Troll Trail Norway Cross Country Ski

Trolls Trail, Norway

1/10

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

Fully qualified and expert guide
Carefully selected local hotels
Partial luggage support

Troll Trail Norway Cross Country Ski: Dates and Prices

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

Troll Trail Norway Cross Country 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. We travel through beautiful landscapes, frozen lakes, and pretty forests on a 165km cross country ski adventure. We 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 we also enjoy spectacular views of nearby peaks.

What to expect

On this trip we will stay in small hotels and guest houses on 6 nights, and will enjoy traditional local food, wine and hospitality. One one night we 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 we can travel light with just daypacks - our main bags will be waiting for us on arrival at our accommodation.

Each day we will cover around 20-40 kilometres of trails, with a fair amount of ascents and descents, 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 1429 hrs. The transfer which meets the 1429 hrs 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 3 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.

BOOK NOW

TRIP NOTES

Troll Trail Norway Cross Country Ski: Itinerary

Day 1 - Arrival in Høvringen

We meet at the group hotel in Høvringen. The guide will brief us on the trip ahead.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Day 2 - Høvringen to Rondablikk

Our trip starts right next to our hotel, where we don our skis and set off on our adventure. The terrain is gentle as it undulates through the typical Norwegian cross country landscape. We 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 a reminder that we 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 we 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 we have one of our longest and toughest days ahead of us, 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, we have a real sense of being out in the wild as our route takes us across the mountainside past the DNT hut at Eldåbu. Eventually we meet the tracks coming from Venabu, then wind our way through the small hills and down the valley. A superb descent takes us to our base for the night in Venabu. This lovely hotel has been family-run for several generations and we'll receive a very warm welcome from our friendly and knowledgeable hosts.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 32km

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

Day 4 - Venabu to Friisvegen

After our challenging day yesterday we can take it a bit easier today, leaving Venabu as we ski through the birch trees and enjoy the high mountain terrain. We'll encounter a few hills, and a climb up to the plateau above Øksendalen, as well as some pleasant descents as we ski over the ridge line and down into the next valley. Our base for the night is in Friisvegen where we'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

We start with great skiing on partly prepared trails as we make our 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 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 some food for your meals, and any extra items you need for your overnight stay.

Accommodation: Hut, dinner included

No Luggage access

Distance: 21km

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

Day 6 - Vetåbua to Hornsjø

We will need an early start today as we have a lot of ground to cover. Heading south through birch woodland we pass hamlets and farmsteads, many of which are abandoned in the winter months. The Rondane mountains are behind us, and it's a good opportunity to see just how far we have come in the last few days. Today is a long but enjoyable one, as we take in the scenic countryside. Our base for the night is the remote hotel at Hornsjø. We usually treat ourselves 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 our trip, as we ski to the Olympic town of Lillehammer. First we ski south until we 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 we can stop in Nordseter where we can enjoy a coffee and a waffle. From here, if the tracks are complete, we can ski all the way down to the Olympic stadium at Lillehammer. If they are not then we have the option to take the bus down. In the evening we can enjoy a well-earned meal to celebrate the end of our adventure.

Accommodation: Hotel, dinner included

Luggage access

Distance: 23km

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