Mountain climbing

Norwegian mountains and climbing routes are waiting to be investigated. Åndalsnes is where you will find one of the larger climbing centres. Other popular areas with climbers include the stunning Lofoten Islands and the county of Rogaland, among others. Read about top 10 great places to climb in Norway, chosen by the editor of the Norwegian climbing magazine Klatring.

Some local enthusiasts also organise courses for people who want to try something new. For the experienced climber there is ample opportunity to set out alone. Trollveggen is a good example. Remember to respect the mountainsand make sure that you have good enough equipment with you, the weather can change suddenly.

The Norwegian Climbing Federation is first and foremost an organisation for Norwegian members only, but they also supply information to non-members. You can contact them by e-mail: klatring@klatring.no. For those looking to learn to climb, there are courses offered by the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT) through its mountain sport groups.

Ice climbing

Ice climbing is a popular activity come winter, and climbers from all around the world head to Rjukan in Telemark, Southern Norway, to practise this unusual sport on countless frozen waterfalls throughout the area.

Recently Rjukan has also become home to a brand new ice climbing park  featuring 8,000 square metres of artificial ice. Water from the local canyon is pumped out and flushed 100 metres over the mountainside, creating an 84-metre high ice sheet that can be reformed at regular intervals and adapted to suit different ability levels.

Read more about ice climbing in Norway.

Climbing parks

Ideal for younger or less experienced climbers, outdoor climbing parks provide a great introduction to climbing. Try Høyt og Lavt ("High and Low"), Scandinavia's largest outdoor climbing park – it offers zip lines, river crossing, climbing and canyoning in Kjærratunet in the county of Vestfold. Klatreskogen (literally "the climbing forest") located in Evje, Aust-Agder (also in Southern Norway) and Brimiskogen, run by Norwegian celebrity chef Arne Brimi near Lom in Jotunheimen, are other options.

Indoor climbing

No time to travel to the mountains, or hit by bad weather? Then you might want to consider indoor climbing. There are climbing walls in many towns and cities in Norway. You will find the largest right in the centre of Oslo - Klatreverket offers more than 2,500 square metres of climbing surface, 20 percent of which dedicated to bouldering. Bergen Climbing Club also has a climbing wall at Bergenshallen. A list of places offering indoor climbing in Norway is available online.