After enjoying a day off and the scenery around Spiterstulen, the time came to leave this great setting to push forward on the circuit. Next stop: Leirvassbu. I had not really envisioned what this trail would entail but, spoiler alert, after completing the Norway trip, this trail ranked #1 in my list.
Varied landscape and terrain
We left the lodge at the usual time: 8:30 AM. We got to the Leirvassbu lodge around 3:40 PM, so just over 7 hrs for a ~12-mile hike.
There may not be great differences in the possible terrain features from one trail to the next but this one seemed kindest of all with less brutal rock crossings, fewer steep inclines, and almost no significant descents.
Ignore TLC – go chase waterfalls!
We took a side hike off the main trail following a long waterfall that cascaded down over a mile or so. It was very peaceful and simply beautiful. About a mile into tracking it, we turned around and resumed the main trail to Leirvassbu.
Up to the lake “district”
The terrain was gentle along the river that ran past Spiterstulen and that ran sort of parallel to the trail for a good bit. At some point, we moved away from it and started an ascent to what became a plateau of lakes. We would walk along these lakes all the way until getting to Leirvassbu.
The backdrop to the lakes was nothing short of stunning!
No matter how cool the trail… a beer always follows!
Leirvassbu: my favorite lodge for sure!
Not only is this trail my favorite but Leirvassbu was my favorite lodge too. The room was spartan but adequate. We had a room with a private bathroom and it was severely dated (like 1960s).
But it was all functional. However, I really liked the setting of the lodge, the common spaces (lounge and dining room), and – best of all – the bar and the food!
The highlight of the meal was the 18-hour, slow-cooked veal main dish. Wow – it was restaurant caliber. I was not expecting that high quality cuisine in a national park lodge.
Leirvassbu has the added benefit of being on a private road so you don’t have to hike miles if you want to visit it.
Check out Day 2 (Glitterheim to Spiterstulen)
Or, read on to Day 4 (Leirvassbu to Gjendebu)
