In July 2022, my spouse and I were traveling in Norway.
We wanted to see one of the most photogenic sights in the country – Troll’s Tongue, or Trolltunga. Travelers and hikers come there to take photos on the edge of the cliff.
Climbing the Troll’s Tongue didn’t require any special preparation and training. We hadn’t hiked or practiced hiking before the trip, but the route didn’t seem very difficult. We walked practically without stops, taking breaks only after steep sections of ascent – there were five of them in total. We didn’t have any special equipment. Just waterproof jackets, city clothes and sneakers.
We didn’t manage to appreciate the scenery: when we arrived, most of the views were hidden by fog. But we were not disappointed: the trip was still worth it.
In this article I will tell you how to get to the Troll’s Tongue, how I planned the trip and how much the trip cost. I will also share tips on what you need for a comfortable climb.
What is Troll Language
Troll’s Tongue is located in Western Norway, on Skjæggedal Mountain. It is a stone ledge that overhangs a mountain lake at an altitude of 700 meters. The height of the Tongue above sea level is approximately 1100 meters.
To get there, you need to walk 10-14 kilometers along a mountain trail. The ascent from the starting point of the route is about 700 meters. Depending on your physical fitness and the weather, it takes 6-12 hours to get there and back.
You have to climb up mountain serpentine and cobblestone steps, and you also have to go up several gentle but long climbs over rocks. It requires patience and endurance. But at the top you can see a picturesque lake surrounded by mountains and waterfalls.
The closest town to the Troll’s Tongue is Odda. Most tourists who come to conquer the rock stop there to prepare for the climb and rest afterwards.
When is the best time to go
The most suitable period for climbing is from June to the end of September. In 2022 at this time, the average temperature was +12 °C. But it is difficult to predict whether it will be sunny and dry. In 2021, there was little rain in June and September, while in 2022 these same months were the wettest. The amount of precipitation and average temperature of previous years can be found on the website yr.no, which publishes data from the Norwegian Meteorological Institute.
My wife and I were climbing Tongue of the Troll on July 26, 2022. We planned the trip several months in advance, we thought the day of the hike would be clear and warm. But in the morning the temperature was +9°C, in the afternoon – + 14°C, and the cold wind and rain did not stop.
From mid-October to mid-March, conditions are much harsher, with temperatures dropping to -13 °C and a lot of snowfall. In February and March, the snow depth can reach 92 centimeters. Without special equipment, such as snowshoes, ice boots, or an escort, going there is life-threatening.
The website trolltunga.com says that from October 1 to May 31 you should go hiking only with a guide. Visit Norway is less categorical, but also recommends going with a guide in winter, especially if the traveler has little experience of hiking in the mountains.
How to pay in Norway
In Norway, you can pay by card almost everywhere. For example, in Oslo, many hotels, cafes and stores do not accept cash at all. It is easier in the regions. In Odd and Bergen, cash can be used almost everywhere, but in cafes it is better to check with the waiter in advance.
What kind of a route we’ve got
To visit the Troll’s Tongue, four days is enough including the road. That’s how it was in our case.
The first day – arrival in Norway from Helsinki. We landed in Bergen, because it is the closest major airport to the town of Odde, where we needed to get to next.
Day two – 135 kilometers of road from Bergen to Odda by bus with a transfer to the ferry. On arrival we bought groceries and went to bed at about 22:00 in order to gain strength for the morning.
The third day was a hike to the Troll’s Tongue and a rest afterwards. We left Odda for the starting point at 05:45 and returned at about 15:30. We had lunch, walked around the town with the last of our strength and went to rest.
The fourth day was a drive from Odda to Oslo and a walk around the Norwegian capital. From there we continued our journey around Scandinavia: we went to Gothenburg for a Rammstein concert and finished our vacation in Stockholm.
How to get to Odda
From Oslo. The journey from Oslo by bus will take about 7 hours one way. It’s better to buy tickets at least a month in advance. For example, in May 2023 I was looking at tickets for July. They cost 678 NOK for two people. If you buy a day before the trip – already 1499-1744 NOK.
Tickets are bought on the carriers’ websites, e.g. vy.no, or at the bus station in Oslo. There are Vy vending machines on the A12 platform.
It takes 3-4 hours to get from Bergen to Odda by bus with a ferry transfer. I think the best option is the Skyss bus: tickets are cheaper than others and the travel time is 3 hours.
You can check the timetable on the Skyss website, buy tickets on the app, at the bus station or directly from the driver. In all cases, you pay with a bank card. We bought tickets at Bergen bus station in a self-service terminal, as the ticket offices were closed on Sunday. When buying, you have to choose a route from zone A to zone D.
In July 2022, the bus fare was 105 NOK per person, but the ticket was valid for only 90 minutes. We decided to be on the safe side and bought tickets valid for 24 hours. They are more expensive – 135 NOK per person. The prices have not changed in 2023.
The ferry crossing takes 20 minutes and adds variety to the trip. The transfer is included in the ticket price.
How to get to the start of the climb
The most convenient shuttles take hikers from Odda to the starting point Skjeggedal P2, where the climb to the Troll’s Tongue begins. There is also a shuttle that takes you from P2 to Mågelitopp P3 – it’s 4 kilometers up a steep serpentine road. This trip saves 1.5-2 hours of walking to Pagan. The shuttle runs only in season – until September 24.
The shuttle to Skjeggedal P2 starts from Trolltunga campground and picks up tourists at bus stops. A ticket for one person from Odda and back costs 350 NOK, one way – 200 NOK. Travel time from the campsite to the final stop is 30 minutes.
Shuttle schedule with all stops
On the way, the shuttle passes the town of Tussedal, where tourists also get on. The fare from and to Tussedal costs 200 NOK, one way – 100 NOK. I recommend buying a ticket in advance at trolltunga-shuttle.com to guarantee yourself a seat on the bus. If you have paid for the trip and overslept, the ticket will be canceled and you will have to buy a new one.
I advise you to take a round-trip ticket: after the haikus, walking to Odda is hard – it’s 12.5 kilometers on a mountain road.
Shuttle to Mågelitopp P3. I recommend taking the 4 kilometers of steep 400-meter climb on it. Those who have climbed on foot say this is the most excruciating section of the hike. My wife has old knee injuries, so I felt she didn’t need the extra strain. Thanks to the shuttle, we saved time and energy and were among the first to arrive at the Tongue.
A ticket upstairs costs 150 NOK, downstairs 100 NOK. Tickets to Magelitopp P3 can be bought at trolltunganorway.com, back only from the driver. It’s best to do this as soon as you get to P3 to guarantee yourself a seat on the way back.
If there is a vacant seat in the shuttle that goes upstairs, you can sit down without online booking, but you have to buy a ticket at a special kiosk. It works by cashless payment only. We didn’t know about it. We had to negotiate with a man in line to pay for us with a card and we gave him cash. It was lucky that there were enough seats in the shuttle for us and those who paid for my wife and me. Otherwise, we would have had to wait half an hour for the next flight.
Drive your car to Skjeggedal P2 and leave your car there. The parking lot is designed for 180 cars. As it seemed to me, there are enough places, because in summer most tourists get to the point by shuttles. But to guarantee it is better to arrive early in the morning, when there are still few people. Parking costs 500 NOK per car – you can leave your car until 23:59 on the day of arrival.
The parking lot at Mågelitopp P3 must be booked at trolltunga.com – it has only 30 spaces. Cars taller than two meters, motorhomes and motorcycles are not allowed there. To drive from P2 to P3 pay 200 NOK, parking until midnight on race day costs 600 NOK. The organizers ask you to print out your ticket in advance to show it to the staff at the barrier.
I advise you to soberly assess your driving skills: this is a difficult mountain road with 17 steep turns. In some places the surface has a slope of 17% – for 100 meters of the road you will rise to the height of five floors.
Cabs can be booked for a specific time. Phone numbers are available at trolltunga.com. A cab from Odda to Skjeggedal P2 costs 700 NOK one way. If you’re traveling with friends, you can split the bill – it’s even better than the shuttle. But if there are more than four of you, you’ll have to pay 175 NOK for an extra passenger.
How did we climb the Troll’s Tongue?
For my wife and me, it was our first mountain hike. We didn’t know exactly what to expect, whether we would manage or not.
When we got off the shuttle, it was easy to orient ourselves where to go next: at the trailhead there is a sign with the name Trolltunga and an arrow with the direction. The ascent from P3 is a trail of endurance and patience. Gentle sections are followed by steep ones. The total height to be climbed is about 300 meters.
Our ascent started at 06:00. We were immediately enveloped by fog. It was raining lightly, with water dripping down the trail to where we had started our ascent. These were not the conditions we had dreamed of when we planned the trip. We couldn’t reschedule the hike: we had already paid for shuttles and hotels, and would have to reschedule the rest of the trip. It was frustrating that the weather was bad, but at the same time I was sure that the goal was worth the effort.
Then began a staircase made of stones. Climbing it at first seemed beyond our strength. For the first 40 minutes, my wife said that maybe we were doing it for nothing and that we should go back. But I did not allow such a thought: the planning and the road to Norway were too hard to give up so easily. Once we’re here, we have to go all the way. At some point we got involved in the process and the climb became easier – we just had to endure the first kilometer.
We also felt like we were going to freeze. We were wearing city clothes – jeans and sneakers. They got wet right away, and it was unpleasant. It was good that we bought waterproof jackets before the hike – I think they saved us from catching cold. I also felt like a strong wind was blowing water out of my clothes like a hair dryer.
By 08:00 it was getting lighter and the weather had improved a bit. The panoramas of the mountains opened up to us. Steep climbs were replaced by long but gentle ones. We were anticipating sore muscles the next day. But it was great to look around after overcoming another climb, to see the lake 700 meters below and to be surprised that we had climbed above the clouds.
The road kept changing: rocks, dirt path, rocks again. But we didn’t have to go uphill on them as we did at the beginning. We had to be careful on the dirt: we often slipped, but fortunately we didn’t fall down.
Along the way we saw streams and waterfalls. We wanted to approach each of them, to get zen to the sound of water. We wanted to take more memorable photos. But we didn’t stop for long: the wind was blowing cold and we had to move to stay warm.
Hikers from different countries were walking alongside us – we met travelers from China, Korea, Poland, USA and England. The atmosphere on the trail was friendly, and almost every person we met said hello.
There were different people: some were new to hiking like us, others were physically fit. For example, we were overtaken by a young guy who walked at a wide stride with his hands in his pockets. Before we reached Pagan, he had already turned back. My wife and I had shortness of breath the whole way, but he was breathing calmly through his nose and jumping defiantly from stone to stone.
The last kilometer or two were the coldest. In some places the trail went through a gorge, and there the wind was blowing harder. Even on warm days, jackets and hats would come in handy on this section. The feeling that there was only a short distance to go motivated me to overcome the last frontiers.
Finally we made another ascent and saw the Troll’s Tongue. The trail to it goes along the cliff. There are a couple of ledges where you can see the Tongue and take beautiful photos. But the pictures don’t convey the scale: in reality the size is amazing. I was delighted that nature had created such a place and people had found it.
We hurried to get in line: there is not much space on the ledges, and sometimes you have to wait an hour to take a photo from a good angle. But there were only a couple of people in front of us: tourists did not linger, as the wind was cold and penetrating.
We asked a young man – also a tourist – to take a picture of me and my wife on the Pagan. They descend to it by a ladder made of iron rods, they were hammered into the stone. It seemed to me that a cargo Gazelle could freely stand across the Pagan. It is spacious for two people, but it is still scary to fall off the 700-meter cliff. I did not dare to sit on the edge of the Pagan for the sake of taking a photo.
Our photographer failed miserably: he took 40 identical vertical photos on my phone and didn’t even try to turn the camera horizontally. We could have brought a selfie stick, but it would hardly have conveyed the scale of Pagan. A drone, on the other hand, would have yielded more interesting shots. There are almost no restrictions on using a quadcopter in Norway, but there are some simple rules to follow.
Before the hike, we imagined that from the Tongue of the Troll we would be able to see the lake, waterfalls and snow caps of the mountains. But the weather had its own plans: because of the fog we couldn’t see anything further than three to five meters. Then we realized that such a haik will be remembered better, it will be more interesting to tell about it. When we showed the photos to other travelers, they were genuinely happy for us and said: “The main thing is that you managed.
We spent about ten minutes at the Troll’s Tongue. During this time we had time to look at it from the side, find someone to take our photos, take photos ourselves and make sandwiches. We didn’t want to linger: the cold made our teeth chatter. We literally ran down: we wanted to get to the section where the icy wind subsided and we could have a snack and change wet socks for dry ones.
How long does a haiku take
It depends on the weather, fitness and the starting point. The journey from P2 takes about five hours, from P3 about three. My wife and I also managed three hours, despite fog and rain and taking into account breaks and photo sessions.
The way back to P2 took us four hours: we did not use the return shuttle, but went down the serpentine with a light jog. My wife came up with the idea of jogging from P3 to P2: we felt that this would put less strain on our knees and we would not waste energy braking on the descent.
It was funny for us to watch people’s reactions. They looked at us with bewilderment and giggled: the people in front of us were walking with shortness of breath, while we were running briskly after the haik. In fact, our strength was already at zero.
Back to Odda we left at 15:00. At the hotel we felt tired: it seemed that all the muscles in my legs and pelvis ached. The next two days of stairs were torture for me. By the same waddling gait I recognized tourists who climbed the Tongue. After the haik I tried for a long time to realize that I had coped with the ascent. I looked back at the photos and could not believe that it had really happened to me.
It is possible to stretch the hike over two days. Not far from the Troll’s Tongue, I saw some hikers camping. Probably they wanted to wait for good weather and have a perfect photo shoot. Tents are free of charge, but in specially designated places – they are marked on the signs. In this respect Norway is an ideal country for camping.
What is important to know about security
The trail is generally safe, but in rainy weather you have to walk on slippery rocks and soil. You have to be careful not to lose your balance.
It is impossible to get lost on the trail: there are many guide posts on the road, by which travelers orient themselves. Every kilometer there is an inspiring signpost that tells you how much further you have to go.
There are two shelters on the route, marked on the signs as Survival Cabin. These are small huts that are used in emergencies, for example, if you are injured. Rescuers are there to help you, they can be reached by calling the emergency number 112. The shelters have first aid kits.
I recommend not going closer than two meters to the edges of the cliffs. The warning signs do not advise you to approach the edge of the Troll’s Tongue itself: the panoramic view and the realization that the goal has been reached are euphoric, but there is nothing to risk.
What to bring
Warm, waterproof and windproof clothing. Even if the weather is fine at the foot of the mountain, icy winds can blow on the Tongue of the Troll. I advise you to check the forecast in advance. The day before the climb we found out that it was going to rain, so we bought rainproof and waterproof jackets in Bergen. Each cost 600 NOK, and it was the best investment of the trip.
Trekking boots and replacement socks. Without trekking boots, there is a risk of getting your feet wet and blisters. Take spare socks to prevent this from happening. I had city sneakers, they got wet but survived the ordeal and didn’t tear. I will buy trekking boots for my next hike.
Some travelers surprised me with their carelessness. For example, I saw a young man wearing flip-flops and Vietnamese flip-flops. I don’t know if he reached the end of the route.
Sunscreen and sunglasses. We didn’t use them because it was foggy. But in sunny weather, even if the air is cold, you may not notice your face getting burned.
Trekking poles are optional, but they are much easier. There is a sports store near the P2 parking lot where you can rent equipment, but I didn’t remember the prices.
Powerbank. It’s a shame when your phone goes dead and the views around you are more photogenic than ever. You also need a charged phone to stay in touch if something goes wrong, for example, if you twist your leg and can’t get down on your own. Cell phone service is available all the way to the Troll’s Tongue.
A snack and a thermos of tea. On the hike we bought a loaf of bread, cream cheese and sausage slices. It cost us 200 NOK at the Extra supermarket. Hot tea in bad weather will also come in handy. We didn’t have a thermos, and the water in our backpack was so cold it made my teeth chatter. Drinking it with sandwiches was unpleasant.
Where to stay in Odd
Hotels. There are many small, non-networked hotels in Odd. They usually have small rooms with bunk beds and a shared toilet on the floor. The Hardanger Hotel in the city center rents rooms with all amenities.
We stayed at Trolltunga Hotel, in 2022 paid for a double standard with shared bathroom 1280 NOK for two nights. The hotel is half an hour walk from the center of Odda. We liked it there: the hotel is well-maintained, located in a picturesque place. On one side there is a rushing mountain river and on the other side there is a view of the lake and mountains. It was also important to me that there were full beds: after hiking I wanted to rest properly.
Campgrounds. The most popular campsite in Odda is Trolltunga Camping, in some aggregators it is called Odda Camping. The campsites share a kitchen, showers and toilets. At Trolltunga Camping, showers are charged at 20 NOK for five minutes.
Campgrounds have their own advantages in the form of outdoor activities: there are grilling areas, you can fish, rent a bike or canoe.
If you want to stay there but don’t have a tent, you can stay in a 5 m² room with a bunk bed. It costs from 1120 NOK per night for two people.
Apartments. In the center of Odda there is Bakkegata house, where apartments are rented. There you get all the amenities: your own bathroom, kitchen, washing machine and a convenient location.
In the same building there is a kind of hostel – many bunk beds in a common room for men and women. In high season a place will cost 75 NOK. A deposit of 100 NOK is required in advance.
How much food costs
Food is expensive in Norway. Odda is not the capital, the prices in cafes are lower than in Oslo, but they still bite. After the hike, my wife and I had dinner at Cafe Vertshuset. I ordered the Viking Plate – fried potatoes with sausages and green onions – for 220 NOK. One dish was enough, I was full. My wife had a 28-centimeter margarita pizza for 160 NOK and it was delicious. At the neighboring Glacier, a cup of cappuccino cost 50 NOK.
To save money, I advise you to buy ready meals in grocery stores. There are Spar, Rema 1000, Extra supermarkets in Odd A portion of pasta with meat in Spar in 2022 cost 75 NOK. The cooking in Norwegian supermarkets is delicious and of high quality, we often met people with trays of store-bought food on the streets. I liked Rema 1000 the most: prices there are lower and the assortment is richer.
We used the disposable packaging for ready-to-eat cooking a few times: we washed and put the food from the hotel breakfast in there. Later we had lunch with these supplies. We spent four days in Norway, and such savings were not unreasonable.
What’s the bottom line
The weather during our hike was inclement, but it didn’t upset us. Most importantly, we achieved our goal and perhaps remembered the climb more vividly than if everything had been perfect.
I have experienced a dozen kinds of rain. The horizontal rain was a novelty for me, and it poured down as if from a huge sprayer. Halfway up, my backpack was soaked through, and after half an hour of intense wind, it was like a hair dryer blowing all the moisture out of it. The only thing we missed was not taking a thermos with tea.
This was our first hike, it taught us a lot and gave us a new experience. Now, when we choose a place for our next trip, we look for natural attractions. Our approach to vacations abroad has changed: we want to go not to cities, but to nature, to a place where we have to exert effort and achieve something. This is the main thing Norway has taught us.
