Which is rightfully considered the most beautiful cliff in the world. 122 kilometers north of Preikestolen is another natural attraction in Norway - the rock "Troll's Tongue" (Norwegian Trolltunga), which got its name because of its unusual shape.
"Troll's Tongue" was formed when a piece of rock broke off from the massif of Mount Skjeggedal, however, due to its relatively low weight, it did not fall down, but hovered at a height of 350 meters above the river. Now under the rock "Troll's Tongue" there is an artificially created (as a result of the damming of the river) Lake Ringedalsvatnet. Mount Skjeggedal itself is located about 10 kilometers from the town of Odda.

In 2009, "Troll Language" appeared on the cover of one of the popular travel magazines and a stream of tourists rushed to the rock, and already in next year this flow tripled. However, since 2010, the funicular stopped working, which made it possible to facilitate the path to the top of Mount Skjeggedal, and now tourists have to get from the car parking place on their own almost 12 kilometers to the rock "Troll's Tongue" and the same back. But on the way to the "Troll Language" you will not be bored, because. there is an opportunity to admire the "troll boilers" - deep, seemingly bottomless, mountain lakes. Tourists should take into account that it is better to visit the "Troll's Tongue" from June to October, so as not to walk through snowdrifts.

The top of the Skjeggedal mountain

The now non-functioning ski lift

Trolltunga Mountain in Norway is one of the most legendary places on the planet. Even the photos of the Troll's Tongue are impressive - when you look at this natural beauty, it's simply breathtaking! What can we say about live impressions - those who have visited Trolltunga will never forget this climb, it causes so many emotions!

Troll Tongue Rock is a real miracle of nature. It is a large stone ledge above the lake, in shape it really is somewhat reminiscent of a tongue - hence this strange name. This huge block of stone, which broke away from Mount Skjeggedal, was not heavy enough to fall down, and “hung” over the surface of Lake Ringedalsvatn. This horizontal ledge has a length of 10 meters, but not everyone dares to approach its edge. It is indeed very dangerous, and accidents in Trolltunga are rare, but do happen. A 24-year-old student from Australia opened the account of the deadly victims of Trolltung, who, making her way through the crowd to her friends, lost her balance and fell down from the edge of the cliff. The height of the Troll Tongue is 950 m above sea level, so the girl had no chance to stay alive. She flew about 200 meters, after which she crashed on the rocks. Before that, there were also incidents, but the tourists were closer to the mountain and got off varying degrees severity of bruises.

Local residents said that this is quite natural. They warned that someone would fall down - it was only a matter of time. After all, climbing the mountain great amount tourists who do not observe even elementary security measures ascend to the “tongue” in crowds, often in a state of alcohol intoxication, get up a variety of selfie tricks. Meanwhile, the rock becomes more dangerous every year due to thinning, and the risk of a repeat of the tragedy increases.

Legend of the Troll

A beautiful legend is connected with the Trolltunga about a huge Troll who lived here in time immemorial. But his stupidity was as great as his size: the Troll all the time risked unnecessarily: he jumped over large gorges, dived deep under water, tried to reach the moon, standing on the edge of a cliff ... But he could frolic only at night, as he heard what sunlight can kill him. And the Troll decided to check if this is really so. Early in the morning, when the first ones had just risen Sun rays, he stuck his tongue out of the cave where he hid during the day. And at the same moment he completely petrified.

How to get to Trolltunga from Oslo?

There are several ways to get to Trolltunga from the capital of Norway. This is a bus, taxi, rented car. But I warn you that if you do not know how to get to Trolltunga by car, or prefer public transport in general, the road will be no less difficult than the climb itself. Therefore, I recommend to see where the Troll Tongue is located on the map, rent a car and go on a trip on your own.

On the public transport from Oslo, you first need to get to the city of Odda (there are regular express trains, but you can take a train to Voss, and from there by bus to Odda. You can also get here by bus from Bergen (flight 930) and Skjeggedal (express "The Trolltunga-Preikestolen"). For those who do not have experience of independent travel, it is preferable to purchase a tour.If you take into account the total costs, including parking fees, it turns out to be not much more expensive, but much quieter.If you still use a rental car, please note that renting a parking space will cost 66 Euro for one day, or 33 Euro if you leave the car in daytime no more than 16 hours.

Regarding planning the time for the trip, many advise to allocate two days. I am also inclined to this, since it is quite difficult (especially without good physical preparation) to overcome the path to the beginning of the ascent, spend energy on the ascent and descent, and immediately go back to the road. Therefore, it is convenient to book a place to stay near the Troll's Tongue, fortunately, there is a fairly large selection of accommodation in a wide price range. But keep in mind that the permission to climb is limited by the time frame - from mid-June to mid-September. In other periods, due to adverse weather conditions, it will not be possible to conquer the Troll's Tongue.

The trekking length is 12 km one way. The hike takes 6 to 8 hours in good weather, and can take up to 10-12 hours if weather leave much to be desired. Be sure to take some food with you (sandwiches, cookies). Hot tea in a thermos will not be superfluous. Even if you're going to Trolltunga when it's hot outside, bring warm clothes and waterproof clothing. These simple measures will help make your trip to Trolltunga not only impressive, but also comfortable.

After the ferry, we jumped into the car and drove along the coast of the Sørfjord. On the other side of it, the beautiful Ednafossen waterfall is perfectly visible.

It flows first in one stream, then on a bare rock it is divided into several branches - and gathers again before entering the fjord.

Quite quickly we reached Tyssedal, then climbed along a narrow mountain serpentine to the village of Skjeggeddal - and here the road ended. Further only on foot. The clouds are still clinging to the mountains, but the bluish whiteness of the glaciers is already visible behind them.

To Troll's Tongue - our today's goal - five hours of walking through the mountains. And that's just one way. And the most hard part paths at the beginning. The first 950 meters is a steep climb up the mountain. People also live upstairs, and a funicular leads from the village, by the way, one of the oldest in Europe. However, this building is a private property, and for tourists it has not been turned on for a long time, only for locals, and then very rarely and out of great need. Therefore, there are two options - to walk up the stairs next to the funicular or climb the mountain along a path winding through the forest. According to experienced reviews, the first is much more difficult, since the muscles quickly “clog” from repeating the same movements. So we decided to follow the trail.

It was not an easy path. The trail climbed up, we were drenched in sweat and looked enviously at the local girl walking her dog - she and the Dalmatian easily overtook us and rushed upstairs. The ascent was also complicated by the fact that a huge number of streams flow from the mountain, turning the soil under their feet into mud.

Nevertheless, some one and a half hours - and we, not believing ourselves, were at the top, on a rocky mountain surface, overgrown with moss. Further, the road became easier - but it was more than three hours to stomp to Language.

The path as such does not exist there - you can’t really trample anything in the bare stone. We determined the path by the red letters "T" inscribed directly on the stones. You reach the next such letter - and turn your head, trying to find the next one. On the way there, we almost did not go astray, but we got a little lost on the way back.

Despite the height, the sun was hot. We drank all the water we took with us on the first ascent, but I knew that along the way we would meet many more streams and lakes with clear melt water. Therefore, the thirst has passed us.

Vegetation in those places is sparse. Although flowers grow on stones.

And this picture puts some in a stupor. :-) No, it's not snow. Just periodically along the way come across huge blocks of marble, overgrown with lichen.

Due to the difficult climb, not many tourists get here - it is unlikely that Language will be included in any tour of Norway. The landscape is completely deserted and deserted - you feel lost at the end of the world. But you should not yawn - you constantly have to bypass the clefts that go down deep abysses.

It is better not to approach the edge - it is dangerous.

But from some points you can still see what is below. In the mountain hollow lies a beautiful lake with the unpronounceable name Ringedalsvatnet.

The Troll's tongue is not far away - people are starting to come across who have left before us and are already wandering back. Everyone greets each other - it seems wonderful to see a person in this mountainous desert. :-) And here is the real pointer - so that you don't get lost before the decisive breakthrough.

And finally, the language itself. This is a huge piece of rock that has broken off from Mount Skjeggedal and has frozen in a horizontal position above the lake. The sight is fascinating, we immediately forget about fatigue after a 5-hour rise.

Of course, we posed to our heart's content in the Language itself - it was not for nothing that it took us so long to get to it. :-)

The place is amazing in its energy. I wanted to stay there longer, but the Hardangerfjord area is far from the Arctic, it gets dark here just in time, and walking along mountain paths in the dark is not a very safe occupation. Therefore, having arranged a small picnic and climbed a lot on the Troll's Tongue, we went back.

On the way back we, oddly enough, met people who were still going to the Language. Almost all of them were with huge backpacks, looked exhausted (oh, how sorry they were!) and obviously intended to spend the night in the mountains. However, one of the couples was walking light. I commented aloud with surprise: “But for some reason these people don’t have a tent!”, And they turned out to be Russians and answered: “Yes, we don’t have a tent. We told them that it was still three hours to go, and before dark they would have time to go up, but now they would have to go down in pitch darkness, so it’s better not to risk it. “We left the dog downstairs in the car, so we need to return today,” they said, and I mentally twisted my finger at the temple.

The return was much easier for me personally than the rise, but Anya, despite all her physical fitness and yoga classes, had the hardest time of all. She endured the very last descent especially badly - the ligaments on her knees could not withstand the loads, and already in the car she began to feel sick. As a result, she concluded for herself that such mountain walks were not for her, and Natasha, Sigurd and I were completely delighted with the ascent.

By the way, without trekking shoes that support the foot, such hikes are really difficult. All four of us were quite equipped in this sense, but not all travelers that day were ready. Already downstairs, at the information board, we found a mini-cemetery of shoes that did not survive this 10-hour mountain walk. :-)

Fabulous Norway never ceases to attract travelers with its picturesque nature, unearthly beauty of the fjords, fresh air and crystal clear lakes. And since Troll Tongue first appeared on the cover of a travel magazine, the flow of tourists to Norway has grown exponentially.

Everyone wants to step on this unique, and even dangerous ledge, to capture with their own eyes all the beauty of the opening view. And, of course, amazing, original photos on famous language A troll is the dream of any avid traveler.

Description

Troll's Tongue is a rocky ledge that hangs over Lake Ringedalsvannet at a height of several hundred meters.

This is a piece of rock that once broke away from the massif of Mount Skjeggedal, but did not fall down, but frozen over the abyss in a horizontal position. And since in form it resembles big tongue, the Norwegians quickly came up with a suitable name for it.

It should be noted that Lake Ringedalsvannetne natural origin, but formed as a result of the damming of the river. Fairly wide at the base, Troll's Tongue gradually narrows to a few centimeters. And its length is about 10 m. It is believed that it is dangerous to be on its edge, since it is not known at what moment the block can break down.

Where is located?

Trolltunga, as it sounds in the local dialect, refers to the Hardangerfjord (Hardangerfjorden), the second longest in Norway and the third longest in the world. It is located 10 km from small town Odda in the Hordaland region in Western Norway.

How to get there?

The route to Trolltung is most convenient to start from the capital of Hordaland county - the city of Bergen. Conventionally, the whole path can be divided into two parts, waypoint which is the town of Odda. To get to Mount Skjeggedal, you need to drive to the small village of Tyssedal, which lies 6 km north of Odda in the valley between the fjord and the mountains.

After arriving at the place, the walking route begins. Previously, the first thousand meters of ascent could be done on a funicular, but now it does not work.

Climbing is carried out along the hiking trail, which is located to the right of the funicular and is marked with a red letter "T". Many tourists prefer to climb directly on the funicular sleepers, despite the fact that this is prohibited.

The rest of the route passes through rough terrain with alternating rises and plateaus. The total length of the route in one direction is about 12 km and takes an average of 5 hours.

It is impossible to get lost, as kilometer posts are installed along the way indicating how much is left before the Language.

Order an inexpensive transfer - taxi in Norway

You can get from Bergen to Odda both by car and by bus. The travel time of the latter is about 4 hours.

The best way to get to your destination from Odda is by car. First, to the village of Tyssedal along highway 13, and then following the signs for Szeggedal. Travel time is 20-30 minutes.

At the foot of the mountain there is a free and paid parking. A tourist bus also departs regularly from Odda, which takes everyone to Mount Skjeggedal.

Car rental in Norway

What to take with you?

You should not take too many things with you, the climb will already be exhausting, only everything you need.

Where to stay?

• After a difficult ascent, make a long return trip highly undesirable. Therefore, for those traveling by car the best option will stay in Tyssedal or a little further away - in Odda. The same advice can be given for those who arrived by bus.
• In order to be in time before dark, the ascent to the Troll's Tongue should begin early in the morning. For this reason, some tourists prefer to spend the night right on the spot. Nearby there is a beautiful lake with crystal clean water where you can set up a tent. There are also places for tents in the parking lot.
• It will be useful to know that in the middle of the route and at observation deck there are special houses where you can wait out the bad weather or spend the night if there is a chance of not having time to return before dark.

• When to go? The best time to visit Trolltunga is from June to October when the weather is sunny and clear. During the rains, climbing the mountain can become dangerous, and the surface of the ledge itself will be wet and slippery. In winter, visiting Trolltung is also undesirable due to deep snow.
• Exercise caution. Attentiveness will be required not only on the ledge itself, but also on the way to it. You should also be especially careful when climbing the steps of the funicular, if preference is given to this method of overcoming the first part of the route.
• Who is not recommended: due to the difficulty, it is not recommended to climb for people with weak physical training. Also, small children should not be taken on the route.

The cheapest tickets from Moscow to Oslo and back