SummitClimbs Field Note: Trolltunga (“the troll tongue”) is a rock ledge that juts horizontally out of the mountainside at about 1,100 m, some 700 m above the lake Ringedalsvatnet, in Skjeggedal near Tyssedal in Ullensvang, Vestland. It is one of Norway’s most popular hikes and one of its most demanding: ut.no gives 28 km there and back from P2 Skjeggedal (8–12 hours) or 20 km from P3 Mågelitopp (7–10 hours), with about 1,100–1,200 m of ascent. Mountain rescuers have repeatedly had to help unprepared visitors down, so treat it as a full mountain day.
From 800 Hikers to 80,000
Until 2010, fewer than 800 people a year hiked to Trolltunga. After dramatic photos spread online, the numbers exploded: about 20,000 in 2012, around 80,000–100,000 in 2016, and 82,500 in 2022 according to Trolltunga AS. Around 90% of hikers in recent years have come from abroad. With the crowds came rescues, 40 in 2016 alone, mostly because of the long, demanding walk rather than the cliff itself. In 2017 the municipality introduced trail hosts, and the number of rescues at least halved.
The ledge is part of the Precambrian gneiss bedrock and took shape in the last Ice Age, about 10,000 years ago, when the edge of the glacier reached the cliff. Meltwater froze in cracks in the rock and broke off large angular blocks that the ice carried away. Deep cracks still run through the cliff.
Trolltunga at a Glance
- Location: Skjeggedal near Tyssedal, Ullensvang, Vestland; on the western edge of Hardangervidda; about 17 km from Odda
- Height: about 1,100 m (Norwegian Wikipedia) or 1,126 m (English Wikipedia); 700 m above Ringedalsvatnet
- From P2 Skjeggedal: 28 km there and back, 8–12 hours including breaks
- From P3 Mågelitopp: 20 km there and back, 7–10 hours
- Ascent: about 1,100 m (Wikipedia) to 1,232 m (ut.no) in total
- Grade: extra demanding (ut.no)
- Season: mid-June to mid-September for experienced hikers; ut.no lists June–October
- Shelter: no places to buy food; two emergency cabins along the trail
The Route From Skjeggedal
Turn off national road 13 in Tyssedal and drive the narrow but good road about 7 km up to Skjeggedal, where there is a large pay car park. From here a T-marked road leads up to Mågelitopp. There is also a steep path up Brakufsa beside the station house of the old, disused funicular (Mågelibanen), but ut.no does not recommend it, as it is awkward to descend after heavy rain.
From Mågelitopp the path runs fairly flat into Gryteskar. At a junction just before the climb, keep right on the signed, T-marked path towards Trombeskar, where a path branches off to Tyssevassbu and on across Hardangervidda. The Trolltunga path continues east and gently down to Store Floren, with the ruins of a stable for horses used in the hydropower construction of the early 1900s, running water and a good rest spot. It then crosses Hestaflåene and the dried-out river Endåna, climbs steeply to Endanuten and crosses the dry riverbed to Tyssestrengene. Use the bridges. Tyssestrengene were twin waterfalls with a 300 m free fall, once Norway’s highest, before they were developed for power in 1967. From there you pass glacial potholes and soon reach Trolltunga. About half an hour’s walk south is another viewpoint called Preikestolen (not the one in Ryfylke).
The Shorter Start: Mågelitopp
Since 2017, a toll road has climbed the steep hillside from Skjeggedal to Mågelitopp, which ut.no says saves about 4 km and 400 m of ascent. Parking there is very limited and must be booked in advance; English Wikipedia notes a maximum of 30 cars a day. The road can close at short notice, and the Mågelitopp car park is closed in winter. In season, smaller shuttle buses run between Skjeggedal and Mågelitopp, and shuttle buses also run between Odda, Tyssedal and Skjeggedal.
Before You Go
- Start early: in summer, start before 10:00 to get back before dark and cold; in September, start by 08:00 at the latest.
- Snow: from late September to June the terrain is normally covered in ice and snow, and after a hard winter there can be snow at Trolltunga even in summer. Winter trips are for guided groups on snowshoes or skis, from March.
- Weather: conditions change quickly from blue sky to wind, rain and dense fog; markings can disappear under snow and in fog, so carry a map and compass and check the forecast.
- Gear: DNT classes the hike as challenging, needing good endurance, proper hiking boots and equipment; bring all your food and water.
- On the tongue: there is no railing. A 24-year-old visitor died in a fall from the ledge in 2015. Take extreme care at the edge.
- Leave no trace: take all your rubbish home.
The SummitClimbs Take
Trolltunga deserves its fame, but the photo at the end is the easy part: the real challenge is the long walk in and out. Start early, carry proper mountain gear, and be careful on the tongue. For the other famous Norwegian cliff, see our Preikestolen guide, and for the plateau behind Trolltunga, our Hardangervidda guide.
Facts from ut.no (Trolltunga – unik høyfjellstur ved Hardangerfjorden), Wikipedia (Trolltunga) and Norwegian Wikipedia. Always check current conditions before you go.