Skaugumåsen is a viewpoint on the edge of a cliff in Asker, west of Oslo. You stand on exposed rock with nothing between you and the drop, looking east toward Oslo and Bærum with the Oslofjord stretching south. On clear days you can see Gaustatoppen in Telemark, over 100 kilometres away. Most of the other Oslo viewpoints, Holmenkollen, Grefsenkollen, Kolsåstoppen, are visible from here too.
The hike starts at Semsvannet and takes about 90 minutes to the summit. On the way you pass Skaugum, the residence of Crown Prince Håkon; there are royal guards at the gate, which is a slightly surreal sight in the middle of a forest walk. The ascent is the most demanding of the Oslo-area viewpoints: steeper than it looks and sustained. For the brave, there is an unmarked path straight up through the cliff face, but do not take it on the way down. The main trail is well enough, and the reward at the top is one of the best panoramas anywhere near Oslo.
The hike starts at Semsvannet and takes about 90 minutes to the summit. On the way you pass Skaugum, the residence of Crown Prince Håkon; there are royal guards at the gate, which is a slightly surreal sight in the middle of a forest walk. The ascent is the most demanding of the Oslo-area viewpoints: steeper than it looks and sustained. For the brave, there is an unmarked path straight up through the cliff face, but do not take it on the way down. The main trail is well enough, and the reward at the top is one of the best panoramas anywhere near Oslo.
