Norway / Innlandet - Jotunheimen National Park
Norwegen / Innlandet - Jotunheimen Nationalpark
Leirungsdalen
Knutshøe hike
Knutshøe Wanderung
Jotunheimen National Park (Norwegian: Jotunheimen nasjonalpark, lit. "Home of the Giants") is a national park in Norway, recognized as one of the country's premier hiking and fishing regions. The national park covers 1,151 square kilometres (444 sq mi) and is part of the larger area Jotunheimen. More than 250 peaks rise above an elevation of 1,900 metres (6,200 ft), including Northern Europe's two highest peaks: Galdhøpiggen at 2,469 metres (8,100 ft), and Glittertind at 2,465 metres (8,087 ft).
The national park covers most of the mountainous region of Jotunheimen, including Hurrungane, but Utladalen and its surroundings are within Utladalen Landscape Protection Area. Geographically, it lies in both Innlandet and Vestland counties. Geologically the Jotunheimen is a Precambrian province. Glaciers have carved the hard gabbro rock massifs of the Jotunheimen, leaving numerous valleys and the many peaks.
Wildlife in the park include the lynx, moose, Norwegian red deer, reindeer, roe deer, and wolverine. Most lakes and rivers hold trout.
History
Jotunheimen has been the site of hunting since before recorded time. Remains of Stone Age hunting camps have been found near the lakes Gjende and Russvatnet. These remains extend through the bronze and Iron Age, up to recorded times. The high pastures have been used as seters for at least 1000 years.
A "Royal Road" decree from the 15th century required that the residents of Lom must keep the mountain crossing passable to the middle of the Sognefjell, allowing folk from the north Gudbrandsdal access to their trading town of the period, Bergen. Caravans carried farm products down the mountains and returned with salt, iron, cloth and lutefisk.
The name Jotunheimen, or "Home of the Giants" is a relatively recent usage. Aasmund Olavsson Vinje (1818–1879), a famous Norwegian poet and journalist who is remembered for his pioneering use of nynorsk, as well as being an exponent of Norwegian romantic nationalism, coined the term in 1862, adopting it from Keilhau's "Jotunfjellene" or the mountains of the giants. A memorial was raised in 1909 to Aa. O. Vinje at the western end of Lake Bygdin at his dear Eidsbugarden at today's outskirts of the national park where he had a private hut. Old friends and followers wanted to commemorate his contribution to appreciation of Norwegian nature and strengthening of the Norwegian national identity. Today Eidsbugarden appears as a rather large mountain tourist centre, with a newly restored hotel from 1909 that reopened in the summer of 2007, a Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT) cabin and approximately 160 private huts. It can be reached by car or boat in summer and by snowmobile in winter.
In 1869 the DNT built its first hut on the shores of Lake Tyin. Today the DNT's tourist huts make this area one of the best developed touring areas in Europe. There are also a restricted number of private cabins by the lakes.
By Royal Decree in December 1980, a 1,145-square-kilometre (442 sq mi) national park was initially established in the heart of Jotunheimen. It includes much of the best of the region, including the Galdhø plateau, the Glittertind massif, Hurrungane, and the Gjende area. The park links to the Utladalen Nature Reserve, an area of 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi).
Archaeological findings
In February 2020, Secrets of the Ice Program researchers discovered a 1,500-year-old Viking arrowhead dating back to the Germanic Iron Age and locked in a glacier in southern Norway caused by the climate change in the Jotunheimen Mountains. The arrowhead made of iron was revealed with its cracked wooden shaft and a feather, is 17 cm long and weighs just 28 grams.
Literary references
Jotunheimen is broadly recognized in literature, especially travel books from the 18th Century. The Jotunheim lakes of Gjende and Bygdin are in the center of many of these descriptions.
Literary references include:
A.O. Vinje's Diktsamling or poetry collection of 1864 celebrated Jotenheimen.
Frederick Delius’ symphonic poem On the Mountains was sketched while the composer was on a walking holiday with Edvard Grieg and Christian Sinding in the Jotunheim Mountains in 1889.
Henrik Ibsen's drama Peer Gynt includes Peer's famous hunt description in the Jotunheim. It is here on the narrow Besseggen Ridge - or perhaps along the Knutshø ridge at the other side of Gjende - that Peer Gynt took his famous wild-reindeer ride along "the Gjendin Ridge".
Three in Norway, by Two of Them by J.A. Lees and W.J. Clutterbuck, includes extensive passages on three Englishmen's fishing and reindeer hunting experiences in these mountains.
Traffic
Despite the large area of Jotunheimen, there are few roads for car traffic. Between Jotunheimen and Breheimen, the plateau is crossed by the Norwegian County Road 55. To the west, the road continues further from Skjolden via Sogndalsfjøra, Balestrand and Høyanger to the European route E39. In the east, the road leads to Lom. A few small dirt roads lead to different parts of the edge of Jotunheimen National Park, although the area of the national park itself is practically roadless. A small exception, however, is a blind road in the Veodalen to Glitterheim, whose head is inside the national park area near the Glittertind.
(Wikipedia)
About Knutshøe
Next to his bigger brother Besseggen on the other side of Gjende lake, you will find the 1,517 metre-high-peak of Knutshøe. Standing on the top, you'll have outstanding views towards the peaks towering all around and the surrounding lakes, including the wonderful Gjende lake. The hike is demanding and you need to scramble at some parts in the hike. It is therefor not recommended if you are afraid of heights, as there are parts of the hike where you need to cross exposed sections. The trail is not marked, but not too difficult to follow, yet if you stray too far from the path you will find several exposed sections and dangerous areas. Make sure you follow the trails and do not hike alone. Also, this hike is also not recommended in bad weather!
We've established that this one is not for the faint-hearted, and if you do decide to go it will be a wonderful experience. The extra challenge only makes it more exciting!
The Knutshøe hike
Drive or take the bus to Vargbakken parking (1,100m) located about 4 km south of Gjendesheim exit, from where you can start your hike to Knutshøe. Start by crossing the bridge across the small river Varga and follow the trail that take you on a scenic tour with several places to stop and enjoy your lunch. From the ridge you can admire the fantastic view of the delta landscape down to Leirugsdalen.
The first part of the hike has the most demanding parts with some steep areas. Throughout the ascent you will find both steep sections and some parts with more easy hiking terrain. The last part before the peak will also require some light scrambling.
Knutshøe is so fascinating that many people believe it was the ground for the Peer Gynt deer ride!
Who is this Hike Suitable for
This hike is demanding and suitable for those in good physical shape.
Season
The main season is summer/late summer. This is when the area is most suitable for trekking. This hike is also not recommended in bad weather!
Accommodation
Stay at Gjendesheim Mountain Lodge is located on the bank of Gjende Lake.
How to Get There
You can access the area from Gjendesheim.
(jotunheimen.com)
Surtningssue or Surtningssui is a mountain on the border of Vågå Municipality and Lom Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The 2,368-metre (7,769 ft) tall mountain is the seventh-highest mountain in Norway. It is located in the Jotunheimen mountains within Jotunheimen National Park. The mountain sits about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) southeast of the village of Fossbergom and about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) southwest of the village of Vågåmo. The mountain is surrounded by several other notable mountains including Veotinden, Styggehøbretindan, and Blåbreahøe to the north; Surtningssuoksle to the northeast; Besshø and Gloptinden to the southeast; Reinstinden, Raudhamran, and Hinnotefjellet to the southwest; Store Hellstugutinden, Nestsøre Hellstugutinden, and Søre Hellstugutinden to the west; and Austre Memurutinden and Store Memurutinden to the northwest.
Surtningssue has several distinct peaks, of which Store Surtningssue is the highest. The river Muru runs through the valley on the southwestern side of the mountain. Surtningssue is most easily reached from the cabin Memurubu, along the northern shore of the lake Gjendin.
Name
The first element is the genitive of a word *surtning which means 'the black one'. The last element is the finite form of su which means 'sow' - thus 'the black sow'. (It is common in Norway to compare the shape of mountains with animals.)
(Wikipedia)
Der Jotunheimen-Nationalpark (norwegisch Jotunheimen nasjonalpark) ist ein norwegischer Nationalpark, der zu den Gemeinden Lom, Vågå und Vang in der Provinz Innlandet und Luster und Årdal in der Provinz Vestland gehört. Der Park wurde 1980 gegründet, um die schöne, wilde, unverwechselbare, und weitestgehend unberührte Gebirgslandschaft des Jotunheimen mit ihrer schützenswerten Flora und Fauna zu schützen.
Im Westen grenzt der Nationalpark an das Naturschutzgebiet Utladalen. Im Jotunheimen liegen einige der höchsten Berge Nordeuropas. Zusammen mit den Nationalparks Rondane, Dovre und Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella wird das Gebiet um den Jotunheimen-Nationalpark als Nasjonalparkriket bezeichnet.
(Wikipedia)
Norway / Innlandet - Jotunheimen National Park
Norwegen / Innlandet - Jotunheimen Nationalpark
Leirungsdalen
Knutshøe hike
Knutshøe Wanderung
Jotunheimen National Park (Norwegian: Jotunheimen nasjonalpark, lit. "Home of the Giants") is a national park in Norway, recognized as one of the country's premier hiking and fishing regions. The national park covers 1,151 square kilometres (444 sq mi) and is part of the larger area Jotunheimen. More than 250 peaks rise above an elevation of 1,900 metres (6,200 ft), including Northern Europe's two highest peaks: Galdhøpiggen at 2,469 metres (8,100 ft), and Glittertind at 2,465 metres (8,087 ft).
The national park covers most of the mountainous region of Jotunheimen, including Hurrungane, but Utladalen and its surroundings are within Utladalen Landscape Protection Area. Geographically, it lies in both Innlandet and Vestland counties. Geologically the Jotunheimen is a Precambrian province. Glaciers have carved the hard gabbro rock massifs of the Jotunheimen, leaving numerous valleys and the many peaks.
Wildlife in the park include the lynx, moose, Norwegian red deer, reindeer, roe deer, and wolverine. Most lakes and rivers hold trout.
History
Jotunheimen has been the site of hunting since before recorded time. Remains of Stone Age hunting camps have been found near the lakes Gjende and Russvatnet. These remains extend through the bronze and Iron Age, up to recorded times. The high pastures have been used as seters for at least 1000 years.
A "Royal Road" decree from the 15th century required that the residents of Lom must keep the mountain crossing passable to the middle of the Sognefjell, allowing folk from the north Gudbrandsdal access to their trading town of the period, Bergen. Caravans carried farm products down the mountains and returned with salt, iron, cloth and lutefisk.
The name Jotunheimen, or "Home of the Giants" is a relatively recent usage. Aasmund Olavsson Vinje (1818–1879), a famous Norwegian poet and journalist who is remembered for his pioneering use of nynorsk, as well as being an exponent of Norwegian romantic nationalism, coined the term in 1862, adopting it from Keilhau's "Jotunfjellene" or the mountains of the giants. A memorial was raised in 1909 to Aa. O. Vinje at the western end of Lake Bygdin at his dear Eidsbugarden at today's outskirts of the national park where he had a private hut. Old friends and followers wanted to commemorate his contribution to appreciation of Norwegian nature and strengthening of the Norwegian national identity. Today Eidsbugarden appears as a rather large mountain tourist centre, with a newly restored hotel from 1909 that reopened in the summer of 2007, a Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT) cabin and approximately 160 private huts. It can be reached by car or boat in summer and by snowmobile in winter.
In 1869 the DNT built its first hut on the shores of Lake Tyin. Today the DNT's tourist huts make this area one of the best developed touring areas in Europe. There are also a restricted number of private cabins by the lakes.
By Royal Decree in December 1980, a 1,145-square-kilometre (442 sq mi) national park was initially established in the heart of Jotunheimen. It includes much of the best of the region, including the Galdhø plateau, the Glittertind massif, Hurrungane, and the Gjende area. The park links to the Utladalen Nature Reserve, an area of 300 square kilometres (120 sq mi).
Archaeological findings
In February 2020, Secrets of the Ice Program researchers discovered a 1,500-year-old Viking arrowhead dating back to the Germanic Iron Age and locked in a glacier in southern Norway caused by the climate change in the Jotunheimen Mountains. The arrowhead made of iron was revealed with its cracked wooden shaft and a feather, is 17 cm long and weighs just 28 grams.
Literary references
Jotunheimen is broadly recognized in literature, especially travel books from the 18th Century. The Jotunheim lakes of Gjende and Bygdin are in the center of many of these descriptions.
Literary references include:
A.O. Vinje's Diktsamling or poetry collection of 1864 celebrated Jotenheimen.
Frederick Delius’ symphonic poem On the Mountains was sketched while the composer was on a walking holiday with Edvard Grieg and Christian Sinding in the Jotunheim Mountains in 1889.
Henrik Ibsen's drama Peer Gynt includes Peer's famous hunt description in the Jotunheim. It is here on the narrow Besseggen Ridge - or perhaps along the Knutshø ridge at the other side of Gjende - that Peer Gynt took his famous wild-reindeer ride along "the Gjendin Ridge".
Three in Norway, by Two of Them by J.A. Lees and W.J. Clutterbuck, includes extensive passages on three Englishmen's fishing and reindeer hunting experiences in these mountains.
Traffic
Despite the large area of Jotunheimen, there are few roads for car traffic. Between Jotunheimen and Breheimen, the plateau is crossed by the Norwegian County Road 55. To the west, the road continues further from Skjolden via Sogndalsfjøra, Balestrand and Høyanger to the European route E39. In the east, the road leads to Lom. A few small dirt roads lead to different parts of the edge of Jotunheimen National Park, although the area of the national park itself is practically roadless. A small exception, however, is a blind road in the Veodalen to Glitterheim, whose head is inside the national park area near the Glittertind.
(Wikipedia)
About Knutshøe
Next to his bigger brother Besseggen on the other side of Gjende lake, you will find the 1,517 metre-high-peak of Knutshøe. Standing on the top, you'll have outstanding views towards the peaks towering all around and the surrounding lakes, including the wonderful Gjende lake. The hike is demanding and you need to scramble at some parts in the hike. It is therefor not recommended if you are afraid of heights, as there are parts of the hike where you need to cross exposed sections. The trail is not marked, but not too difficult to follow, yet if you stray too far from the path you will find several exposed sections and dangerous areas. Make sure you follow the trails and do not hike alone. Also, this hike is also not recommended in bad weather!
We've established that this one is not for the faint-hearted, and if you do decide to go it will be a wonderful experience. The extra challenge only makes it more exciting!
The Knutshøe hike
Drive or take the bus to Vargbakken parking (1,100m) located about 4 km south of Gjendesheim exit, from where you can start your hike to Knutshøe. Start by crossing the bridge across the small river Varga and follow the trail that take you on a scenic tour with several places to stop and enjoy your lunch. From the ridge you can admire the fantastic view of the delta landscape down to Leirugsdalen.
The first part of the hike has the most demanding parts with some steep areas. Throughout the ascent you will find both steep sections and some parts with more easy hiking terrain. The last part before the peak will also require some light scrambling.
Knutshøe is so fascinating that many people believe it was the ground for the Peer Gynt deer ride!
Who is this Hike Suitable for
This hike is demanding and suitable for those in good physical shape.
Season
The main season is summer/late summer. This is when the area is most suitable for trekking. This hike is also not recommended in bad weather!
Accommodation
Stay at Gjendesheim Mountain Lodge is located on the bank of Gjende Lake.
How to Get There
You can access the area from Gjendesheim.
(jotunheimen.com)
Surtningssue or Surtningssui is a mountain on the border of Vågå Municipality and Lom Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The 2,368-metre (7,769 ft) tall mountain is the seventh-highest mountain in Norway. It is located in the Jotunheimen mountains within Jotunheimen National Park. The mountain sits about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) southeast of the village of Fossbergom and about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) southwest of the village of Vågåmo. The mountain is surrounded by several other notable mountains including Veotinden, Styggehøbretindan, and Blåbreahøe to the north; Surtningssuoksle to the northeast; Besshø and Gloptinden to the southeast; Reinstinden, Raudhamran, and Hinnotefjellet to the southwest; Store Hellstugutinden, Nestsøre Hellstugutinden, and Søre Hellstugutinden to the west; and Austre Memurutinden and Store Memurutinden to the northwest.
Surtningssue has several distinct peaks, of which Store Surtningssue is the highest. The river Muru runs through the valley on the southwestern side of the mountain. Surtningssue is most easily reached from the cabin Memurubu, along the northern shore of the lake Gjendin.
Name
The first element is the genitive of a word *surtning which means 'the black one'. The last element is the finite form of su which means 'sow' - thus 'the black sow'. (It is common in Norway to compare the shape of mountains with animals.)
(Wikipedia)
Der Jotunheimen-Nationalpark (norwegisch Jotunheimen nasjonalpark) ist ein norwegischer Nationalpark, der zu den Gemeinden Lom, Vågå und Vang in der Provinz Innlandet und Luster und Årdal in der Provinz Vestland gehört. Der Park wurde 1980 gegründet, um die schöne, wilde, unverwechselbare, und weitestgehend unberührte Gebirgslandschaft des Jotunheimen mit ihrer schützenswerten Flora und Fauna zu schützen.
Im Westen grenzt der Nationalpark an das Naturschutzgebiet Utladalen. Im Jotunheimen liegen einige der höchsten Berge Nordeuropas. Zusammen mit den Nationalparks Rondane, Dovre und Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella wird das Gebiet um den Jotunheimen-Nationalpark als Nasjonalparkriket bezeichnet.
(Wikipedia)