Posted on Friday, 1 July 2016

Carol Thursby discovers that hiking three of Norway's most famous rocks is not as expensive as she thought – a trip made all the better by superb organisation and a well-developed tourist infrastructure.

Steadfastly we trudge along the path, ever higher, following the footsteps of the hiker in front. Some of us carry backpacks, others walking sticks. We're all dead set on having our photos taken on Troll's Tongue – ideally while doing a very dangerous looking star-jump.

In Norwegian it's called Trolltunga, a heft of rock looming out over Ringedal Lake in the Hardangerfjord region in the country's south west. Getting our photo taken here is no easy task, however; a 13 mile circular hike is required, beginning in the valley at Skjeggedal.

Already my legs are beginning to burn after the protracted hiking, but I've wanted to do these rocks for years: Kjerag, Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock) and Trolltunga are the “Big Three” of hiking in western Norway. Inspiring scenery, precarious rock formations and superb opportunities to post likeable Facebook photos abound. Cabins for overnight stays and well-marked paths are the primary components of this area's superb tourist infrastructure.

These three sites are now linked by a regular express bus service, for 490 NOK (around £43) which you can book on tide.no. This affordable bus service, combined with budget accommodation meant I could complete the entire six day trip on around £650, including airfares and food. An evening meal will set you back around £16. It's all more affordable than you might think – as long as you stay away from the notoriously expensive alcohol.

The bus serves the area throughout the summer season.

Despite being summer however, there was still snow on the upper reaches. Our small guided group was compelled to negotiate the snow-covered path with care – you don't want to take a tumble out here!

After about six hours we reached our target, gorging ourselves on our packed lunches as we absorbed the incredible fjord views. As the Norwegian sun beamed down on us, we took turns having our pictures taken on the rock. There was a palpable sense of camaraderie and fun.

It was tough though – we definitely deserved those amazing views after all that effort!

The whole trip started off in the charming harbour town of Stavanger, from where I moved on to Øygardstøl after a two-and a half hour bus journey. Kjerag boulder was the destination of the first hike – a challenging five hour event that featured a scary ascent of a rock face with steel rungs embedded in it. Be prepared when you get to the top, the wind picks up and you will lose anything that isn't fully secured: one of our group lost their hat.

I decided not to try the snowy top, preferring instead to gaze down at the delightful Lysefjord, about 1,000m below.

I hopped on the free shuttle bus down the Lysebotn Mountain, where my cabin accommodation was to be found. This is just one of 500 cabins managed by the Norwegian Trekking Association. At £25 a night for a dorm bed and breakfast, this is a bargain in Norway. Here I enjoyed an evening chatting to fellow hikers.

The next destination is facilitated by a ferry trip up the majestic Lysefjord to Forsand, where a bus carried me up to the Preikestolen mountain hut. But this hyper-modern structure, with hotel-level accommodation, could hardly be described as a hut. And yet it still only cost £25 for a dorm bed. The food served here was hardly hostel fare either, with salmon and homemade cakes.

The famous Pulpit Rock, named for obvious reasons, was next. A straightforward two-hour hike, this is without doubt the easiest of the three routes; children and older visitors managed it without any problems.

Then I hopped on a bus to Odda for the Trolltunga hike. I don't normally enjoy bus rides, but the stunning scenery made the five hours fly by. It's rightly known as one of the prettiest bus routes in the country.

Thanks to amazing organisation and that world-famous Scandinavian reliability, hiking these three Norwegian rocks is easy and a lot of fun – although my calf muscles might not have agreed!

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