Hiking across the
Romsdalseggen
Arrival
After 6 days on the Lofoten Islands, I travel by train via Trondheim and Dombås to Åndalsnes. Between Dombås and Åndalsnes runs the Rauma Railway, named after the Rauma River running through the Romsdal valley. The almost one and a half hour train ride was once voted the most beautiful train trip in Europe by Lonely Planet. I consider it okay, but at the beginning of september I also have to do without the photo stops at particularly beautiful parts of the route. The reason for my trip to Romsdal is the mountain ridge Romsdalseggen, over which leads one of the most popular hikes in Norway.
For two nights I move into the campground in Åndalsnes. After my arrival I explore the town, where I immediately feel comfortable. A cruise ship is docked at the harbor and I can enjoy a coffee in the sun at the visitor center. Here I get information about the hike for the following day and buy a ticket for the Romsdalseggen bus.
The trail leads from the parking lot in Vengedale over 10.3 km to Åndalsnes.
More than 900 meters of altitude are covered.
The highest point on the hike is at 1,216 m.
The trail is well marked with red dots or other signs.
The Romsdalseggen bus from Åndalsnes operates between July and September. Tickets are available at the visitor center for NOK 250 (as of 09/2019).
Hike on the Romsdalseggen
The next morning I walk 20 minutes from the campsite to the town center and get on the bus at the visitor center, which drops me and a few other hikers off at the parking lot in Vengedalen, the start of the 10 km hike.
The first two kilometers are on meadow and mud trails before a steeper rocky section leads up to the ridge. From the ridge, the peaks of Trollveggen and Romsdalshorn are felt to be within reach, drawing all eyes and cameras. While the snow covered peaks of the surrounding mountains are enchanting, the Rauma winds its way cheekily through the valley. A few steeper sections follow, with chains to hold on to. At Mjølvafjellet (1,216 m), the highest point and half of the hike is reached. On the last one and a half kilometers, the 700 meters of altitude down to Åndalsnes are quite hard on the knees. On the descent via the Romsdal stairs I pass the Rampestreken. From the viewing platform extending 8 m beyond the mountain slope I look once again at Åndalsnes, the Isfjorden and Romsdalsfjorden.
Back at the campsite I recover with beer and chips on the grass in front of my tent. It was an incredibly beautiful sunny day and an even more beautiful hike. The nature and the view were just fun.
Night walk
For the last evening in Åndalsnes there is now one more mission – auroras. On the Lofoten I have had no luck with it or simply not looked properly. Before I travel even further south the next morning, I want to give it a try. Meanwhile I have an aurora app and the forecast for this evening is not bad. It is 22 o’clock as I creep from the campground through the darkness to a golf course. There I can shoot some nice photos of the starry sky, but auroras are not in sight. More by chance than intention I take a picture of the horizon back at the campground and suddenly this picture is green! With the naked eye I still can’t see anything, but my camera with extended exposure time can. With this indirect sighting of the northern lights I am satisfied under the given conditions at the beginning of September in the more southern part of Norway.
The next morning I travel by train from Åndalsnes via Oslo to Stavanger, where the classics Preikestolen, Kjeragbolten and Trolltunga are awaiting me.
