A Wild Camping Road Trip, from Oslo to Ålesund

I’ve been dreaming about wild camping in Norway for quite some time. Waking up to the peaceful sounds of nature and falling asleep beneath the magic of the midnight sun. Wandering through enchanted forests and discovering extraordinary peaks. Swimming in the purest of lakes and breathing in the crisp mountain air. Although all of it was just that… a dream. Two months ago, my college roommate Olivia and I set out on a wild camping road trip from Oslo to Ålesund. The plan had been to spend two to three weeks on the road and make our way to some of Norway’s bucket list hikes, but suffice it to say, Mother Nature had other plans. This is my honest account of our eight-day adventure, a challenging yet unforgettable journey through the mountains of Jotunheimen, Rondane, and Dovre.

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Our adventures began in Jotunheimen National Park, home to Norway’s tallest peaks as well as some beautiful lakes and glaciers. Driving along the Norwegian Scenic Route Valdresflye on our way to Lake Gjende, we passed through treeless landscapes and snow-covered cliffs. Once at the lake, we pitched camp a couple hundred meters from the Gjendesheim DNT cabin and settled in for the night. The first 24 hours were rough. First came the rain, then came the cold and windy night. As drizzle turned to downpour and daylight turned to twilight, we hurriedly cooked dinner on our little camping stove and took cover inside the tent. We spent the rest of the evening huddled together in our sleeping bags, scraping burnt couscous off the bottom of the pot.

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The next day was a complete rainout, so we passed the time in the Gjendesheim DNT cabin and the Besseggen Fjellpark Maurvangen, praying for clearer skies. Meanwhile, it dawned on us that our summer road trip might not be quite so summery after all. Thankfully, our prayers were answered the following morning when we awoke to the warmth of the sun on our tent. We packed ourselves out of the campsite and geared up to hike the Besseggen ridge, both of us in high spirits. There are two ways to hike the ridge – take the ferry from Gjendesheim to Memurubu and walk back, which is the most popular option, or vice versa. We chose to go with the crowd on this one and at 9:30am, we were on the ferry to Memurubu where we began our ascent. 

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The Besseggen ridge is approximately 14 kilometers in length with an elevation gain of 1,080 meters and an altitude of 1,743 meters above sea level. As we hiked from Memurubu in the west to Gjendesheim in the east, we enjoyed the views of the three lakes – Bjørnbøltjønne, Gjende, and Bessvatnet. Around the halfway point, we stopped for our peanut butter and cracker lunch before scrambling up the actual Besseggen ridge. As we approached the top, we were rewarded with the iconic Besseggen view, characterized by emerald waters and snow-capped mountains. Little did we know that this would be our only successful summit of the week.

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We were down from the mountain by 5:00pm and in a brief moment of courage (or maybe stupidity, depending on your point of view), we submerged ourselves in Lake Gjende. It didn’t take long before our bodies went numb and we had to admit defeat, leaving remnants of soap between the goosebumps on our skin. With our first wilderness shower out of the way, we got in the car and drove to Rondane National Park, the oldest national park in Norway. By the time we arrived, nightfall was upon us and the mosquitoes were hungry. We scoped out our new campsite and quickly pitched the tent while being eaten alive by the bugs. Then we caught a beautiful sunset and a magical moonrise before falling into a deep slumber.

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In the morning, we decided to pack up the tent and hike 6 kilometers from the parking at Spranget to the Rondvassbu DNT cabin. Here we located campsite number three, explored our new stomping grounds, and read up on the different hikes in the area. We were without cell service, so we had to rely on the few guidebooks in the cabin and any advice we could gather from other hikers. As for the weather, we observed the clouds and hoped for the best. The next day, we set our sights on Rondslottet, otherwise known as the castle of Rondane. At an altitude of 2,178 meters above sea level, Rondslottet is the tallest peak in the Rondane mountain range as well as in Hedmark county. Sadly, we didn’t get to experience it.

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To make a long story short, we had to turn around due to rain. The hike to Rondslottet passes through rocky terrain and is extremely exposed to the elements. What this means is that in bad weather, the trail becomes very slippery and there’s nowhere to take shelter. We had been hiking for maybe two hours when the skies darkened and the heavens opened, but neither Olivia nor I wanted to throw in the towel just yet, so we pushed on. That is until we realized we weren’t fully equipped for the conditions, and we also hadn’t seen a single soul in the mountains all day, not to mention the view would be non-existent anyway. And with that, we swallowed our pride and walked back down to safety.

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Back at the tent, we cozied up in our sleeping bags and mentally prepared ourselves for the 6-kilometer walk to the car. In between rain showers, we made coffee, organized our clothes, and packed up the gear. As we walked back to the car, I could see the light at the end of the tunnel and couldn’t wait to put my seat warmer on full blast. Getting to the car felt victorious, but we still had to figure out where we were going to sleep that night. After a failed first attempt, we ended up in Grimsdalen, a farm valley in Dovre National Park. We strongly considered sleeping in the nearby DNT cabin called Grimsdalshytta, but decided to tough it out in the tent a few more nights.

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To our surprise, the weather perked for the next couple of days and we finally had a chance to bathe in the tent-side creek, hand wash our stinky clothes, and even bask in the sunshine. We spent one full day relaxing and reorganizing, then set out for Gråhøe the following morning. The hike to Gråhøe was supposed to be an enjoyable 16-kilometer trek to a peak at 1,663 meters above sea level, but somehow we didn’t find our way. The directions we received from the DNT cabin had us following signs to Hjerkinn, then veering off the path to the ridge of the mountain. When a group of horseback riders said we were on the route to Hageseter Turisthytte, however, we figured it was best to turn around. On the plus side, we did stumble upon an abandoned cabin in the mountains which was pretty neat, and the sun graced us with her presence all day long.

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After three nights in Dovre National Park, we made our way to Ålesund, a colorful port town on the west coast of Norway. It felt strange to be back in civilization, but it was also nice to have a 24-hour break from camping. During our visit, we saw the beautiful Ålesund Church, enjoyed lattes at a coffee house called Dråpe, climbed to the Byrampen viewpoint for panoramic views of the city, had a night out on the town with some locals, explored the Tueneset conservation area, and drove to the Alnes lighthouse. Alnes is a picturesque fishing village on the island of Godøy, and it was here that we thought to camp for the night. When we arrived, however, the chilly draft from the Atlantic Ocean and the impending rain made us think otherwise. In a moment of despair, we decided to cut our wild camping road trip short and head back to Oslo.

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Our week-long camping trip was challenging, but at the same time, it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. Despite the mental and physical toll that the outdoors took on our minds and our bodies, we persevered. During the lows, we took comfort in each other’s misery. And during the highs, we danced on mountain tops and laughed our little hearts out. It may not have been the summer road trip we had planned, but it was certainly an adventure we’ll never forget.

With ♡, Julia Elizabeth