexpectedly desert-like for a short while. At that point there are very nice 270-degree views of the mountains to the east, south and north and also of road 51, Gjendesheim Lodge and the ferry pier. If you are carrying walking sticks, this might be the time to take them out and use them because the descent is a bit knee-grinding.

View looking west.

I don’t think I will forget this hike in a while because it simply ticked all the boxes. It actually exceeded my expectations. If you are after a cracking day hike in Norway, this is definitely one to shortlist! That said, if you are keen to do a thru-hike instead, you could do the Besseggen Ridge hike in the East-West direction and continue onwards to Glitterheim and Spiterstulen.

Clothing and equipment

These suggestions are based on my personal experience on this trail. The selection criteria are based on quality and weight. My assumption is that this will not be your last hike on a trip and that the lighter your backpack, the more you will enjoy hiking.

Please note that I include links to sellers. You won't pay extra if you buy a product after having visited this website; however, the small commission will help keep these hiking blogs going.

Shoes/socks. Those doing the whole circular route are probably better off wearing hiking boots because of ankle protection; lightweight trail running shoe-inspired boots are a good compromise (see examples: male or female). A good quality light-weight hiking sock with extra padding is essential to avoid blisters (see examples: male or female).

Clothing. Zip-off water repellent stretch hiking trousers are a comfortable and convenient option (see examples: male or female). If the weather is warm and sunny, a thin long-sleeve base layer will help avoid getting burnt (see example: male or female). As a minimum, take a lightweight wind jacket (see examples: male or female). However, if it’s likely to be a bit cold, add a fleece (see examples: male or female) or replace the wind jacket and fleece with a lightly insulated softshell jacket (see examples: male or female). Also take waterproof gloves and a couple of Buffs (preferably a normal buff and a polar buff) to protect head and neck. If it’s likely to rain, a good (as opposed to high) quality waterproof jacket will suffice since low weight on the daypack won't cause a reasonably good jacket to leak in the shoulders (examples: male or female). Note that it can be extremely windy there (as in wind-crazy), so don't even think about bringing just a poncho, no matter what material it is made of.

Daypack. A 20-25L daypack with good waist support is big enough for most people (see examples: male or female).

Hiking poles. I strongly advise you to take hiking poles because there is a downhill section which is steep.

Photographic equipment and power. An ideal hiking camera should be lightweight, have a large aperture for handling low light scenes and should have a wide angle lens with a minimum full-frame equivalent focal lens of 24 or 28 mm. If you opt for a heavy camera, there are camera straps combining neoprene and elastic to absorb the shock of movements. These straps are so comfortable that they actually make the camera’s weight seem much lower. If you want to record the track using your phone and plan to take photos with it as well, take a powerbank along to avoid running out of battery power.

Other supplies. A responsible hiker takes emergency equipment along. The bare minimum consists of a first aid kit, a headlamp capable of at least 150 lumens, a whistle, a compass (a global compass works in both hemispheres), a map and if cold temperatures are expected, an emergency blanket. Finally, protect your face and lips using sun cream lotion and chap stick.

DISCLAIMER: A.L. Montoya-Morales is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and in the Booking.com Affiliate Partner Programme, both of which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and booking.com.