Romsdalseggen Ridge in Norway Hike - A Local Guide With Tips And Photos

Discover the breathtaking Romsdalseggen Ridge hike, which was voted one of the most beautiful hikes in Norway.

The area around Åndalsnes is known to attract mountaineers and hikers from around the country. One of the top places to visit there is Romsdalseggen Ridge. Everyone says that the Romsdalseggen hike is “a must-do”, and one of the best hikes in Norway. I have visited Andalsnes before, but only now, I managed to do the famous Romsdalseggen Ridge hike. Solo. Was it worth it? Was it hard? Have a look!

Romsdalseggen Ridge

In this article, I share with you all the details of hiking Romsdalseggen Ridge in Norway.

Romsdalseggen Ridge is located in the heart of Romsdalen Valley, and it’s famous for the 360-degree view of the wild mountains of Norway. From the top, you can see the changing views of mountains like Romsdalshorn, Kongen, Dronninga, Vengetindene, and the tallest climbing wall in Europe – Trollveggen. You can also admire the narrow Romsdalsfjord and the Norwegian Sea.

Romsdalseggen Ridge is a challenging hike. I’ve done most of the best hikes in Norway, including all of the famous ones, like Trolltunga, Kjeragbolten, Brufjellhallene, Queen’s Trail, Hesten… The list goes on! But this was definitely one of my favorites – the views are hard to beat and the scrambling added a fun factor to it.

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Romsdalseggen Ridge Hike Norway – The Facts

The details below are about the normal route of the Romsdalseggen Ridge Hike. The alternative route via Høgnosa is longer (12 km), but less exposed.

Total distance: 10.3 km

Total time: 5- 8 hours

Highest point: 1 222 m Mjølvafjellet

Lowest point: 31 m (Åndalsnes)

Elevation gain: 970 m

Path: Marked path

Map: Romsdalseggen map

Difficulty: Normal route – According to Norwegian standards Romsdalseggen Ridge hike is RED, which means CHALLENGING. I’ve even seen some Norwegian websites stating, that it’s Expert effort level. Personally, I didn’t find it that challenging, but I am used to hiking and climbing in the mountains. The hike does include some exposed sections and requires some gentle climbing/scrambling.

The easier route through Høgnosa – is marked blue, but you start and end on a red trail. This route avoids some of the steepest sections.

Routes: You can choose between Alternative 1 Normalruta (including the steep sections) or Alternative 2 Romsdalseggen via Høgnosa (avoiding one part of the steep sections).

Season: Summer

Starting point: The hike starts from the car park in Vengedalen (Venjesdalsetra, coordinates: 62.5365970856681, 7.826299155814124, elevation 380 m).

Endpoint: Åndalsnes

Drinking water: on each side of the ridge (there are signs).

Direction: Romsdalseggen hike is a one-way hike, that starts and ends in different places. The hike in the opposite direction is not recommended.

How to get to Romsdalseggen Ridge Hike: There is a dedicated Romsdalseggen hike bus that drives from Andalsnes to the beginning of the trail every day in the season. It costs 200 NOK per person. You can park your car in the car park in Andalsnes. If you have more than one car, you can arrange a pick-up and drive to the beginning of the trail yourself (I recommend wild camping in the area the night before, it’s beautiful). There is a toll to pay, which is 100 NOK per vehicle. Parking is free.

View from Romsdalseggen ridge hike to surrounding mountains

Hiking Romsdalseggen Ridge

I ended up hiking the Romsdalseggen Ridge. We had a few busy days before we arrived in Andalsnes, and we needed to get back to Oslo the same day, so we decided it was wiser that only one of us do the whole hike. Since I was obsessed with it in the first place, it was me ;-)

The night before, we spent in the Vengedalen Valley. I really regretted not getting there earlier! We were surrounded by the mountains all around, with tons of camping spots. You could easily spend there a few days just discovering the area. We also did a short, but pretty hike to Litlefjellet (20 minutes one way, but steep), which offers great views of Trollveggen. I recommend this one if you are not planning on hiking the whole of Romsdalseggen Ridge.

Camping in Vengedalen, before Romsdalseggen hike

The first stage of Romsdalseggen Hike

The hike starts from the parking lot of Vengedalen. The first bus from Andalsnes leaves at 8:30, so I really tried hard to hit the trail before that. And I did. There were still a few other hikers with me, even though it was Monday. The weather was just perfect though, blue sky, not a single cloud.

The first part of the hike goes on the stone steps. First, you need to cross the wooden gate from the car park and then follow the trail along with the steps. It gently rises up, crosses the river, and flattens out a little bit when you reach the Jamnabotn plateau.

Here, you will find the signs for drinking water, which is the last place to fill up your bottles before the ridge. They are marked with the “Drikkevann” sign. After that, you will reach the junction, where you can choose to take a detour through Høgnosa or turn left to the normal route.

While hiking a steep stony hill, you start getting views of the valley behind you. On the top, you have the opportunity to add one more peak to your hike – Blanebba. It’s around 30 min one way. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time for that. If you continue to the other side of the ridge, this is where the stunning views of the turquoise Rauma River in Romsdalen Valley open below. You can also see the famous Trollveggen (Troll Wall) and Romsdalhorn.

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Eat a good breakfast before the Romsdalseggen hike

First stage of Romsdalseggen hike — The first stage of the Romsdalseggen hike

Walking on loose stone at the beginning of Romsdalseggen hike — Walking on a loose stone at the beginning of the Romsdalseggen hike

Sign to Blanebba on the Romsdalseggen hike

View to the valley from the Romsdalseggen hike — View of the valley from the Romsdalseggen hike

Climbing and scrambling on the Romsdalseggen Hike

The next stage follows the ridge down, where you need to carefully climb the steep edge of the mountain. There are chains to help you. Just don’t be like me and think “Wow, this is actually quite hard with no place to step on“, when you are on the wrong side of the chain (yes, I know, I corrected myself quite quickly though).

When you do it correctly, it’s not that bad. After climbing down, you need to climb up again. This is more like scrambling since you use your hands on the rocks. On the hardest parts, there are chains to assist you.

Halfway through the Romsdalseggen Ridge

Around halfway on the Romsdalseggen hike, on the 5th kilometer, you reach the highest point – Mjølvafjellet at 1222m. From here, you slowly (very slowly) start descending towards Andalsnes. But the fun is not over yet. There are a lot of nice views and exposed sections to come.

Descent from the Romsdalseggen Ridge

The descent from the Romsdalseggen ridge does feel long. You pass through several smaller hills, and you can see that their height is lower and lower. But there is still a long way back to Andalsnes.

Around the 7th-8th kilometer, there is another drinking water source, which is signposted. This is also where many people love to take photos of the exposed ridge overlooking the sea and the river below. After that, you reach the stone hut and from there, you start a steep section of stone steps built by Nepalese sherpas.

On the way, remember to stop by Rampestrekken Viewpoint (more info below).

Rampestrekken and the way down

Rampestrekken (Romsdalstrappa) is a famous viewing platform hanging off the mountain face over the city. There is usually a small queue to take a photo on the platform, so be prepared to wait a bit.

The way down from Rampestrekken is less interesting. There are still some stone steps, which then turn into muddy paths covered with tree roots. This is all very steep. Not the best for tired legs at the end of the hike. It also might not be very nice in the rainy weather. Here, there are also more people on the trail, as many are hiking just to the viewing platform.

View on the way down from Romsdalseggen ridge

View from Rampestrekken on the way down from Romsdalseggen ridge — View from Rampestrekken on the way down from Romsdalseggen Ridge

Where to stay while hiking Romsdalseggen Ridge (and Romsdalseggen camping)

You can either stay in Andalsnes or if you want to wild camp and you have a car, I highly recommend camping in Vengedalen Valley. There are a lot of places to pitch the tent and the area is just beautiful.

In Andalsnes, you will find a range of suitable accommodation options. Some of the recommendations include:

Grand Hotel Bellevue – situated on the hill above Andalsnes, it offers panoramic views over the Romsdalsfjord. It has a restaurant and bar. Check the prices and availability here.
Trollstigen Camping and Gjestegård – cabins, cottages, as well as places for tents and caravans. Check prices and availability.
Trollstigen Resort – you can stay here in the cute, traditional Norwegian cottages with grass on the roofs. Check prices and availability.

Wild camping near Romsdalseggen ridge hike

Tent wild camping near Romsdalseggen ridge hike — Tent wild camping near Romsdalseggen Ridge hike

Posted: 2022, Updated: 2024

Romsdalseggen Ridge in Norway Hike – A Local Guide With Tips And Photos

Romsdalseggen Ridge

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. More details here.

Romsdalseggen Ridge Hike Norway – The Facts