Hello! I am living in Denmark and I have never hiked in Norway. I have experience hiking in south Europe.

I decided to travel to Norway for 10 days around the 20th of July. I plan on arriving in Oslo and leaving from Bergen. I was looking of [ut.no](https://Ut.no) to find some suggested hikes and this one caught my eye:

[https://ut.no/turforslag/1112157570/gjennom-hele-skarvheimen-fra-nord-til-sr-fra-hemsedalsfjellet-til-finse](https://ut.no/turforslag/1112157570/gjennom-hele-skarvheimen-fra-nord-til-sr-fra-hemsedalsfjellet-til-finse)

However, I would like to receive advice on it. My idea was to stop at the cabins, so I would not have to worry about the tent and camping equipment.

Talking about equipment and clothing, I still need to buy a new backpack (currently I only have a 30L one) and a set of rain jacket/pants. I already have wool tshirts, a wool jacket, thick wool pants. I also have hiking shoes that do not cover the ankle, but I am thinking about buying new ones. I am making a list about everything else I need.

I am really looking for advice on this thing, either in the form of equipment suggestions or experiences from whom has already walked this route. I am quite nervous because this would be my first multiday hiking trip ever, so I want to be prepared. If I feel I cannot properly prepare myself or if I am not ready, I will give up on it.

7 comments

  1. It wil be great – hiking up there is awesome and you have chosen a not too tough one. 70k over 5 days will be brilliant – tough at first but after 2 days you’ll be flying along.

    My main thought is it won’t be as cold as you are thinking – when we hike up there in the summer we don’t wear thick trousers or wool while hiking – nice to have warm clothes in the evening.

    Take some wool but not too much. Keep your pack as light as possible – staying in huts means you don’t need to take much food as you can buy it every evening 😄.

    Make sure you keep topped up on water when you pass streams as it’s easy to get dehydrated up there.

    Main advice is take some gear in case you have an emergency (emergency blanket, whistle etc.) But also keep your pack as light as possible.

    It will be awesome 🙂 and be prepared to walk over some snow

  2. Always remember to pack cold weather clothes even in summer, i have woken up to -1c in the middle of July in my mountain cabin.

  3. My advise is not bring to much gear! You do have to carry everything so bare minimum.! And dont have to manny goals. Take time to actualy enjoy the places.

  4. It seems like you are good for equipment, and as long as you have warm cloths, you should be good.

    If you are buying ankle-high shoes, i would recomend something that is somewhat watertight. In Norway in general, trails have a tendency to cross small streams and bogs. So it’s nice to have something that prevent you from walking around with constant wet feet.

    Also, it can also get very warm in the mountains. No shade, and sunny weather can make for surprisingly warm days. So it’s nice having light cloths that can breath, and maybe a hat or cap to get some shade from the sun. At least bring sunglasses.

  5. Since you’re planning on getting new hiking boots, I’d just generally advise against waterproof boots. By now it’s become pretty much a consensus that non-Gore-tex shoes perform considerably better on long-distance hikes. Given the high chance of rain and high humidity at most times of the year in Norway, I’d recommend to look into using well-ventilated trail runners and carrying a few spare socks.
    Big leather/fabric GTX boots are notoriously difficult to dry once they have become fully wet. GTX boots have their place for single day walks, or perhaps where you have a chance to dry them properly overnight. But in general, I would just avoid them. If that seal breaks (e.g. by wading through a stream, or constant rain) or you simply sweat too much, it’s going to be a grim trip! By now the only time that I use my old Gore-tex leather boots is winter, otherwise I have completely stopped wearing them.
    Arc’teryx, Salomon, Terrex by Adidas, just to name a few, all produce good trail-runners that you could check out. There are plenty of resources out there describing the advantages of non-waterproof Trailrunners e.g. [https://www.backpackingnorth.com/ultralight-makeover-give-your-feet-a-break](https://www.backpackingnorth.com/ultralight-makeover-give-your-feet-a-break)
    Another thing to keep in mind is not to overpack, you really don’t have to carry all that much considering you’re planning on staying in huts. r/ultralight might give you some good inspiration on how to pack lighter. For example, the hike that you’re considering can easily be achieved with a backpack that is between 30 – 40L.
    Perhaps you might find this list of particularly ‘iconic’ long-distance hikes compiled by the DNT useful https://signatur.dnt.no/signaturene/ . As this list of long-distance hikes was put together by DNT, they can be done as hut to hut hikes but of course it’s also possible to just wild camp.

  6. Hardangervidda will be a great hike within ten days. There are several cabins between Finse and Haukeliseter. From Haukeliseter you can hop on the bus to Bergen.

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