Climbing Northern Europe’s highest mountain is surprisingly easy
“This is not a good situation,” says guide Iver Lund Aakre, displaying trademark Norwegian understatement as he points to a warning sign of a hiker upside down in a crevasse. We’re about to cross Styggebreen Glacier, which in the local dialect means “dangerous” because of the numerous 30-metre-deep crevasses that lurk beneath its innocuous-looking snow-covered surface.
Even though the traverse isn’t technical and we’re being led by an experienced guide (Aakre reckons he’s done this more than 350 times), our group of eight still needs to be roped up just in case.
Aiming for the summit and roped in for the glacier-crossing.
The glacier crossing is the second stage of a three-part journey to the summit of 2469-metre-high Galdhopiggen, Northern Europe’s highest peak. Located five hours north-west of Oslo in the extravagantly mountainous Jotunheimen National Park (home to more than 200 peaks over 2000 metres), it’s one of the country’s most popular hikes because of its surprising accessibility.
After driving to the 1850-metre-high Galdhopiggen Summer Ski Centre, it’s only a 5.5-kilometre trek to the summit, with an elevation gain of just 619 metres. All you need is a guide for the glacier crossing, a decent level of fitness, good balance on uneven terrain and the right gear (waterproofs, warm layers and ankle-high hiking boots).
In fact, the most challenging part of summiting Galdhopiggen is pronouncing it. I make numerous mangled attempts during the seven-hour hike and in the end Aakre gives up correcting me and just smiles in resignation.
Crossing the boulder field.
This excursion is part of an eight-day Norway itinerary organised by 50 Degrees North, a company that specialises in “semi-independent” tours of Scandinavia. It’s an interesting model: rather than everyone following the same itinerary, our group of 10 travel in the same minibus and stay in the same accommodation, but have different activities organised each day. I’m the only one of the group doing today’s hike, but we’ve been joined by a couple from Italy and a family of four from the Netherlands.
The last stage is the toughest.
After a quick briefing in the ski centre’s car park, we tackle the first stage, a 2.5-kilometre gentle ascent over rocky terrain interspersed with sections of soft snow. Stone cairns mark the route and Aakre explains that some are more than 1000 years old. He also tells us that this area was completely covered in snow a few years ago, an indication of how quickly climate change is affecting the region.
After an hour we reach the glacier and don harnesses in preparation for the crossing. Occasionally, Aakre instructs us to take a “big step” over a section where he knows there’s a hidden crevasse, but otherwise the traverse is uneventful. For 50 minutes we crunch across the glacier’s frozen crust, the only other sound a faint gurgling from meltwater trickling beneath the surface.
The last stage is the toughest – a steep scramble over uneven boulders along a ridgeline to the summit, where improbably there’s a sturdy stone hut that normally sells hot drinks and snacks. Unfortunately, for some reason it’s closed today and the spectacular panorama of peaks and glaciers we’d been hoping to see is obscured by an obstinate curtain of low cloud.
Still, it’s not every day that you get to eat lunch on Northern Europe’s highest peak. An added bonus is that we have it all to ourselves – a rarity during summer when this hike often attracts several hundred people a day.
The view from the top – Galdhopiggen, the highest peak in Norway and Northern Europe.
During our descent, the cloud lifts and we get tantalising glimpses of a turbulent landscape of soaring mountains and plunging, glacier-filled valleys. On the way down Aakre tells us about an 80-year-old man who recently signed up for the trip. It was his birthday and his family offered him the choice of a spa day or summiting the country’s highest peak. No contest really.
The writer travelled as a guest of 50 Degrees North.
THE DETAILS
FLY
Several airlines fly to Oslo from Australia with Emirates and Qatar Airways offering the best connections. See emirates.com; qatarairways.com
TOUR
50 Degrees North’s eight-day “Beautiful Norway Hike” itinerary starts in Oslo and finishes in Bergen. Highlights include a guided ascent of Galdhopiggen, a ride on the scenic Flam Railway and a trip over Sognefjellet, Northern Europe’s highest mountain pass. Prices from $4837. See fiftydegreesnorth.com
MORE
visitnorway.com
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