Besseggen Hike 

Besseggen hike – the most popular hike in Norway. Besseggen take you through the wild, beautiful and varied Jotunheimen landscape, and over the spectacular, steep and in some places very narrow mountain ridge Besseggen, which plunges four hundred meters straight into the lake below. With the deep blue lake Bessvatn on the left side, and Gjende’s emerald green waters on the right, the trip across Besseggen offers fantastic views over the unique landscape.

Besseggen – Norways most popular hike

• Difficulty: Demanding

• Distance: 13.6 kilometers (start to finish)

• Ascent: 1,100 meters

• Duration: 6-9 hours

  National Geographic has named Besseggen one of the world’s 20 most exciting hikes, and it’s not hard to understand why. Every year, more than 60,000 visitors complete the trip during the short summer season, and it is not without reason that this is one of Norway’s most famous and most visited mountain trips.

  The route over Besseggen

  The mountain hike over Besseggen is about 13-14 kilometers long, and has an ascent of about 1000-1100 meters. The route goes from Gjendesheim to Memurubu, or vice versa – which is the easiest option. Most people choose to go Besseggen in this way, by taking a boat across Gjende to Memurubu and going east. If you do, you will climb up, rather than down, on the steepest, narrowest and most challenging stretches on the route. The duration of the trip is estimated at approximately 6-9 hours, breaks included.

  As the exit and end points Memurubu and Gjendesheim are connected by the Gjende boats, you do not have to follow the same track twice. Should you still wish to do so, it is possible to stay overnight at either Gjendesheim or Memurubu mountain cabins – depending on where you started from – and embark on the return trip fresh and rested the next morning.

Hvem kan gå Besseggen? 

This trip is considered to be demanding, and is recommended for experienced hikers and those with good physical health. Besseggen itself is steep, narrow and windy. In some places on the route, you also have to cover yourself with light splitting.

It is also worth noting that the route becomes extremely difficult in rainy weather. To ensure that the trip is a good experience, you should therefore be well prepared and plan your trip according to the weather. Even when sun and good weather are forecast, weather conditions can change quickly. It is a good idea to ask local mountain people for advice, in addition to checking the weather forecast, before setting out on a trip. They often have knowledge of signs of rain and increased wind, even when meteorologists have predicted good weather.

The snow is usually until the beginning of June, and the season for crossing Besseggen is summer and autumn, from mid-June to mid-October, when the Gjende boats go.

During the high season in July and August, as well as on the weekends, a large number of tourists go on the trip. At this point, the trail can be quite crowded, and the boats fill up quickly.

If you plan your trip outside the high season and on weekdays, there are fewer people there, and you can better enjoy the tranquility of the mountains.

Besseggen packing list

• Map, compass and map folder
• Fully charged mobile phone
• Nutritious food package, and fast carbohydrates
• Drinking water for several hours walk
• Wind and waterproof jacket and trousers
• Hat and mittens
• Extra change, preferably wool underwear
• Toilet paper, and toilet bag for paper
• Seat pads
• Sunglasses and sunscreen
• Gnawing plasters
• Simple first aid equipment

Hikes over Besseggen

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