Difficult
Besseggen is Norway's most famous mountain hike. It sits in Jotunheimen National Park and attracts around 60,000 hikers every year. National Geographic once named it one of the world's ten best hikes.
The name comes from old Norwegian. Bess means bear, and eggen means blade. So it's literally "the bear blade" because the mountain ridge looks like a sharp edge. This is not an easy walk.
The hike covers 14 kilometres with 1,100 metres of climbing. You start at 1,000 metres and go up to 1,743 metres at the top. Most people take seven to eight hours to complete it. Be aware that weather changes rapidly up there. There can be snow any month of the year, even in July.
The journey starts at Gjendesheim. There used to be parking right at the lake, but now you park at the large car park at Gjendeåsen and take a shuttle bus down to the boats. During summer there's also a bus connection from Beitostølen.
Most hikers take the boat across Gjende lake to Memurubu first, then hike back to Gjendesheim. The boat ride takes 25 minutes. This way you don't have to rush to catch the last boat back. The trickiest part is the actual ridge section - the blade itself. It drops steeply on both sides and can be quite intimidating.
The good news is that no one has ever fallen off. The rock is solid granite with good handholds. If you have a fear of heights, there's an alternative path around Bessvatnet lake that adds four kilometres but avoids the exposed ridge.
Unfortunately this hike has become quite a tourist attraction. In July and early August you can have over 1,000 people on the trail in a single day. Long queues form on the narrow ridge sections. If you want to avoid the crowds, come in late June or September on a weekday.
The season runs from mid-June through September. There are mountain lodges at both ends where you can stay overnight and get meals.
The name comes from old Norwegian. Bess means bear, and eggen means blade. So it's literally "the bear blade" because the mountain ridge looks like a sharp edge. This is not an easy walk.
The hike covers 14 kilometres with 1,100 metres of climbing. You start at 1,000 metres and go up to 1,743 metres at the top. Most people take seven to eight hours to complete it. Be aware that weather changes rapidly up there. There can be snow any month of the year, even in July.
The journey starts at Gjendesheim. There used to be parking right at the lake, but now you park at the large car park at Gjendeåsen and take a shuttle bus down to the boats. During summer there's also a bus connection from Beitostølen.
Most hikers take the boat across Gjende lake to Memurubu first, then hike back to Gjendesheim. The boat ride takes 25 minutes. This way you don't have to rush to catch the last boat back. The trickiest part is the actual ridge section - the blade itself. It drops steeply on both sides and can be quite intimidating.
The good news is that no one has ever fallen off. The rock is solid granite with good handholds. If you have a fear of heights, there's an alternative path around Bessvatnet lake that adds four kilometres but avoids the exposed ridge.
Unfortunately this hike has become quite a tourist attraction. In July and early August you can have over 1,000 people on the trail in a single day. Long queues form on the narrow ridge sections. If you want to avoid the crowds, come in late June or September on a weekday.
The season runs from mid-June through September. There are mountain lodges at both ends where you can stay overnight and get meals.