13/04/2025
Tucked away in the far north of Europe, Norway is a country of dramatic landscapes, a land shaped by ice, water, and time. Raw, rugged, and incredibly beautiful, it’s a place where the scenery speaks for itself.
At the heart of Norway’s mountainous spine lies Jotunheimen, or the “Home of the Giants” and it more than lives up to its name. This legendary region boasts the country’s highest peaks, dramatic ridgelines, and deep glacial valleys carved over millennia. With over 250 summits rising above 1,900 meters, Jotunheimen is where Norway’s wild spirit truly comes alive.
It’s a land of vast alpine beauty, crystal-clear lakes, and trails that lead you through some of the most jaw-dropping scenery in Scandinavia. Whether you're standing on a windswept ridge or camped beside a quiet mountain tarn, Jotunheimen has a way of making you feel small, in the best possible way.
Over the past ten years, I’ve made my winter pilgrimage to Scandinavia a regular tradition. When the snow starts to thin in the Alps, the Nordic countries offer a fabulous alternative for cross-country skiing and snowy adventures.
But this year, I had something else in mind. My winter tour through Jotunheimen was part of an exciting new chapter, the first steps in researching a potential summer trekking destination for 2026. This is a region I’ve dreamed of exploring for years, and I can confidently say: it did not disappoint.
In late March, I headed to the Jotunheimen region. After a flight from Geneva to Oslo, we jumped on the train to Otta, followed by a bus that took us up to Bessheim Lodge.
This year, snowfall has been lighter than usual, so we had to tweak the itinerary slightly on a few days, but that’s all part of the adventure when you’re travelling in the mountains.
Day 1 – Warming Up
The plan for Day 1 was simple: ease into the rhythm of Nordic skiing and get our legs ready before heading out on the tour. Normally, you can ski straight from the Bessheim hotel, with well-marked trails right on the doorstep. But this year, with the low snow levels, that wasn’t an option. Instead, we hopped on a bus up to the Burskardknappen plateau and spent the day brushing up on our technique, climbing, descending, and generally getting comfortable again on skinny skis. A solid warm-up in wide open terrain with some beautiful views to start the journey.
Day 2 – A Change of Plan
Originally, we were set to traverse the frozen Gjende lake to reach the Gjendebu DNT hut at its western end, a route that would have taken us deep into the heart of the mountains. But when we arrived, we were told the lake ice wasn’t secure enough to cross safely. With that plan scrapped, we had to reroute: two hours back in the minibus to swing north and approach a different hut, Leirvassbu, from the top end. It was a frustrating day with more road time than we’d hoped for, but we did manage a short ski ascent up to the Leirvassbu DNT hut to finish things off. Spirits were still high, and at least Day 3 promised to bring a proper challenge.
Day 3 – A Day to Ourselves
By Day 3, we were still a little out of sync with our original plan, which meant we’d be spending two nights at Leirvassbu, not a problem, though, as it’s a fabulous hut in a truly stunning location. With a circular route planned for the day, we set off into the untouched wilderness, eager to explore. I can confidently say that we didn’t see another soul all day long, we had the entire trail to ourselves. The weather was unbelievable, bright, sunny, and oddly warm for this time of year. The snow was soft underski, the views were jaw-dropping, and the silence was perfect. After 22 kilometers of skiing through this pristine landscape, we looped back to Leirvassbu, feeling like we’d experienced some of the very best of what Jotunheimen has to offer.
Day 4 - Back on track
After a hearty breakfast, we set off across the lake and began our gradual ascent to Kyrkjeglupen Pass 1499m. Elevenses at the top came with fabulous views of Kyrkja Peak, which seems to rise out of nowhere—an incredible sight.
We were in for a treat: the snow was forgiving, and the descent was mellow. Eight kilometres of downhill on skinny skis is no mean feat! We broke the journey with a lunch stop, every layer on to shield us from the chilly wind funnelling down the Visdalen valley.
The day ended on an interesting note, dodging patches of exposed heather as we got lower. A 2 PM arrival at the refuge gave us a relaxing afternoon, tucked away in the sunny lounge, well and truly protected from the cold wind outside.
Day 5 - Spiterstulen to Glitterheim, if in doubt, use your feet!
With a lack of snow at Spiterstulen, we began the day with skis on our packs and a hike up to Skautkampan Pass at 1,443m. The reward? Fabulous views of Norway’s two highest peaks, Galdhøpiggen (2,438m) to the west and Glittertinden (2,460m) to the east.
After a quick elevenses break, we clipped into our skis and set our sights on the day’s high point. The snow was like concrete, hard-packed with no grip for the fish scales, so I switched to full-length skins for the climb. Perfect timing, as we were treated to a true spectacle: a herd of at least 500 reindeer migrating north. A magical, humbling sight that stopped us all in our tracks.
With skins still on, we climbed to the Skauttjønne Pass at 1,612m. The descent ahead looked daunting, steep in places and covered with bone-hard snow. When in doubt, return to Sanke’s pony! Skis off, back on the rucksack, and a careful hike down made for a far less painful descent.
We finally reached the beautiful Glitterheim hut, where a much-needed recovery beer was very much in order!
Day 6 - Glitterheim to Bessheim – The Final Push
The final day and another stunning adventure. To be honest, on paper, this wasn’t the one I was most looking forward to. The combination of ascent, descent, and sheer distance made it look long and hard… and it was! But as always, the journey had its rewards.
We said goodbye to the beautiful Glitterheim cabin and set off across the frozen river, skins on for the first climb of the day to Vestre Hestægerhøe at 1,685m. With snow hard and icy, the first descent was a tentative one. Elevenses came just below the steepest section—a well-earned break for the legs.
We skied on until we ran out of snow, then continued on foot, descending another 200m to the frozen lake of Russvatnet. The views here were spectacular, across to Surtningssue and its glaciers, utterly breathtaking.
Skis back on, we traversed the frozen lake, stopping for lunch on the shore before starting our final ascent. From there, it was skis on, skis off, over and over, as snow cover became patchy. We reached Bessjønnin, high above where we had started a week earlier.
One final push remained, on foot. With snow non-existent, we hiked down a steep and slippery trail back to the comfort of the Bessheim Lodge.
Tired, yet fulfilled, we felt incredibly lucky to have had such good weather and company throughout. It showcased this most geographically interesting and stunningly beautiful part of Norway in all its glory.
We’ll definitely be back—first to recce the area in summer, and then with our groups in the years to come.
