Jotunheimen: A Complete Guide to Norway’s Highest Mountains

Jotunheimen is the highest mountain range in Norway and the entire Scandinavian Peninsula. There, you will find plenty of beautiful valleys, picturesque lakes, and impressive glaciers. Along with a group of friends, we decided to visit this range for a week-long trekking trip in July 2024. During this time, we covered over 120 kilometers, camped in stunning locations, bathed in ice-cold rivers, and had the opportunity to experience the full spectrum of possible weather conditions. In this article, I will try to gather all the most important general information about Jotunheimen, and in the following posts, I will describe our adventures in Northern Europe in detail. Enjoy!

Table of Contents

1. Jotunheimen Geography in a Nutshell
2. The Formation of Jotunheimen
3. Man in Jotunheimen
4. Nature of Jotunheimen
5. Jotunheimen – Tourist Trails
6. Camping in Jotunheimen
7. Jotunheimen – Mountain Huts
8. Jotunheimen – Getting There
9. Jotunheimen – Itinerary Framework

Jotunheimen Geography in a Nutshell

• Jotunheimen is located in the southern part of the Scandinavian Mountains, which cover a significant part of the Scandinavian Peninsula.
• Jotunheimen is home to twenty-nine of Norway’s highest peaks, including the highest – Galdhøpiggen (2,469 m a.s.l.).
• Jotunheimen is a range stretching over a massive area of 3,500 km² (for comparison – the area of the entire Tatra Mountains is 800 km²).
• The picturesque landforms that we can admire today in Jotunheimen were created by the erosive activity of glaciers during the last ice age. It was the glacier that shaped the massive U-shaped valleys, moraines, and vast basins (later flooded by the stunning lakes we see today).
• There are many glaciers in Jotunheimen, and they reach truly impressive sizes, with their lower limits sometimes reaching as low as 1,600 m a.s.l. Unlike Alpine glaciers, the glaciers here do not form a single, compact tongue; instead, they push out with their massive bodies in all directions. This type of glacier is called a plateau glacier (field glacier).
• For now, there is plenty of eternal ice in Norway, but it is important to remember that even here, in the North, the problem of climate change is visible. For this post, I managed to find data showing that from 2006 to 2022, the area of Norwegian glaciers decreased by as much as 13.5%. Quite a lot, isn’t it?
• The Jotunheimen range is located about 250 km north of Oslo and about 350 km east of Bergen.

The Formation of Jotunheimen

The Scandinavian Mountains, and with them Jotunheimen, are among the oldest mountains in Europe, and perhaps even in the world. They were uplifted during the Caledonian orogeny, about 400 million years ago, as a result of events caused by the collision of two prehistoric continents: Baltica and Laurentia. The Scandinavian Mountains then became part of a massive mountain range, the remains of which are now also found in Scotland (the Grampians, the Caledonian Mountains), the United States (the northeastern Appalachians), and on the eastern coasts of Greenland. This chain could have been up to 6,000 kilometers long and, at its highest points, surpassed today’s Himalayas.

Over the next 50 million years, the Scandinavian Mountains underwent complete erosion, and the area of today’s Norway became a flat plain. The landscape was only diversified by scattered masses of hard, erosion-resistant rocks – mainly quartzite and gabbro. It is these rocks that form the Jotunheimen range today. The Scandinavian Mountains in their current form were created in the Paleogene (66–23 million years ago) as a result of another tectonic uplift. As a result, large fragments of the eroded plain were stirred from their lethargy and once again raised to significant heights. And which part did nature lift the highest? Jotunheimen, of course.

When traveling to the Jotunheimen mountains, look closely at the changing landscape outside the window. The terrain rises steadily, inconspicuously, almost casually. There are no sudden drops or abrupt changes in elevation. Just an elevated plain. And from this plain, suddenly, as if it were nothing, a massive rock mass rises – Jotunheimen.

Man in Jotunheimen

Although the earliest traces of man in Jotunheimen date back to 2000 BCE, for the vast majority of the time, only local hunters and shepherds ventured here. Real exploration of the range only began at the beginning of the 19th century. In 1813, the Norwegian botanist Christen Smith arrived here. He had already explored many Norwegian mountain ranges by then, but he considered Jotunheimen the place with the greatest diversity of plants in the entire country. After Smith, more scientists and tourists came to Jotunheimen. In 1820, two renowned geologists reached the area – Christian Boeck and Baltazar Mathias Keilhau. The scholars traveled across and described vast areas of previously unknown land, and their expedition went down in history as the “discovery of Jotunheimen.” In 1850, a group of local climbers – Steinar Sulheim, Ingebrigt N. Floren, and Lars Arnesen – made the first ascent of the range’s highest peak, Galdhøpiggen.

A great lover of Jotunheimen (and owner of a large area of land in the region) was also Thomas Heftye, a Norwegian nature enthusiast, on whose initiative the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) was founded in 1868. Heftye became the first chairman of DNT and held this position until his death in 1886. From the beginning, Jotunheimen was one of the association’s priorities. In 1874, the first tourist trail in this range was laid out, leading from Memurubu to Bessheim. In 1980, to protect the local nature, Jotunheimen National Park was established. It covers an area of 1,145 km² (about 1/3 of the entire range’s area).

The name “Jotunheimen” (“Home of the Giants”) comes from Jotunheim – the mythical land of giants present in Old Norse beliefs. This term came into use quite late, in 1862, thanks to the Norwegian poet Aasmund Olavsson Vinje. I think this association itself says a lot about the landscape of Jotunheimen. For me, however, this range was reminiscent of Skyrim. Believe it or not, during some parts of the trek, I was truly convinced that a dragon would fly out at me from one side or the other, and the familiar “Dovahkiin, Dovahkiin naal ok zin los vahriin…” would echo in my ears.

And since we all like local connections, I found one for you too! It turns out that before the name “Jotunheimen” became widespread, the form “Jotunfjeldene” (“Giant Mountains”) was used. This name was coined by Boeck and Keilhaus during their famous 1820 expedition. In their case, however, the inspiration was not Old Norse beliefs, but… the Karkonosze Mountains, more widely known then by the German name Riesengebirge (which also means “Giant Mountains”).

Nature of Jotunheimen

The vegetation zones in Jotunheimen look completely different than in any other mountains I have hiked so far. First of all, high vegetation disappears here at an altitude of about 1,000–1,200 m a.s.l. We said goodbye to trees on the first day of our trek. At an altitude from about 1,000 to a maximum of 1,400 m a.s.l., there is a tundra zone. This is an area covered with various species of grass, moss, flowers, and occasionally low shrubs. And what lies above the tundra? Above the tundra, you will only encounter omnipresent boulders and glaciers. The landscape of Jotunheimen is therefore quite harsh, but isn’t that exactly the aesthetic we look for when heading north?

In Jotunheimen, you can meet real reindeer! We were lucky enough to see them twice. During the trek on Besseggen, we came across a farmed herd, clearly accustomed to human presence, placed there, I suspect, not by accident. The second time, we saw a wild herd of reindeer one evening while camping near the Spiterstulen hut. Besides, in Jotunheimen, you can also encounter Arctic foxes or moose, although we didn’t manage to see these animals in person.

Jotunheimen – Tourist Trails

In Jotunheimen National Park, tourists have about 800 kilometers of trails at their disposal, marked with a red letter “T”. Since there are practically no trees in the park, these markings are most often found on stones (sometimes on specially built cairns). The frequency of markings varies: sometimes they are everywhere, other times you have to put in a bit of effort to find them.

For trekking in Jotunheimen, it’s worth redefining what you understand by the word “trail.” The local paths are far from the comfortable, profiled tracks we know from hiking in the Tatras or Beskids. Trails in Jotunheimen largely lead through difficult, rocky, and marshy terrain. Don’t be surprised if you have to cross a rushing river, go around a vast wetland, or suddenly end up ankle-deep in a mud puddle. In short: outdoor adventure in its purest form.

I’m generally one of those people who hike efficiently and usually beat the times given on maps or trail signs. During our week-long trek in Jotunheimen, however, we walked almost every section much slower than the raw data – kilometers and elevation gain – would suggest. Jotunheimen may not be the highest mountains in the world, but believe me – they teach you humility.

Camping in Jotunheimen

Regarding camping in Jotunheimen, the most important information is that pitching tents is allowed everywhere, provided that you leave the campsite in the same condition you found it. This beautiful rule applies throughout Norway. However, as with most rules, there is a significant exception. It is forbidden to camp within a 1 km radius of mountain huts. What’s that about? Money, of course. Mountain huts in Jotunheimen have a sort of “exclusivity” for organizing overnight stays on their grounds. So, if you really want to camp near a hut, you will be forced to pay for a campsite according to the price list established for that location.

A big plus of camping in Jotunheimen is the unlimited access to drinking water: lakes and rivers are practically everywhere. The water is crystal clear, so in my opinion, in most cases, it doesn’t require filtering at all.

Wide access to lakes and rivers also makes it easier to maintain personal hygiene. Although I must warn you about one thing – that water is really cold.

In Jotunheimen National Park, however, lighting campfires is forbidden. Even if it were legal, I can’t really imagine it due to the lack of wood. For cooking, we used gas canisters and solid-fuel trekking stoves. And what was on the menu? In my case, freeze-dried meals by Hummy, porridge with protein powder made by Martyna, couscous with soy granules and pesto, tortillas with canned mackerel, yellow cheese, kissel, kabanos sausages, and plenty of chocolate.

When it comes to the weather, I recommend taking thermal clothing, a down jacket, and a whole lot of other warm clothes for a trip to Jotunheimen. During our July trip, the temperature in the valleys ranged from a few to a dozen degrees Celsius. During the day, the weather was mostly pleasant, but in the evenings, it got so cold that at times I felt the need to wear four different layers. I slept in a synthetic sleeping bag with a comfort rating of -1°C.

In many valleys in the Jotunheimen mountains, there is no signal, so it’s a good idea to equip yourself with walkie-talkies before you leave. We had two such devices with us. Since we traversed the Jotunheimen mountains in two teams most of the time, one walkie-talkie was assigned to each subgroup.

One of the most magical things we experienced in Jotunheimen was the length of the day. In July, the sun rose around 4 AM and set at 11 PM. Nothing but hiking all day long…

Jotunheimen – Mountain Huts

In Jotunheimen, there is a well-developed network of mountain huts, run by the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) or privately owned (such as the popular Spiterstulen). These are generally large facilities with many beds, well-equipped restaurants, and hot showers. Most huts also have their own campsite. In Norwegian huts, it is customary to take off your shoes and put them on a specially designated shelf at the entrance.

Each hut has a shop with sweets and souvenirs. As for the prices there, I have the impression that they are high, but they do not differ as drastically from prices in a regular grocery store as is the case in our huts. For example, a regular black coffee cost between 35 and 45 NOK. I won’t provide the prices for overnight stays, as such information becomes outdated quickly anyway. However, I can assure you that if someone plans to visit Jotunheimen while staying in huts, it will certainly not be a budget trip.

Norway is a country with highly developed cashless payments – you will find payment terminals in literally every hut.

Jotunheimen – Getting There

The starting and ending point of our trek through the Jotunheimen range was Gjendesheim, a very popular spot by the picturesque Lake Gjende. We reached it directly from Oslo by a comfortable Nor-Way Bussekspress bus. A ticket costs about 400 NOK and can be purchased online. The journey takes about 4.5 hours. As of July 2024, the bus from Oslo to Gjendesheim departs daily at 8:05 AM and arrives at 1:00 PM. The return bus departs at 2:00 PM and arrives in Oslo at 6:35 PM. During the trip, the bus stops at the bus station in the small town of Fagernes.

A ferry regularly runs on Lake Gjende from Gjendesheim to two mountain huts: Memurubu and Gjendebu. In July 2024, the fare from Memurubu to Gjendesheim was 240 NOK.

Jotunheimen – Itinerary Framework

• Day I: Gjendesheim – Bessegen – Besshø (2,258 m a.s.l.) and the first campsite on a meadow by Lake Bessvatnet [18.3 km, 1,700 m elevation gain]
• Day II: Trek from the campsite by Lake Bessvatnet to the vicinity of the Glitterheim hut [22 km, 680 m elevation gain]
• Day III: Forced rest day due to very heavy rain
• Day IV: Trekking to Glittertind (2,452 m a.s.l.), the second highest peak in Norway, and descent to the vicinity of the Spiterstulen hut [19.5 km, 1,150 m elevation gain]
• Day V: Afternoon ascent to Galdhøpiggen (2,469 m a.s.l.), the highest peak in Norway, and evening descent [15 km, 1,580 m elevation gain]
• Day VI: Trekking from the vicinity of the Spiterstulen hut through Leirvassbu, along Lake Langvatnet to the Storådalen valley [30 km, 620 m elevation gain]
• Day VII: Trekking in heavy rain to the Memurubu hut [14.4 km, 510 m elevation gain]
• Day VIII: Ferry trip across Lake Gjende from Memurubu to Gjendesheim

When going on a trip to mountains like Jotunheimen, remember that you must be flexible. In our case, the planned kilometers were much more than those actually completed. The realization of all our goals was hindered not only by more difficult trail conditions than we assumed, but above all by very changeable weather conditions. During our trip, days with cloudless skies and beautiful visibility alternated with massive downpours. When planning a trip, I recommend setting certain priorities for which you are able to potentially give up other points of the program. For us, the most important were the two highest peaks in Norway: Glittertind and Galdhøpiggen. By adjusting the originally planned route to the current weather conditions in Jotunheimen, we managed to climb both of these peaks in beautiful circumstances. And that’s exactly what I wish for you too!

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