The Trolls Trail The Trolls Trail The Trolls Trail 1595 Advanced Plus The Trolls Trail or 'Troll-løypa' is a point-to-point cross country ski trip across the Rondane mountains of Norway. This 165 km journey takes us through a beautiful landscape of frozen lakes, plateaux, and forests which gives the perfect environment for a multi-day adventure on cross country skis. We begin in the north at Høvringen in the Rondane National Park, and ski south to the Olympic town of Lillehammer. The terrain is not steep, but offers views of the bigger peaks in the area. Famous point-to-point tour in Norway From the Rondane mountains to the Olympic town of Lillehammer 165 km through mountain terrain with some remote Arctic days Baggage transferred each day to next hotel Qualified Nordic Ski guide/instructor DeparturesTrolls Trail Ski Conditions King Bore - 'King of Winter' from Nordic mythology says he can't promise anything, but in this area they begin to prepare the tracks as soon as they have enough snow in December and continue until mid-april or after Easter. Itinerary We always aim to complete the itinerary as outlined below. However it will be followed only when conditions and weather make it appropriate, both in terms of safety and enjoyment. Your guide will make a decision on your route based on those conditions. Day 1 Arrival Today you arrive at Oslo Gardermoen airport, and take the train north to travel to our start point at the mountain village of Høvringen. Our cosy and comfortable mountain hotel sits right on the ski tracks and is ideal for our start the next day. The train station is in the main airport building. You should take the 1429hrs to Otta, which is likely to be on the Departure board as the line to Trondheim S. It arrives at Otta at 1733 hrs. You will be collected by our hotel, and the transfer to your hotel from Otta station is included in your trip fee. Should you choose to take another train this transfer will be at your own expense. Please be sure to inform us of your plans.train details ez Publish PDF export 1 of 6
are given below in Further Information. Day 2 Høvringen to Rondablikk We put our skis on right beside our hotel, and begin our epic journey along the Trolls Trail. The terrain is gentle and undulating, in other words the perfect Norwegian landscape for allowing our skis to do what they were designed to do! Mid morning we have the chance to stop for coffee and cake at the wonderful Smuksjoseter lodge. The Rondane National Park entrance is marked here by standing stones and the chance to read about the reindeer herds living in this environment. The only truly wild reindeer herd in Norway. We then have a great descent to Mysuseter, and then on down to Furusjoen where we ski across the frozen lake to Rondablikk. Ascent 495m Descent 635m. 29km. Day 3 Rondablikk to Venabu A long tough day today as we leave Rondablikk and start our climb onto the plateau above the village. Much of today is off-track, but is relatively easy terrain, and a joy to be away from the trails for this one day. There is definitely a real wild feeling to the route today as we work our way across the mountainside past the DNT hut at Eldabu. Eventually, we reach the tracks coming from Venabu and wind our way among the small hills and eventually down the valley with a great descent to our overnight at the lovely hotel at Venabu. This family run hotel has been welcoming skiers for several generations and our hosts are superb with a wealth of knowledge about the flora and fauna of the area. Ascent 565m. Descent 554m. 32km. Day 4 Venabu to Friisvegen An easier day as we leave Venabu and continue through open high mountain terrain skiing through the birch woods. There are some hills though, and quite a pull up towards the plateau above Øksendalen. Some great 'swoops' also as we work our way over the ridge line and down into the next valley. We spend the night at Friisvegen where the hospitality is always excellent, and good Norwegian cooking is on offer. Also a chance to buy the compulsory 'Troll' at the tourist centre shop! Ascent 513m. Descent 609m. 26km. Day 5 Friisvegen to Vetåbua ez Publish PDF export 2 of 6
A great trip through the open birch forest on partly prepared trails bringing us to the cosy little DNT hut at Vetabua. The DNT huts are brilliant, stocked with food, and logs for the fire, and it's a great experience to spend a night in a remote location like this. This hut is not staffed so you can expect to do some of the chores, such as collecting water, and lighting the fire, and preparing dinner, all good fun and part of the mountain experience. We have no luggage tonight, and you do need to share in carrying some food for your meals, and, of course, you need a few extra items for your overnight. Descent 231m. Ascent 268m. 21km. Day 6 Vetåbua to Hornsjø An early start is needed today as we have plenty of kilometres to cover. We head steadily south through birch woodland and past hamlets and farmsteads, many of these abandoned in the winter months. We can look behind us to the mountains of the Rondane and it's a good chance to note our progress and see just how far we have traveled in the previous days. This is a long day, but a very enjoyable one with some great countryside. We will make our way to the remote hotel at Hornsjø which has beautiful views to the mountains. A sauna and a swim in the hotel pool are usually very welcome at the end of this day, and a great way to ease muscles. However, you may not make it past the waffles, jam and cream which we usually treat ourselves to upon arrival. Ascent 491m. Descent 540m. approx 39 km. Day 7 Hornsjø to Lillehammer The finale today as we head for our destination at the Olympic town of Lillehammer. Our day beings with a ski south until we reach the lake of Reinsvatnet enjoying the views of this famous cross country ski area. In winter cross country ski teams from around the world train here for the World Cup. The terrain this morning is gently undulating, and nothing too strenous for our last day. Late morning we arrive at Nordseter where we can enjoy a coffee and waffle. At Nordseter we will decide if we take the bus down to Lillehammer or if the tracks are complete then we will be aiming to ski all the way down to the Olympic stadium at Lillehammer. The last two years we have completed the entire route right to the stadium! The complete day to Lillehammer gives Ascent 428m. Descent 821m. approx 23km. Day 8 Departure Today you can take the train from Lillehammer to Oslo Gardermoen airport for your flights home. Trains run throughout the day from 0542 hrs onwards. Our accommodation is in the station building and could not be more convenient for the trains. NB No the accommodation is not noisy! Often our guests choose to spend an extra night in Oslo for sightseeing. Please let us know if you wish to do include this option, which will be at an additional charge. ez Publish PDF export 3 of 6
Price Included: The price includes full board accommodation (breakfast, packed lunch, dinner and thermos refill) and local taxes. This is based on two people sharing in very comfortable hotel accommodation, with one night in a DNT mountain hut in dormitory accommodation. Transfers from Otta station to our hotel at Hovringen, transfers from end of trail to Lillehammer, luggage transfers (1x bag per person), the fees of a qualified BASI Nordic Ski Teacher/International Mountain Leader and their expenses are also included. Single rooms can be arranged in advance at an additional fee of 180, please ask if you would like this option. Not included: Insurance, flights, drinks and snacks. Rail travel within Norway. If you require to hire skis, the hire cost for six days for metal edged touring skis will be 850 NOK, this includes the transfer of the skis from Lillehammer back to Hovringen at the end of your trip. Skis Type & Rental For this tour you can use either a fish scale ski or waxed skis with metal edges. Ski rental may be arranged locally, or in the UK prior to travelling. Hire in Norway will normally be on 'waxable' skis, hire in the UK can be on either. If you are unfamiliar with the 'art' of waxing then your guide will give you instructions each day. The stable Norwegian snow conditions mean waxing is easy to pick up and you'll soon feel the benefits of a faster glide on a well waxed ski! Please see the note about ski hire above. The skis at Hoveringen are metal edged with NNN bindings and Back Country boots. Or you can hire half-metal edged with NNN track boots and bindings. We advise that if hiring, you hire skis AND boots, rather than hoping your boots will fit the bindings. Minimum numbers This trip requires a minimum of four clients to book before it can be guaranteed to run. We take a maximum of 8/9 clients for a point-to-point tour. Insurance Please note that you must have the appropriate insurance for your chosen activity. You must be covered for helicopter rescue, repatriation and medical costs. With regard to this please be sure you have read the Insurance section in our Terms and Conditions. ez Publish PDF export 4 of 6
Further Information and Travel Upon booking, a full list of the necessary suitable clothing will be provided. To reach the start of the tour you will travel north by train from Oslo Gardermoen Airport to the town of Otta. Here we will take a taxi transfer to Høvringen to our comfortable mountain hotel. We recommend that your flight arrives at Oslo in time to get the train departing from Gardermoen at 1429 hrs. The transfer which meets the 1429 hrs train is the one which is included in your trip fee, if you arrive on another train the transfer will be at your own expense. Please contact us BEFORE booking your flights so that we can verify the latest train times as these are published 3 months before departure. The train station is in the airport building at Gardermoen and it all works very efficiently in terms of connecting with your flight. Tickets are easily booked on line, and you will usually have a much cheaper price if you do this in advance at Norwegian Trains At the end of the trip we will return from Lillehammer to Oslo airport. If necessary you can take the first train of the day from Lillehammer at 0710hrs, arriving at 0901hrs. There are currency exchange facilities/banks in Oslo Airport or you can obtain Norwegian Kroner prior to your arrival. Credit cards will be accepted in the hotels. Oslo airport has a left luggage store available if needed, which is at the east end of the arrivals hall. Accommodation & Luggage Transfers On this tour you will stay in comfortable and cosy hotels, some have saunas. Our guests are usually very pleasantly surprised by the standard of the hotels in Norway and this trip is no exception. Do not expect luxury, but you will get character and good Norwegian hospitality. You will only need to carry a daysack whilst skiing and your main baggage will be transferred every day between accommodation points, except for one night when we stay at the self service DNT cabin at Vetabua. This also is very comfortable, and a genuine Norwegian hut experience. The huts do operate on a first come, first served basis, so be prepared to share space if there are others arriving ahead of us. A good reason to get started early on that morning! Luggage will be mainly transported in cars and small vans so we would ask that you keep both size and weight of luggage to a respectable limit of around 15kg (and only one bag per person), it is worth noting that you will be required to carry your own bag up and down from your accommodation every day. Weather Please note that your guide will try to fulfil the stated itinerary, but this is dependent on weather/snow & track conditions at the time. We run our Trolls Trail tour at a time of year when the snow is usually reliable and the tracks are well maintained. However, in the event of poor snow conditions, we will aim to offer an alternative ski itinerary covering approximately the same number of kilometres per day. ez Publish PDF export 5 of 6
Our Partners As our niche trips such as the Trolls Trail are of a specialised nature we work with our partner companies to attract sufficient clients to reach the minimum number of participants to allow these trips to go ahead, meaning you are more likely to have your chosen holiday 'guaranteed'. Tracks and Trails in these instances may, in collaborating with our associates, make use of their guiding services. If you have any queries with regard to this please contact us. <iframe src="https://mapsengine.google.com/map/embed?mid=zhqmylibtvlu.kxznqcjj8a K8" width="425" height="350"></iframe> No Lunchtime in the mountains ez Publish PDF export 6 of 6