Road trip with many hikes (15.06.-26.06.2021)

Extract and start of the road trip

After cleaning the apartment, we move out at 11 am and then return the keys. We say goodbye to the last fellow students and make our way to Trollpikken. After a three-hour drive, we arrive at the parking lot, for which we pay 100 NOK.

We sit down and have lunch before taking a short walk to the rock. On the way, we encounter sheep and cows. The landscape reminds us of the Highlands in Scotland.

Back at the parking lot, we cook, play the guitar, and do some knitting. We pitch our tent on the parking lot next to a sheep pasture.

Continuing to Kjeragbolten

The next morning, we meet a German and a Norwegian who are also on a road trip, but heading south. After a four-hour drive, we arrive at the parking lot for Kjeragbolten. We pay 300 NOK for the parking and have no problems parking here for two days. In the first valley, we meet Luca, a fellow student, with her boyfriend. I will meet her again in Norway.

The hike to Kjerag is really beautiful and offers great views over Lysefjord. Through two valleys and over snow, we finally reach Kjeragbolten. At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to climb onto the rock, but I did it and managed to take some beautiful photos. In retrospect, it was very scary as there is an 800-meter drop beneath the rock.

We hiked with a tent and a large backpack and found a place to sleep in the first valley. We found a spot next to a river. It was windy at night, and we spent the night without internet.

The next morning, we return to the car at 10 am and make our way to Odda.

Hikes in and around Odda

According to the tourist information, Sunday is the best day to hike to Trolltunga. Despite rain and winding roads, we make our way to Odda. When we arrive at the campsite, we set up our tent right by the water and enjoy the view of the fjord.

The next morning, we go shopping in town and then drive to the parking lot for the hike to Buarbreen Glacier. The hike to the glacier is truly breathtaking and follows the meltwater stream continuously. We cross streams where it is impossible to keep our feet dry. Along the way, we take many photos and are happy to have reached the glacier. Unfortunately, for safety reasons, we are not allowed to get any closer than about 100 meters to the glacier.

We decide to do another hike from Strand to Sandvin, but since we have already walked enough, we only go halfway to Strandfossen, a waterfall that is truly gigantic. Back at the campsite, we go swimming in the fjord.

The next day brings bad weather, and we plan our trip, look for accommodation in Oslo, and book a bus to the Trolltunga parking lot. In the afternoon, we take a walk into the city and visit the tourist information. In the evening, we prepare sandwiches and go to bed early.

Trolltunga adventure

Since the hike to Trolltunga requires a lot of time, we get up at 4:30 am and take the first bus to the P2 parking lot. But to get to the starting point of the hike, we still have to take an additional bus that goes up 13 hairpin turns. The buses to the P3 parking lot cost 430 NOK (43€) per person.

Hike

The hike goes uphill for many kilometers, and there are quite a few people on the trail. After 10 km, we reach the Trolltunga rock formation at 10 am. We spend 2 hours there and take beautiful photos.

On the way back, we don't take the shuttle bus down the hairpin turns, but instead get a ride with a couple from Bergen. From P2, we take a private taxi to the campsite. The bus driver from the morning told us to just give him a call when we arrive. He calls his friend, and he takes us to the campsite in a speedy drive.

Our time at the campsite is over the next day, and after checking out, we take a short walk to Lilletoppen before heading towards Geilo. On the way, we stop at Vøringsfossen. We drive until just before Geilo and sleep there next to the main road.

Then the drama begins with booking accommodation for Oslo, but in the end, we find something nice and relatively cheap.

Geilo, not as cool as expected

In Geilo, we go to the tourist information and ask what there is to do in the region. Since we don't feel like hiking and the parks and other attractions are too expensive or closed, we spend the day at the lake and do some knitting. We also decide to sleep at the lake. However, it is very cold and wet at night.

Final destination Oslo

In Oslo, where we arrive at a very nice Airbnb, we spend several days visiting many sights, including the Holmenkollen ski jump, the royal palace, the Vigeland Sculpture Park, the new opera house, Akershus Fortress, the parliament, the harbor promenade, and Bærums Verk. Oslo was really beautiful, although it was a bit of a culture shock and I haven't seen so many people at once in a long time.

On June 27th, Sara and I go our separate ways. She heads towards Kristiansand, and I start my pilgrimage from Oslo to Trondheim. Thank you, dear Sara, for allowing me to always be on the road with you and Mathilda. I am incredibly grateful that we were able to experience the time in Norway together.

You can read about my hiking adventure and how I made it back to Germany in the next post.

Your Maike :D