Highlights and Hidden Gems in the Northwest

Endelig er turen i gang! Vi møtes på Åndalsnes togstasjon kl. 13.30. Vi sjekker inn på Grand Hotel Bellevue før vi kan bruke ettermiddagen på en kort fottur opp til Rampestreken hvis gruppen er interessert i dette. Deretter tar vi turen bort til Tuen Vingård for vinsmaking på en av Norges få vingårder. Eieren av stedet vil fortelle anekdoter å ta dere med på en reise i hans eget vinlandskap. Vi smaker på noen utvalgte viner, og får også muligheten til å kjøpe med oss flasker hvis dette er ønskelig. På kvelden spiser vi en velsmakende 3-retters middag i hotellets restaurant.

After breakfast, we are ready for our first real hike of the trip! We check out of the hotel before we are transported to Rabben where the hike starts. The first half of the trip goes uphill where we slowly but surely approach Hoemskaret. Around us, and on all sides we have views of dramatic mountains, the most striking is perhaps Gjuratinden to our right. After we have reached Hoemskaret, the trip goes down towards Eikesdalen Lake before we finally arrive at Hoemsbu where we will spend the night. Maybe a swim is tempting upon arrival? In the evening we prepare dinner together from the selection at the cabin.

Today will be a challenging day. From Hoemsbu we take a boat over to Vike Farm on the other side of the lake where our transport is waiting for us. From here we drive to Mardalen Waterfall where we first take a short walk up to the waterfall before we hop on the bikes and head into Eikesdalen Valley. When we are halfway into the valley we start the climb up to Aursjø Mountain Cabin. This is a tough, but also very spectacular part of the bike ride so we recommend everyone to grind their teeth together and work their way up the mountainside. Our escort car makes sure that everyone gets up, and if it gets too tiring for someone, they will be transported the last stretch. On arrival at Aursjø Mountain Cabin, we check-in before a 3-course dinner awaits in the evening.

Every trip up a mountain also means a trip down, in other words, we are ready for part 2 of the bike ride over Aursjøvegen Mountain Road. Today's stage is considerably easier than yesterday's where we stroll down towards Sunndalsøra. However, it is almost 15 kilometers of mountain terrain at first, so we have to leave some strength behind today as well. If the group is interested, we also make a short stop at the beautiful Torbuvollen Farm, where we can buy locally produced food. Upon arrival at Sunndalsøra, we will be transported further into Innerdalen Mountain Valley where we will spend the next two nights. We take the backpacks with us and walk the last three kilometers from the parking lot and into Renndølsetra. One of Norway's most beautiful mountain valleys opens up for us, and on the horizon, we see tomorrow's goal, Innerdalstårnet. We check-in at our accommodation before we enjoy a lovely 3-course dinner in the evening.

We are ready for one of the absolute highlights of the trip. Today we are going to climb Innerdalstårnet. We enjoy a delicious breakfast at our accommodation before we get ready. However, we do not need to walk far before the steep ascent begins. At the foot of the mountain, the trail shoots upwards, getting steeper as we continue to the summit. This can be a demanding hike for many, so if it gets too high or too steep for some it is of course no shame in turning around. We take one step at a time and work our way up the terrain before we finally stand on top where we can let go of the jubilation, if not the view from the top leaves us speechless... Back at the accommodation, we enjoy a relaxing afternoon before a 3-course dinner awaits in the evening.

Unfortunately, we are closing in on the end of the trip, but before that, we have time for one last hike. From Innerdalen Valley we are transported to Gjøra in Sunndalen where we go up to Ekkertinden, a mountain that has been called Sunndalen's answer to the Pulpit Rock. On the way up we go via the beautiful Vollasetra, a self-service DNT cabin that is idyllically located in the lush, green valley side. From the top of Ekkertinden, we can enjoy fantastic views of the surrounding area. After we have taken in all the impressions, we go down again for our transport to the last accommodation, Budsjord Pilgrim Farm which is located right at the heart of Dovre, a beautiful mountain valley. Here we are served a delicious 3-course dinner in the evening. We spend the last hours of the day reminiscing about the week we have shared together.

Today the trip has unfortunately come to an end. We enjoy breakfast at Budsjord before we are transported to Dombås train station where we catch the train to either Oslo or Trondheim. We hope that the trip with us will leave you with everlasting memories, and dreams of new visits!