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Day 6 in the Jotunheimen NP Circuit

20 October 2023 by Raul 2 Comments

Well, all good things come to an end and, so, is the final post about my 6-day hike in Jotunheimen National Park: from Memurubu to Gjendesheim.

Now, it is not my final hike in Norway for this trip but it wraps up exploring the beautiful and grandiose Jotunheimen. Jotunheimen is a park I had never heard of before until this trip entered the picture as a potential adventure. Grateful to my friend Troy for introducing me to this jewel of nature in Norway!

Should I stay or should I go?

On day 6 we were not only finishing the hike in Jotunheimen NP, but we were also going to leave the park altogether. We had an option to stay at Gjendesheim (again) that final day in the park but we had places to go! We were going to head to the Valdres valley and the small town of Røn. It did not make sense to get to Gjendesheim to spend a few hours and then drive a few hours the next day before our destination. We opted to make it to Gjendesheim and get on the road. It is not like Gjendesheim was Leirvassbu where I would not have minded an extra night! So the plans were to get to our car (in the long-term parking lot a mile from Gjendesheim) and hit the road.

But, first, let’s talk about leaving Memurubu

jotunheimen, ilivetotravel, trekking in norway, hiking i norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, adventure — One last look towards the main building of Memurubu

We had planned to leave Memurubu and take the Bessegen route to Gjendesheim, not an easy route but well-known as an epic route. However, the weather forecast called for high winds that day at lake level. Bessegen was both higher up and more exposed to the edges (not quite cliffs) and a wind gust would be a life-endangering situation. So we decided to take the lower level route lake-side. It was maybe not as fun and interesting as Bessegen but, under those conditions, smarter.

A relatively easy trail…

… but the trail did not lack challenges though. Bessegen may be left for homework (i.e., a return trip) but the lake-side route was not just a nicely groomed trail. Nothing is at JNP! The cool thing about Bessegen is that you don’t have to do a circuit to do it as there are ferries to Memurubu so it can be just a day hike for those not wanting to do a longer circuit.

The trail initially had some elevation gain before the trail returned lakeside.

jotunheimen, ilivetotravel, trekking in norway, hiking i norge, norvege, senderismo en noruega, adventure, lake gjende — Elevation gave us one great last view of the lake

Then the trail went through forested areas and included water crossings and rock beaches before the final approach to Gjendesheim.

Overall, it was about 6.5 miles. We did it in 4 hours, including stops, the longest one in a rock beach where we had our lunch. By this point, of course, my legs were tired, my feet sore and my Achilles heels letting themselves be known. But, it didn’t really matter. The circuit we had just completed was worth every pain, every sore spot, every chain segment, every early wakeup, etc. Approaching Gjendesheim was a welcome sight but, also, bittersweet as it meant having new experiences around Jotunheimen was coming to an end. At least, on this trip…

Missed the start? Go to Day 1 (Gjendesheim to Glittertind)

Or, go back to the prior day: Day 5! (Gjendebu to Memurubu)

Filed Under: Europa (L-Z), Europe, Europe, Noruega, Norway, Norway, Travel Journal Tagged With: bessegen, hiking i norge, Jotunheimen, memurubu, norvege, Norway, norwegen, trekking

Day 3 on the Jotunheimen NP Circuit Hike

4 October 2023 by Raul Leave a Comment

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.

Jotunheimen, Leirvassbu, lodge, turisthytte, Norge, hiking, trekking, Norway, sunset in Norway — Sunset from Leirvassbu – stunning

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.

All Trails, Jotunheimen, hiking, Norway — Green = start; Black = end

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.

Jotunheimen, Leirvassbu, lodge, turisthytte, Norge, hiking, trekking, Norway

Jotunheimen, Leirvassbu, lodge, turisthytte, Norge, hiking, trekking, Norway, water crossing — Bridge #1

Jotunheimen, Leirvassbu, lodge, turisthytte, Norge, hiking, trekking, Norway, DNT, den norsk forening

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.

Jotunheimen, Leirvassbu, lodge, turisthytte, Norge, hiking, trekking, Norway, waterfall, den norsk forening

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!

food at turisthytte, hiking in Norway, DNT, senderismo en noruega, hiking in Norge, Jotunheimen, foodporn, slow-cooked veal

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.

Lowa, hiking boots, Norway, trekking in Norway, hiking i Norge, senderismo en Noruega, Leirvassbu, turisthytte, DNT — The end of another day: the boots get a rest!

Check out Day 2 (Glitterheim to Spiterstulen)

Or, read on to Day 4 (Leirvassbu to Gjendebu)

Filed Under: Europe, Europe, Norway, Norway, Travel Journal Tagged With: den norsk forening, hiking, Jotunheimen, noruega, norvege, Norway, senderismo, trekking

Day 2 on the Jotunheimen NP Circuit Hike

28 September 2023 by Raul Leave a Comment

Having survived the first day of a 6-hike circuit – and the longest hike of the 6 -, it was time to get going on Day 2 for the next challenge: getting to Spiterstulen by climbing Glittertind mountain (vs. skirting it and going around it).

Tallest mountains in Norway and northern Europe

Glittertind is not only the second tallest mountain in Norway but in all of northern Europe. Glittertind stands at 2,452 m / 8,045 ft. The tallest mountain is nearby: Galdhøpiggen. It stands a modest 17 m / 56 ft taller than Glittertind. The height of these mountains is a little higher if you include the glaciers atop. For example, Glittertind, back in 2008, stood at 2,465 m counting the glacier.

Heading up Glittertind

We started the morning early with breakfast at 7:30AM and a departure from Glitterheim at 8:40AM. Though Glittertind stands at 2,452 m, Glitterheim itself is location at around 1,400 M above sea level. So we sort of had a head start in terms of the climb. Small mercies!

Glitterheim turisthytte, cabin in Jotunheimen, hiking in Norway, trekking, senderismo en Noruega, Norge, norvege — Leaving Glitterheim behind

The climb to the summit was about 3.8 miles. The first mile would ascend 425 ft. The second mile would go another 500 ft. Finally, the third mile would go another 450 ft. The final bit to the top would take us up approximately another 300 ft. I cannot recall for certain but it feels the last 1.5 mile was a pure rock walk. Steep and painfully slow to navigate stepping over all those rocks

rock fields, challenging hiking terrain, trekking in Norway, senderismo en Noruega, Jotunheimen, Den Norske Forening, DNT, Glittertind, Glitterheim, Spiterstulen — Norway may be also called Rocks ‘R Us

Glittertind, rock field in Jotunheimen, senderismo en Noruega, trekking i Norge, Norway hike, Spiterstulen, Glitterheim — Can you still spot me in the rock field? Fun times

Atop Glittertind and all that snow

Within the last hour of the climb, it started to snow. Visibility decreased but we could still see where we were and where we were headed.

Good thing because right by the summit there was a cliff we could not see… (see image below from AllTrails). Good thing that snowpack at the top was rock solid!

AllTrails, Glittertind, hiking in Norway, trekking in Jotunheimen, snowpack, glacier in Norway, Norge, DNT — This screenshot right after the summit

Descending not always fun and games

Once we were done resting at the summit, we began the descent. For a little bit, we were still on the glacier / snowpack. We did not have any special attachments on our hiking boots. I just made sure I stepped where someone else had stepped before me, hoping the snow had compacted all it was going to compact thanks to the prior person. Oh, and that I was not going to step on snow that was sitting on top of a crevice or gap of some sort!

You can visualize in this AllTrails’ trail preview how sharp a descent this was (it began around mile 4.1, soon after leaving the summit ridge.

steep descent, challenging hiking terrain, trekking in Norway, senderismo en Noruega, Jotunheimen, Den Norske Forening, DNT, Glittertind, Glitterheim, Spiterstulen — What it looked like in real life

Eventually, after left the summit ridge, the terrain was free of snow and the snow stopped falling. Back to our normal steep-descent-with-lots-of-rocks-and-scree. It was the usual very focused walk to avoid a nasty and painful fall.

ilivetotravel, Spiterstulen turisthytte, lodging in Jotunheimen, cabin in Jotunheimen, Lomb beer, Norge, senderismo en Noruega

The challenging, steep descent from Glittertind is over

After the steep descent, we entered the area that you see in the picture above. We followed a stream for a bit on still-rocky terrain for a bit.

norvege, Spiterstulen turisthytte, lodging in Jotunheimen, cabin in Jotunheimen, Lomb beer, Norge, senderismo en Noruega — The descent is over!!

challenging hiking terrain, trekking in Norway, senderismo en Noruega, Jotunheimen, Den Norske Forening, DNT, Glittertind, Glitterheim, Spiterstulen

We then went up a little bit and rounded some mountain to a trail that would eventually parallel the private road leading to Spiterstulen. I so badly wanted to just get to that road and walk on a flat, smooth surface! But, it was not to be until the very end, close up to Spiterstulen. To add insult to injury, after we got on the road and approached the lodge, we had a slight uphill. Really…. 🙂

Regardless, my buddy and I were very happy hikers by the time we got to Spiterstulen!

How to end a hard hike

Thankfully, Spiterstulen was ready for us! From a refreshing cold beer to a great meal to a great space in the room and the large lounging room – Spiterstulen was great.

Our room was actually in a cabin and we enjoyed a private bathroom (with heated floor!), a small living room area and a great view from the room’s window. Perfect spot to chill and re-charge.

The meal started with salmon on a piece of bread (that could have been the entrée!). Then Norwegian meatballs with veggies, chased by diced watermelon topped with vanilla ice cream. All good!

foodporn, Spiterstulen turisthytte, lodging in Jotunheimen, cabin in Jotunheimen, Lomb beer, Norge, senderismo en Noruega

Norway’s beauty is infinite!

I am writing all this post-facto, a couple of weeks after returning home. The majesty of the landscapes of Norway are, maybe not unique, but definitely spectacular. Just a view like below, after a nice meal and a beer (or two), are enough to make one be in awe of God’s creation…