UKC

We're a group of university students heading to Norway this mid-July to go trekking and wild-camping in the Rondane and Jotunheimen national parks for 4 and 5 days each.
We're taking a train from Oslo to Otta and then taking a bus to Mysusaeter where we can walk to the Rondvassbu hut in the Rondane.

I would really appreciate any advice anyone can offer about:
i) What Otta is like for getting hold of camping supplies (esp. gas)
ii) Whether there'll be much snow around at that time; is it likely we'll need crampons and ice-axes?
iii) Some good routes for reasonable walkers without crampons and ice axes
iv)The maps that we'll need for the Rondane (around Rondvassbu) and Jotunheimen (starting from Gjendesheim and hopefully ending up at Turtagro)
v) I've also heard that it is possible to get a guide across the glacier around Fannaråkhytta, it doesn't say anything about prices though... does anyone know about this?

Thanks so much, any insider knowledge about transport and trekking routes would be so useful!

In reply to amikins:
We managed to get isobutane gas in otta a few years ago, had to walk around all the petrol stations to get enough for 15 people for two weeks though.

We didn't take axes or crampons and never needed them, even on Glittertind. The route we did was in jotunheimen, starting at Gjendesheim, along the ridge then along to olavsbu, levasbu, spitterstullen, glitterheim and back to Gjendesheim. We picked up a few peaks on the ways as well, in total about 10days. Mixture of rough camping and hut campsites. I can thoughly recommmend the spitterstullen hut for decent cheap food.

In reply to amikins: i was in the Jotunheimen in 06.

all the paths are marked with red paint, usually arrows every so often which makes path reading a breeze!

i'd get some decent boots as a lot of the paths were rocky.

it was blazing sunshine apart from two days when we were there for 2 weeks, we were wearing shorts pretty much all the time.

there will be a little bit of snow in some of the sheltered areas but not enough to need ice axe and crampons, we only came across one patch which we walked around with ease.

as for glacier walks, we went on a guided one, they provided basic 4 point solid 'crampons' that attached to pretty much every summer boot. however it will cost and might be worth taking the gear yourselves and doing your own glacier walk if you have the experience.

we took all our camping supplies with us on the ferry, took a van over with us and we took most of our food and only bought fresh meat and some veg out there as prices are massively high compared to england.

hope this helps!

In reply to amikins:

I bought all the maps we needed for Jotunheimen from the Gjendesheim hut. There was pretty much no snow at all in July when I was there either. Bessengen is a good route, obviously and goes from the Gjendesheim hut.

No idea about Rondane or the camping supplies although Otta seemed a fairly small place when we were there.

In reply to Little AndyH:

I have had the opposite experience on Glittertind. Hard blue ice with a thin layer of water on the top is fun without crampons.

I was there a bit late in the season though, so all the snow had gone.

In reply to amikins:

You can get supplies and maps in Oslo, before you take the train to Otta. The DNT tour information office (and shop) is situated 4 minutes from the sentral railway station in Oslo:
Tour information: Tel: +47 22822822, E-mail: [email protected]
Visiting adress: Storgata 7, Oslo


i) Otta is a small place, but there is a sports store there. http://www.mholumsport.no/ (in norwegian) which should have most camping supplies. Expect it to be a bit more expensive than in GB. They will answer your e-mails if you want to check their supplies in advance.

ii) No need for crampons or ice-axes.

iii) Most routes are good, this is Norway! For route planning this is a useful site: http://www.turistforeningen.no/english/location.php?fo_id=3980&lo_id=NO...

iv) You can buy the maps at the DNT offices, several places in Otta and at the huts like Rondvassbu.

v) the price for guide across the glacier near Fanaråkhytta is 100 NOK for members of DNT, 125 NOK for others. This site in Norwegian: http://www.turistforeningen.no/fannarakhytta/index.php?fo_id=5501