Trolltunga

Even before I decided to go to Norway I had seen this documentary about hiking up Trolltunga and sleeping up on the mountain in a tent. So when the planning for my trip to Norway began I booked this before anything else.

It was supposed to be my moment overcoming my fear and stepping out on this rock formation and feeling strong or rather invincible really.

Monday I took the bus to Odda, which meant several hours in a big touring bus. With podcasts in my ears, looking out the window, the roads winding this way and that. Partly quite narrow streets and sitting high in the bus meant looking past the guard rails down the cliffs. This was an unsettling feeling, but it also meant seeing so much of this beautiful country that you would miss if driving yourself. It also mean getting on a ferry, with the bus, and being able to step out of the bus during the ride. Feeling wind in my hair and seeing this green water of the fjord. Beyond words to describe the beauty.

Another few hours later arriving at Odda and having time on my hand, before checking into the hotel.

The nice sales clerk sold me overpriced real merino wool base layer, which I was very grateful for the next night, but most likely will not need anytime soon. Sometimes a nice chat leads to spending money, lol.

Then I had take-out chinese food, which was so expensive and at the same time sooo good after having had simple and somewhat bland rice and beans the days before.

One forgets how much seasoning makes food delicious!!

Arriving at the hotel a few hours later, I wished I had brought my bathing suit after all, as the hotel boasted a free standing sauna with a view.

That night I got an email telling me that strong winds were expected on the trail the next day. Hurricane strength gusts in fact. But that the hike would take place and precautionary measures where being taken.

What on Earth does that mean? Oh well, I was here and I wanted to do this, so if they felt it is safe, then I was going to trust them.

I had fancy dinner and a glass of wine and tried to get a good night's sleep.

The next morning, with all my things packed I took a shuttle to the meeting point, the weather was windy but dry.

Meeting the guides and the others in the group made me feel good. All nice people and I felt less self-conscious about my fitness level.

We started at Parking Level 3, There is Parking on Level 1 and 2, but then you just hike up a road that goes up quite steep and has no views. It would just adding length to the overall hike.

From Parking Level 3 you start right on the trail and it goes up. Rocks and stones winding left and right it is a small trail you follow. This is the steepest bit and is about three kilometers. When it finally started leveling out, I already felt it in my legs.

I was wearing base layer ( ski underwear), merino shirt, warm hiking pants, my rain jacket. Additionally I carried my extra warm layers and toiletries in a big backpack, that had some weight on its own too. I was grateful for the hiking poles, but those are still weight that needs carrying up.

It was rough and I was by far the slowest, but I knew this would be the case. We had two guides one would stay with the slower people and the other would keep the faster ones from going too far ahead.

The second part of the tour the path was a bit more mellow, switching between slight downhill and uphill stretches. But the wind was really strong and pushed you one way or another as we made our way up.

We passed stretches that looked like the moon, with only rocks on the ground, then some patches of snow, and then some low heather were some tiny blooms in pink peaked out.

Thankfully there was no rain, just the wind. We stop every so often and got snacks and at some point had lunch. We all filed into this little hut and got some hot beverage and a wrap. It tasted amazing and I was grateful for the rest.

To be totally honest a few times I questioned my fitness level, but I kept at it and the various views along the way rewarded my every step.

At the end of the day we reached Trolltunga! It is as beautiful as I imagined.

And the best thing there was no one there but us.

As the winds where still quite strong I did not dare that evening to step out, especially since the guide promised we would return the next morning before descending back down.

We spend time taking in the rocks and the steep drop, the glacial lake below. Then we hiked about thirty more minutes and reached the tents.

After settling into our individual tents, being shown where we could relief ourselves during the night, we all filed into the big tent for dinner. It was good hardy food and we spend a good amount of time just talking. Telling stories and sharing who we are and what broughts us on this trip.

Then it was time to go into my tent. It was quite cold, perhaps below Zero Celsius at this point. I removed the hiking pants and added the second base layer, then crawled into the liner in my sleeping bag.

We had been assured that all the anchors of the tents were checked and that the camp is there all summer and that it was quite safe.

But we were near the drop down on a cliff, so one would get a great view in the morning.

The wind did not die down that night. It kept coming in gusts interspersed with rain

If you are into camping you will have experienced this, but for me it was so loud and everything kept flapping and moving, as the wind was really strong.

I kept picturing the tent flying off the mountain and me not being able to making it out in time.

Then it was really cold, but I hate being confined, so tossing and turning inside the sleeping bag made my legs getting tangled up and the night seemed to stretch out forever.

At 3 am I was wishing it would just end, finally dozing off for a little while just to get up at 6 am.

Well it was nothing like the pictures I had seen, where you sit with the tent flap up, coffee in hand taking in the view.

No, instead it hailed and the coffee and breakfast was handed in and as quickly as possible the zip was pulled shut again.

So there I sat listening to the hail, eating milky porridge and drinking coffee. But being more than grateful for the night to be over.

A short while later packed up and ready to revisit the tongue of the troll. The weather gods were kind and the rain stopped just in time. I braved it and stepped out to the middle of the outcrop. The guide took my picture and so I accomplished what I had came here for. Wishing a tiny bit that I could just look a little more glamorous, but still feeling triumphant, having faced my fear of heights.

On the way down we had hail, rain, sun. Mostly rain though and I was thankful for my rain jacket and the gloves, as the temperatures were quite low.

But there were stretches of good conversation and more stunning views, missed the day before on the way.

Even though it was not quite like I imagined it beforehand, it was real and good and I would not have wanted to miss this experience for anything.

This is a memory that will last for a long time.