Self-Guided Troll Trail, Norway, Cross Country Ski

Trolls Trail, Norway

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Self-Guided Troll Trail, Norway

Cross the stunning Rondane National Park
6-day point-to-point ski tour
165 kilometres of beautiful trails
Finish in the Olympic town of Lillehammer

Why Choose Cloud 9 Adventure

Planned by Norway ski experts
Carefully selected local hotels
Partial luggage support
Use our fantastic Self Guiding App
Excellent route notes

Self-Guided Troll Trail Norway XC Ski: Overview

The Troll Trail, known as 'Troll-løypa' in Norwegian, is a famous point-to-point cross country ski trip across the Rondane National Park in Norway. You'll travel through beautiful landscapes, frozen lakes, and pretty forests on a 165km cross country ski adventure. You'll start in Høvringen in the Rondane mountains, and ski south to the Olympic town of Lillehammer. While the terrain is not particularly steep, some sections have a remote 'Arctic' feel about them, and you'll also get to enjoy spectacular views of nearby peaks.

What to expect

On this trip you will stay in small hotels and guest houses on 6 nights, and will enjoy traditional local food, wine and hospitality. On one night you'll stay in a traditional DNT hut, which is a fabulous experience and not to be missed! There is luggage support every day, except the night in the hut, so for the most part you'll travel light with just daypacks. Your main bags will await your arrival at your next overnight stop.

Each day you will cover around 20-40 kilometres of trails, with a fair amount of ascent and descent, so participants need to be able to ski for several hours per day, at a good pace. This trip is suitable for those with previous cross-country or Nordic skiing experience, and a good knowledge of cross-country skiing techniques. If you have any questions at all about whether this trip is right for you, just ask.

Travel Information

To get to Høvringen for the start of the trip we advise flying into Oslo Gardermoen Airport, then taking the train to the town of Otta. The train station is in the airport building at Gardermoen. From Otta we will provide a taxi transfer to the group hotel. We recommend that your flight arrives in Oslo in time to get the train departing from Gardermoen at 14:29hrs. The transfer which meets the 14:29hrs train is included in the cost of the trip, but if you arrive on a different train the transfer will be at your own expense. Please contact us before booking your flights so that we can confirm the train times as these are only published three months before departure. Once confirmed we would advise that you also book your train tickets in advance as it is much cheaper. Just ask us for further details.

AT A GLANCE

7 nights

6 days' skiing

Partial luggage delivery

Group size 4-8

Join: Høvringen

End: Lillehammer

Nearest Airport: Oslo Gardermoen Airport

ACCOMMODATION

6 nights in hotels

1 night in hut

DIFFICULTY GRADING

9

Very Tough

Self-Guided Troll Trail Norway XC Ski: Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival in Høvringen

Arrive at your chosen hotel in Høvringen.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Day 2 - Høvringen to Rondablikk

Your trip starts right next to the hotel, where you don your skis and set off on your adventure. The terrain is gentle as it undulates through the typical Norwegian cross-country landscape. You can stop for mid-morning coffee and cake at the fabulous Smuksjøseter lodge, before entering the Rondane National Park. The entrance to the park is marked by standing stones, and by a reminder that you are entering an area that is also home to the only truly wild reindeer herd in Norway. From here it is a lovely descent to Mysuseter, then down to Furusjøen. Here you get the chance to ski across the frozen lake to Rondablikk.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 29km

Altitude gain / loss: +495m / -635m

Day 3 - Rondablikk to Venabu

Leaving Rondablikk you have one of the longest and toughest days ahead of you, starting with a climb onto the plateau above Rondablikk. A lot of the skiing today is off-track and, while the terrain is relatively easy, there's a real sense of being out in the wild as the route takes you across the mountainside past the DNT hut at Eldåbu. Eventually you'll meet the tracks coming from Venabu, then wind your way through the small hills and down the valley. A superb descent takes you to your base for the night in Venabu. This lovely hotel has been family-run for several generations and you'll receive a very warm welcome from its friendly and knowledgeable hosts.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 32km

Altitude gain / loss: +565m / -554m

Day 4 - Venabu to Friisvegen

After the challenging day yesterday, you get to take it a bit easier today. You'll leave Venabu and ski through the birch trees and enjoy the high mountain terrain. You'll encounter a few hills, and a climb up to the plateau above Øksendalen, as well as some pleasant descents as you ski over the ridge line and down into the next valley. Your base for the night is in Friisvegen where you'll receive a warm welcome and some good Norwegian cooking. You can also pick up a souvenir 'Troll' at the tourist centre shop!

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 26km

Altitude gain / loss: +513m / -609m

Day 5 - Friisvegen to Vetåbua

today begins with some great skiing on partly prepared trails as you make your way through the birch trees to the cosy DNT hut at Vetåbua. The DNT huts are fantastic, and you'll find them stocked with food for dinner, and logs for the fire. The hut is in a remote location and is not staffed, so expect to help out with the chores, such as collecting water, lighting the fire, and preparing dinner. It is great fun and part of the unique mountain experience. As there is no luggage delivery possible, you will need to share in carrying food for your meals, and any extra items you need for your overnight stay. (The hut is stocked with some items and you can buy additional ingredients for your evening meal in Frisvegen. You'll also need to arrive with your breakfast and lunch items for tomorrow. Cloud 9 will give you further info on this upon booking. You won't go hungry!)

Accommodation: Unmanned hut

No Luggage access

Distance: 21km

Altitude gain / loss: +268m / -231m

Day 6 - Vetåbua to Hornsjø

You will need an early start today as you have a lot of ground to cover. Heading south through birch woodland you pass hamlets and farmsteads, many of which are abandoned in the winter months. The Rondane mountains are now behind you, and it's a good opportunity to see just how far you have come in the last few days. Today is a long but enjoyable day, as you take in the scenic countryside. Your base for the night is the remote hotel at Hornsjø. You can treat yourselves to waffles with jam and cream while enjoying the fabulous views, before taking advantage of the hotel's sauna and pool.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 39km

Altitude gain / loss: +491m / -540m

Day 7 - Hornsjø to Lillehammer

Today is a fitting finale to your trip, as you ski to the Olympic town of Lillehammer. First you'll head south until you reach Reinsvatnet lake, taking in the fabulous views along the way. In winter, ski teams from around the world come to this famous cross country ski area to train for the World Cup. The terrain is gently undulating, and not too challenging. In the late morning you can stop in Nordseter to enjoy a coffee and a waffle. From here, if the tracks are complete, you can ski all the way down to the Olympic stadium at Lillehammer. If they are not then you have the option of taking the bus down. In the evening you can enjoy a well-earned meal to celebrate the end of your Troll Trail Cross Country Skiing adventure.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 23km

Altitude gain / loss: +428m / -821m