It was decided by three members of the course that they would like to experience Trolltunga (Troll Tounge). So therefore all that we had to decide was when this would take place.

Planning for this trip was simple in regards to the chosen route up to Trolltunga, there is only one realistic route to the view point. As was transportation to Skjeggdal, the start and finish of the hiking trip, by car. We had chosen to sleep in our own 1 person tents near to the abutment and then setting off in the morning to the view point.

As this was the last trip of the semester, the group had got to know each other well throughout the semester and had worked well together. There was no real leader during the hiking trip and all decisions were made diplomatically with little or no protest from the other members of the group. This camaraderie throughout the whole trip enhanced the experience and made it more pleasurable even during the more arduous elements.

After a six hour drive from Kristiansand we had arrived at Skjeggdal, the start of the hiking route and decided to find a parking spot, change and set off on the hike. This took longer than expected, as high parking fees led to look for alternative parking further away. Some 2 km down the valley we found an acceptable parking location. Once we had changed and made sure that all our equipment was packed we set off along the road to the start of the hike.

The initiation to the hike is a steep incline of approximately 450m through a wooded area that has had stone path in places to prevent erosion. Due to the drive and the good weather, we often took breaks to take on water. Throughout the ascent we passed many people on their way down that we thought were inappropriately dressed for a hike in the mountains and we were surprised at standards of clothing that they were actually wearing. Many of them had training shoes for footwear, jeans and unsuitable jackets. They all looked fatigued and uncomfortable from the hike, we laughed together about this and we all hoped that they had taken a valuable lesson away from their experience on the mountain.

Just before we broke through the treeline, we encountered snow and carefully chose our foot placements to prevent slipping and falling over. Once we had passed through what seemed to be a village of holiday cabins we came to the second steep ascent of the hike. Half way up we chose to stop and have a drink, something to eat and admire the views across the valley. Navigation was only needed to confirm where we were as the well-trodden path through the snow was not difficult to walk on. It was however very deep as we passed a hut that had been almost completely covered by the snow.

As the evening wore on we decided that we should start looking for a place to pitch our tents, the only area that we could pitch them was 3 km short of Trolltunga on a sparse piece of ground that was the only area free of snow. We chose our areas and proceeded to make ourselves comfortable for the night.

This didn’t last long, as the fine weather had again changed for the worse. It had started to snow and the winds had increased and ferociously tried to blow our tents down. Throughout the night we checked the pegs placements and adjusted where necessary. Ingenious ways of securing the tents to improve sleeping space led to the use of a camera tripod in one and packs in the others.

After a poor nights sleep we breakfasted and packed away as quickly as possible as the weather had only got worse, we were going to be walking in whiteout conditions and strong winds for the majority of the day. The 3 km hike to Trolltunga took us nearly 2 hours because of the conditions we encountered. The path had been covered in snow in all but a few areas and navigating the path became difficult and often led to one of the group stepping into snow up to the waist. Along the way we passed 2 young Germans that had told that the wind had broken their tent and they were heading back down.

It was a short stop at the viewpoint and this was only to take pictures before the hike back. We met up with the 2 Germans again and they asked if they could follow us on the path as they could see or find the route. After approximately 200m they shouted to us that we were going to fast and they had decided that they were going to an emergency hut that was only 1 km away, we wished them luck and continued on our own journey.

As we continued along the almost invisible path we decided to stop for lunch and to warm up at the hut that we passed on the ascent. We stayed in the cramped damp hut for an hour and waited for the weather conditions to lessen before we were to set off again. They didn’t. So we packed up and set off regardless of the weather through the deep snow and strong winds. When we had reached the village of holiday cabins the weather broke and we could once again begin to admire the views.

Back at the car, we met up with one of the teams parents where they invited us to stay at their holiday cabin for the night. This was most welcome by us all and we enjoyed a hearty meal and good conversation, principally recounting the conditions that we encountered over the hike.

Some very important lessons were learnt by the party members on this trip, some of these are:

1. Weather. Although it was the beginning of June, we underestimated the weather conditions for the hike.
2. Correct equipment. Due to the inclement weather we experienced, we hadn’t packed any additional equipment for bad weather. The most important items left at Kristiansand were snow pegs and goggles. These items would have made the trip even more enjoyable.
3. Spare gloves. This ties in with the above 2 lessons. Always take spare gloves as one member of the group got their gloves wet and fortunately only suffered from cold numb hands.

Regardless of the weather or not having the right equipment it was expressed by each member that they had enjoyed themselves, although it was unfortunate that the views they experienced were not the same as those that are often experienced. We worked well as a team, often sharing food and drink, helping each other out of deep holes that we encountered when we strayed off the path and regularly took the front position of the group to make the walking through the snow easier for the others. Altogether, we achieved our aim, Trolltunga, and learned valuable lessons along the way.