Author Marius Nergård Pettersen is a keen outdoorsman who grew up in Norwegian nature. Here are his favourite cabin-to-cabin hikes.
More and more people are fulfilling their dream of hiking Norway’s mountains and forests, causing a sharp rise in visitor numbers to hiking cabins over the last decade.
One person you may meet when spending the night in one of the Norwegian Trekking Association’s (DNT) many cabins is journalist, photographer, author, and lecturer Marius Nergård Pettersen.
He has been passionate about nature and trekking since childhood and has published as many as eight books on the outdoors. In his latest, he covers Norway’s vast and wonderful selection of hiking cabins.
“I grew up in a family that treasured nature highly. The feeling of freedom and mastery you get when spending time in the great outdoors is something that was instilled in me at an early age,” says Pettersen.
An ideal starting point
Although an experienced hiker like Nergård Pettersen is happy to pack a tent and camping stove and set off along unmarked trails, Norway’s hiking cabins still have a special place in his heart. To him, they are not only a practical, comfortable and social way of experiencing Norway’s nature, but also as the ideal starting point for beginners.
“You hike on marked trails before arriving in a nice and warm room. You have the option of drying your clothes, sleeping in a comfortable bed, cooking food, and meeting other hikers along the way. All this and more makes cabin-to-cabin hiking easily accessible to everyone,” he says.
A cabin-to-cabin hike is often completed in a few days. Nergård Pettersen, however, hopes that more people will attempt some of the longer routes Norway has to offer.
“I hope my book will inspire people to try some longer hikes. The feeling of being surrounded by nature for a week or two is completely unique,” he says.
But with more than 550 DNT cabins and more than 20,000 kilometres of marked trails, where do you start? To help you along, Nergård Pettersen has shared seven of Norway’s most memorable cabin-to-cabin summer hikes.
1. A learning journey along Lake Gjende
Difficulty: Demanding
Duration: 2–3 days
Cabins: Staffed lodges
According to Nergård Pettersen, hiking by Lake Gjende in the Jotunheimen mountains in Eastern Norway is a learning journey.
“You start from DNT's oldest hiking cabin, Gjendebu, located in the inner part of the lake before continuing on to Memurubu and Gjendesheim,” he says.
On the first day, you walk on Bukkelægret, an old trading route that takes you up from the lake's edge. The trail has a steep elevation of several hundred metres that take you up to mountainous scenery and gorgeous views.
From there, the trail descends to Gjende and Memurubu, before continuing to Besseggen the next day. If you haven’t been here before, it will soon become obvious why Besseggen remains one of Norway’s more popular hiking destinations. If the weather is nice, this hike will make a lasting impression.
2. Crossing Nordmarka
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: 3–5 days
Cabins: No-service cabins
Nergård Pettersen has always been a fan of 'close' hikes, meaning experiences in nature that don’t require you to go far from home. He himself lives in Oslo, where he recommends crossing the Nordmarka forest.
“You start at Tversjøen, furthest north in Nordmarka, and follow the trail via the cabins Sinnerdammen, Katnosdammen, Kikutstua, Kobberhaughytta and all the way to Frognerseteren. The hike takes three to five days, depending on your pace, and can be regarded as fairly easy,” he says.
The daily hikes from cabin to cabin may be short, but the hike takes you through beautiful and fascinating scenery. You start off surrounded by old-growth forest and nature reserves, before continuing through every variation of nature Nordmarka has to offer, with beautiful viewpoints and bodies of water both large and small along the way.
3. Around the Lysefjord
Difficulty: Demanding, but can be adjusted
Duration: 6–7 days (can be split into sections)
Cabins: Staffed, self-service, and no-service cabins
The route which most inspired Nergård Pettersen to lace up his hiking boots when he was writing the book takes visitors on a magnificent trip around the Lysefjord in Fjord Norway.
“The route will take you through natural wonders such as The Pulpit Rock and Kjerag, along with seven different cabins,” he explains.
The journey is six to seven days long, but can be divided into sections along the way – like many of the longer cabin-to-cabin hikes. On this journey, a ferry enables you to start and finish wherever you like.
The Lysefjord hike includes steep and dramatic stretches with drops several hundred metres high, along with pleasant sections along the water’s edge. A beautiful and varied hike.
4. Exploring the Children’s World of Nature
Difficulty: Easy
Duration: 3–4 days
Cabins: No-service cabins
The Children’s Natural World – as the area is known – is a tiny mountainous speck east of Trollheimen in Trøndelag. Here, cabins are modelled after traditional sælehus, a type of wanderers’ lodging commonly found during the Middle Ages.
“These are only five to nine kilometres apart through easy terrain, making the area perfectly adapted for small feet. It's a low difficulty hike, but not to the point where it becomes boring,” says Nergård Pettersen.
The landscape you’ll experience is both mysterious and fascinating, with climbable peaks, old-growth forest, and fishing lakes along the trail. All the cabins on this hike trek are no-service, meaning you’ll have to bring your own food, sheets, towels, and sleeping bags.
5. The wild and wonderful Aurlandsdalen valley
Difficulty: Medium
Duration: 2–3 days
Cabins: Staffed lodges
The Aurlandsdalen valley in Fjord Norway is a gorgeous river valley that starts in Skarvheimen north of the Hardangervidda plateau and continues towards the Sognefjord. On this hike, you’ll begin at Geiterygghytta before heading on to Østerbø and Vassbygdi by the Aurlandsfjord.
“Along the way, you’ll have experienced one of Norway’s most beautiful valleys, with amazing waterfalls and exciting terrain. You start on the upper part of the mountains before descending gradually through the valley,” says the hiking expert.
When you arrive at Østerbø you’ll be near the tree line, before walking deep below steep mountain sides, and gradually reaching thicker vegetation.
6. Across Tromsø's 'city mountain'
Difficulty: Medium
Duration: 2–4 days
Cabins: No-service cabins
Another close-to-home hike passes over what many call Tromsø's 'city mountain', Tromsdalstinden. Start on a trail near Snarbyeidet east of Tromsø in Northern Norway, which takes you slowly, but steadily back towards the city. This is a two to four day trip with four no-service cabins available along the way.
The hike takes you through coastal mountain landscapes – hilly, but pleasant for walking – with peaks and open landscapes wherever you are. Near the end of the trail, it’s possible to climb the 1,238-metre-high Tromsdalstinden and be awarded with magnificent views.
7. Hiking the Nordmøre fjord route
Difficulty: Medium to demanding
Duration: 13 days (can be split into sections)
Cabins: Self-service cabins
“Finally, we have a true long-distance trek. The Nordmøre fjord route starts in Kristiansund in Fjord Norway and takes you on a two-week adventure,”says Nergård Pettersen.
Parts of the Nordmøre route can be described as demanding, but several sections are reasonably short. The landscape is characterised by fjords and mountains, with lots of hilly, but rewarding hiking along the low-lying tree line.
Some cabins lie right by the sea, where you’ll have access to both boats and great fishing. The viewpoints are ample, as opposed to the number of hikers. This is one of the routes where you’ll frequently find yourself walking in solitude.
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