02.27.2025
So, you have come this far… this means that you are dreaming, thinking, or maybe seriously considering an upcoming adventure to Norway. Well, well, well - we are very excited to have you onboard.
We are of course not biased at all when proclaiming Norway to be one of the best countries in the world for nature-based adventures. Even as Norwegians, with our country’s DNA rooted deep within our hearts, we too can sometimes be surprised by the natural beauty that this country possesses. But- hey wait! Don’t push the bright blue BOOK button right away. Give it another 2-3 minutes until you get to the end of the page - there’s important information down the trail (pun intended).
What to expect when hiking in Norway
Because, there’s something you should know, we Norwegians don’t worry too much about making things easy for our travelers: Be aware that our trails, and our trail system (which is vast) has literally been developed one step at a time, over many hundreds of years, by the locals going from one place to the next (either for practical reasons or for recreational purposes), and they didn’t worry too much about either trail development or trail maintenance. Then throw Norway’s natural beauty - we are talking fjords, glaciers, alpine mountains, high-jagged peaks, rivers, waterfalls, valleys, you name it - and the geographical position of the country - prone to the occasional rainstorm, snowstorm, or everything-at-the-same-time-storm (don’t worry, we have a lot of sunshine too) into the mix, and, phew, you got yourself a hiking destination like no other. With this in mind you should expect the following:
- Switchbacks are rare, trails in Norway tend to go either straight up or straight down.
- Expect narrow trails with a lot of rocks and roots making the hiking more difficult.
- If there is rain the trails will be muddy, and the rocks and roots will be slippery.
- You will rarely find railings, fences or elevated wooden trails in Norway. This is only applied at places on the trail where you desperately need them.
- Expect steep and exposed trails without extra security measures at some point on your hiking trip. Especially if you are participating on a trip from level 3 to 6. Please read more about trip levels HERE.
- Remember the Norwegian word; Steinur. Depending on the hike you are doing you will probably encounter a “Steinur” at one point during the hike. Steinur is a large area made up of rocks, and rocks, and rocks, and rocks, and rocks. Big ones, small ones, loose ones, slippery ones. When the trail goes over a “Steinur” please take your time and watch your footing.
- Follow the red T’s! Many trails in Norway are marked with red T’s. The Norwegian Tourist Association is doing an incredible job in marking our trails with bright, red T’s so if there is bad weather, or it is unclear where the trail is going (if you for example are hiking through a “Steinur”) stop for a moment to look for the next T in front of you.
- Expect sudden changes in weather. You can (if you are unlucky) experience both rain, snow, and a lot of wind over the course of a single day (that started out sunny).
- But, if you are lucky - you don’t even need to be lucky actually, Norway has a lot of good weather - there will be days where the sky is clear, it's warm, there’s no wind, the trails are dry… ah, those days, nothing beats Norway on those days.
- And finally, expect your Norrøna Adventure guide to take very good care of you - every single day, no matter what challenges you will face - while on the trip. In a country as unpredictable as Norway bringing with you a local guide could prove the difference between failure and success.
What we expect from you
Hiking in Norway is without a doubt an adventure of a lifetime. But, it doesn’t always come cheap. As mentioned above, challenges await (almost) at every turn. Therefore, we want to provide you with a short checklist on how to prepare for this - both before departure, and while here, hopefully making the trip the best possible experience for you, for your fellow travelers, and for the fragile nature that we need to roam with responsibility.
- Walking on a treadmill with high or maximum incline makes for a good exercise getting ready for them straight-up-trails that we pride ourselves in having here in Norway.
- Go on longer hikes, choose trails that are more difficult, or where the terrain is more rugged, and fill up your daypack so that you carry that extra load while out hiking.
- Encounter the trip with an open mindset. Expect to be challenged. Face it head-on. This is very important. Why, you may wonder? Well, if good old Norway throws an everything-at-the-same-time-storm in your face in the middle of a long and strenuous hike, it is quite beneficial for you and for the people around you that everybody is up for the task ahead.
- There’s a Norwegian saying (a follow up to the one above): “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only a bad mentality.” No, sorry, that’s too harsh. It actually goes like this: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing,” a sort of smooth transition to the next point.
- Clothing: Also very important. Please follow the equipment list provided for the specific tour you book. If you have any uncertainties when it comes to this please don’t hesitate to ask us for guidelines. It is better to ask us one time too much, than to stand in a rainstorm, in the middle of the mountains, without a proper rain jacket.
- Ah, and poles! Don’t forget hiking poles. Even though you usually don’t use them, these could come quite handy if you need more stability while hiking through our country’s rugged terrain.
- If you are participating on a group trip the fitness levels of the different participants will sometimes be a bit scattered, but please keep in mind that we will hike as one group, doing the trip together, from start to finish.
- And please, respect mother nature: Don’t hike outside the trail, don’t throw away your trash - bring it with you to the nearest trash can, limit the use of noise pollution devices - a bird’s song sounds better than that of a drone whistling around. Remember that mental pictures sometimes can be as good as normal ones.
So- hello? Are you still with us?
Hopefully we didn’t lose you on the dotted trail above, taking you through what we believe are the necessary guidelines for a successful visit to our beautiful country.
What’s next, you ask?
Oh, just push the bright blue BOOK button that you hovered over 2-3 minutes ago.