Popular route to the highest peak in Northern Europe is accessible with daytrip from Spiterstulen mountain lodge.
Specs
- Length: ~12km (round-trip)
- Duration: 8hours (round-trip)
- Start: Spiterstulen mountain lodge
- Level: Intermediate / hard (lots of elevation)
- Ascent: 1420 meters
- Descent: 1420 meteres
- Tip: Take rainpants or something slippery so you can enjoy long snow slides when coming down
Map
http://bit.ly/pimio_galdhopiggen (One-way route)
Equipment recommended
- Sunglasses for the snowfields
- Something slippery to slide on snow when descending. Alert: Lots of fun!
- Trekking poles
- You may need crampons. Ask from mountain lodge
Route
You can reach Spiterstulen mountain lodge / camping by car or buss from Lom. There is small road toll, under 100 NOK, that you have to pay at the mountain lodge reception. You can put your tent to the camping area on the other side of the river, there is small fee for the camping area.
Camping at Spiterstulen
Sheeps graze at the same area where the tents are so you may have to clean little bit before putting your tent
Free alarm clock. BÆÆÆÆÆÆ!
The start of the hike is birch forest and you gain altitude quickly. After 30min you reach snow field that you traverse left and up. After that there you alter between boulder fields and steep snow fields. After couple hours you reach ridge where you can see styggebreen and human train going through the ice field with the guide. Good time to eat something.
In Jotunheim the clouds can quickly roll in so be careful when walking on the ridge on the midway up.
Before the last part of the hike, you descend a little bit but after that it is quite nice uphill before you see the summit hut. If the cafe at the summit is open you can buy some warm coffee and enjoy some delicious Kvikk Ljuns chocolate
When going down you can spot tracks on snow where people have slid down on their bums, be careful if the snow layer is thing because there can be sharp rocks and always control your speed.
Sliding down while coming down from Galdhøpiggen. July 2015
After the hike its nice to enjoy some pizza, beer and sauna at the mountain lodge.
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