The Reality of Hiking Troll Tongue
Troll Tongue (Trolltunga in Norwegian) is one of the most famous hikes in Norway. The famous ‘tongue’ hanging over a cliff has become iconic on social media and travel blogs for Norway. Whenever I meet guests in Bergen, the young and fit ones tell me they are going to hike Troll Tongue. But what’s more common is I get guests telling me they are going here and my immediate thought is oh no, you won’t make it. I remember once having to tell them there’d be snow and they’d be risking their lives if they did it in February.
Why are so many people ill-prepared? Well, it’s easy. They see the photo, they say “I can do that”, and off they go. It’s crazy. I hiked Troll Tongue back in 2016, and I didn’t enjoy it at all. And that was after doing a ton of research. But I vividly remember that as I was doing it, I was passing people in much worse shape than me, people in jeans, people in sneakers, and people without backpacks for food.
So, I’ve put together this guide to make it clear exactly what to expect when going to Troll Tongue. While I enjoy hiking, I am not an expert hiker and you should not take my word alone. I’ve tried to provide as many external links to Norwegian sources so you can read about the hike based on expert opinions.
The Reality of Hiking Troll Tongue
The Rv13 Highway
Odda is located on the Rv13 highway. You can find my guide to the E6 by clicking the link below.
Setting Expectations
Hiking grade level
Because the trail is longer than 20km, the trail is automatically listed as an expert hike. However, it is definitely an expert-level hike! Although the trail is well-marked, you must be in very good shape and have excellent endurance. You must also have done mountain hikes before, preferably in Norway.
You must feel comfortable walking on uneven surfaces and up steep rock cliffs without things to hold onto.
The whole trail has been photographed on Google Maps, so you can get a sense of what the path looks like: https://maps.app.goo.gl/Fy8VgatULGyu4oNZ9 (go into street view after clicking that link)
In Norway, our hiking website is called ut.no. They have a page for Troll Tongue, and while it’s in Norwegian, you can clearly make out information about the difficulty of the hike: https://ut.no/turforslag/115074/trolltunga-unik-hyfjellstur-ved-hardangerfjorden
Go with a guide!
If you are worried about your fitness level or ability to keep to the trail, book a guided tour. Here an expert Norwegian will guide you safely on the trail, assist you, and provide information along the way.
I cannot recommend this enough.
Read more about guided hiking here: https://trolltunga.com/plan-your-trip/guided-hiking/
When can you do the hike?
Hikers can go without a guide from June to September depending on the weather. Never take this at face level without checking the weather. Now in June we had snow a couple days ago. It is absolutely not safe to do Troll Tongue on snow or ice.
If you go from October – May without a guide, you are risking your life. The weather is unpredictable and snow or ice on the ground is risky when there are no barriers. Also, you risk getting stuck up there after dark.
How many nights do you need a hotel?
Book your hotel for at least two nights. You can stay in Odda, Tyssedal or Ullensvang. Do not stay in Bergen and head to Troll Tongue for the day.
Ideally, you should book somewhere for 4-5 nights and then pick the best-weather day of that period to hike Troll Tongue. Use the other days to do easier hikes, take fjord cruises, visit farms and museums, and see beautiful Western Norway.
When doing Troll Tongue, try to start no later than 7am.
What to bring
You need to be wearing high quality, waterproof hiking boots. Bring with you very good clothing as you may be suddenly exposed to rain or cold weather without much warning. It is very important to bring lots of food and water. Do not wear jeans, trainers, or other everyday clothing.
Also wear sunscreen! While we don’t have a high UV index, the sun is high above you for long periods of the day and can feel harsher than standing on a beach in Australia.
I remember I brought clean socks and was so so happy about it when I got to put them on. I wish we had brought a thermos with hot water and those meals that you hydrate. You can buy them in Norwegian outdoor shops. Look for this brand “Real Turmat” (click here).
Here’s a guide for what to wear and pack: https://trolltunga.com/plan-your-trip/equipment/
Safety first
If I haven’t yet convinced you to come fully prepared, here’s a video that was made by some Norwegians about what to expect on the mountains.
There is mobile phone coverage for most of the trail. However, do not rely on your phone for navigation. Have a printed map with you.
Click here for a basic map of Troll Tongue.
If you are reading online blogs about the hike, consider the source. I do understand the irony in this, but don’t read blogs from travel bloggers who came to Norway once, did the hike, and left. Read from official, Norwegian sources. Travel bloggers don’t have a realistic understanding of the hike and their fitness level may be different to yours. Even on this guide, I’m trying to provide as many external links as possible to Norwegian sources. Don’t trust my judgement alone – read everything and determine for yourself if you can handle the hike.
Here is a great guide from VisitNorway about hiking safety: https://www.visitnorway.com/things-to-do/outdoor-activities/hiking/tips/
Doing the hike
Okay, you are sure you can do Troll Tongue. That’s great! Now let’s go through the practical bits.
Where to park and start the hike
There are two parking lots – P2 and P3. The difference between the two is where they start. P2 starts at the foot of the mountain, while P3 starts 1km into the hike and skips the most challenging part of the hike – the steep, up-hill ascent. When I did the hike, there was no P3. In fact, they opened it one year after I did the hike, something I’m still a little bitter about.
Anyway, if you are absolutely not an up-hill person then you want to go to P3. Trust me, you want to go to P3 unless you are a very skilled hiker. That first 1km of hiking involves pulling yourself up on ropes and climbing up rocks. If you start from P3, you conserve a lot of energy and save a lot of time.
P3 does having parking spaces, but it is extremely limited and it’s highly likely you won’t get a park there. There is also a shuttle bus that takes you up there, which makes much more sense.
Take the shuttle bus
You can find shuttle bus information here: https://trolltunga.com/parking-and-transportation/shuttle-buses-and-taxi/
How long does the hike take?
If you start walking from P2, allow 8-12 hours for the 27km round-trip hike. If you start walking from P3, allow 7-10 hours for the 20km hike. Note that this depends heavily on your fitness level and the weather. We had pouring rain for half of the hike and it took considerably longer than planned.
What to expect on the hike
That first part (now skippable with the P3 carpark) was the most challenging part of the trip. Once you get part it, there is an excellent, well-marked trail. There is another steep climb about 45 minutes into the hike at what’s called the Gryteskaret Pass. This is one of the most strenuous stretches for the hike. You must be able to navigate yourself on uneven rocks.
There will be another steep climb up to the Tromeskar pass, and from here you’ll be at a grassy valley very popular with campers. Shortly after passing that steep climb, you’ll make it to a view of the Ringedalsvatnet lake below in the valley.
As you get closer to Troll Tongue, the trail will narrow, and you should be mindful of the high drop.
Overall, the trail is solid and well-marked because it is such a popular tourist attraction. Signs along the trail show the remaining distance to both Troll Tongue and back to the beginning of the trail.
On the trail, it is possible to drink the natural water. However, do not drink water close to cabin areas or until you have reached the first emergency shelter just before Floren, about halfway to Troll Tongue. It’s better to fill water from a running stream than from a lake but be advised that water may contain impurities after heavy rainfall.
There are no public toilets on the trail. Use the toilets at the parking lots before going up. Keep your toilet stops on the mountain far away from streams and lakes and downhill from trails.
You must bring all your trash down from the mountains.
Snow & rain
It’s very common to see snow up here. In fact, it’s not recommended to hike the trail in May due to the risk of snow and ice. There are no barriers, so one slip in the wrong direction and it’s all over.
Even in late June you may encounter patches of snow and cross streams, so waterproof boots are important and be sure to pack some extra socks.
If you see rain forecast, do not go. There are no safety barriers and rocks become slippery when wet. If it means you miss hiking the trail altogether, so be it.
Emergency shelters
Two emergency shelters are located along the trail in case of a sudden storm or other emergency. The emergency shelters have sleeping bags, blankets and food rations.
Save this in your phone: The emergency number
The emergency number is 112.
Arriving at Troll Tongue
There is often a queue to go and stand out at Troll Tongue. It is likely that you will have to wait up to 90 minutes just to get out there and get the famous photo. When you get out there, stay a couple feet back from the edge of the cliff. People have fallen from here in the past.
Wrapping up: Hiking Troll Tongue
I live in Bergen, and we hear all the time in the news in summer about tourists getting stuck on the mountains and having to be rescued. It’s become a huge argument in the country if we should do more to prevent tourists from taking these hikes since they are so unprepared. If you want to do this hike, do your research. Read from official, Norwegian websites and study the trail on Google Maps. Get a printed copy of the map and buy good quality hiking gear. Seriously consider booking a guide to go with you. Make the right decisions. Don’t skip essential parts because you are short on cash or time. At the end of the day, is risking your life worth it for a photo? No, not really!
Also, don’t do this hike just for the shot for Instagram. There are so many wonderful hikes around Norway, and many with arguably better views, so you don’t have to do this one just because it’s famous. Why waste your day queuing for 90 minutes for the photo when you can choose a less challenging hike with better views and no crowds?
When I did the hike in 2016, I researched the trail extensively, went with a group, and even had my husband’s cousin come with us (he is an experienced hiker in Norway) who brought food, shelter, and helped us on the trail. However, we made many mistakes. We went on a day when rain was forecast and had a very challenging time getting back down the mountain after visiting Troll Tongue. In hindsight, it was completely unsafe. Now, eight years later and wiser and with lots of experience hiking around Western Norway, I would go back and do it again and probably do a lot better.
All in all, there’s no shame in saying “this isn’t for me”. But if you do decide to go, make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.
The Rv13 Highway
Odda is located on the Rv13 highway. You can find my guide to the E6 by clicking the link below.
Troll Tongue is located close to Odda, and you should be staying in Odda for at least two nights during your hike. Read my travel guide for Odda above.
