Hardangervidda in Summer
In summer 1999, we traveled by train and tent into southern Norway. We took the train through Sweden to Oslo, where the famous Bergen Railway begins into the highlands. In the middle of the highlands, we reached Finse station at 1222 meters. Finse lies at the northern edge of the Hardangervidda - Europe’s largest plateau. Inside the station building, you can find a small shop (in 1999) and a railway museum.
From Finse station, you can already see the Hardangerjøkulen glacier. Our hiking tour lasted about ten days. We walked around the western side of the circular glacier and back again. The paths are marked by stone cairns and a red “T” painted on stones.
Hiking on the Hardangervidda
After one night near Finse, we spent two nights halfway to Rembesdal. One day, we climbed and hiked along the glacier’s edge. The next day, we saw a large lake with a dam at its end in Rembesdal. Water flows directly from the Hardangerjøkulen into this lake, then down through a rock ledge to the Sima power station in the fjord valley.
Simadal and Stormy Night
On another hiking tour, we walked nearly a full circle around the lake and dam to Simadal. From the mountains, we looked down into Simadal and the following Eidfjord. The valley slope is about 900 meters deep - a comfortable place to sit and relax!
Walking back to Finse, it was good to have a round dome tent. It resisted a full night of storm with gale gusts and heavy rain. Some parts had to be weighted with small stones because the stony ground made it hard to secure the tent.
Sunshine in Bergen
At the end of the trip, we took the train from Finse to Bergen and stayed there for two days before returning to Germany. Bergen, Norway's second-largest city, usually rains often - but we had almost sunshine.
This was my first real wilderness adventure - without shops or daily routine around me. This was Hardangerjøkulen and Hardangervidda.
Link Tips
- Train station Finse webcam
- Hardangervidda at Wikipedia
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... more hiking areas in Norway:
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... more of Oslo, Bergen and South-Norway:
