Before the trip
Høvringen
A night or two to slow down before or after the trip - we can arrange a hand-picked stay through the same operator network.
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Cross-country skiing · Rondane to Lillehammer via GudbrandsdalenA self-guided ski expedition across Rondane
A self-guided ski expedition on the Trolløypa - Rondane to Lillehammer
A self-guided cross-country ski traverse from Rondane National Park, across the Ringebufjellet and Øyerfjellet uplands, to Lillehammer - a serious winter expedition with the bags moved between hotels.
Photo: CH / visitnorway.com ·
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Duration
9 days · 8 nights
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On the move
~160 km cross-country across six moving days
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Region
Rondane to Lillehammer
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Lodges
6 hotels and lodges and one DNT self-service hut
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Style
Self-guided · luggage moved (Days 6-7 partial carry)
Fixed departures
This journey runs on set dates.
The operator runs this on the weeks below. Other dates are not available.
- OpenFeb 18-26, 2027
- Sold outMar 4-12, 2027
- Sold outMar 11-19, 2027
The journey
A self-guided ski expedition across Rondane.
This is a self-guided cross-country ski expedition along the Trolløypa - the long marked winter route that runs from Høvringen on the western edge of Rondane National Park, over the Ringebufjellet and Øyerfjellet uplands, and finishes in Lillehammer at the head of the Mjøsa lake. The trip is structured as a winter hut-to-hut from one hotel to the next; you ski on your own, the bags are moved for you on most of the days, and you sleep in real beds throughout - including one night at a DNT self-service hut for the genuine experience.
The skiing is rated challenging. Daily distances on the moving days range from 18 to 35 km on a mix of prepared loipe and ungroomed upland with patches of irregular maintenance, and the longer days require both stamina and basic Norwegian winter mountain self-sufficiency. The route rewards experienced cross-country skiers with one of the most authentic Norwegian winter expeditions still available in fully-supported format.
We arrange the trip through one of our long-standing Norwegian partners. Train transfer from Oslo Airport is included, bags are moved between hotels for you on every day except Days 6 and 7 (when you carry part of your luggage to the DNT hut), and ski rental can be added. Each departure takes four to twelve skiers.
Is this for you?
Who this trip is - and isn't - for.
A good fit if
- ✓Travelers comfortable on a self-guided format with daily pre-arranged logistics
- ✓Couples, small groups of friends, or solo travelers who can travel on one of the set weeks
- ✓Anyone who wants the journey to be quietly logistically perfect without being scripted
Less good fit
- ·Travelers requiring fully serviced, group-guided experiences with a leader present each day
- ·Travelers on a tight schedule - Norwegian weather can shift the rhythm of a day
The route
Numbered pins mark the day the night is spent. Tap a pin for details.Where the week takes you.
Day by day
The shape of the week.
9 days · 160 km
Elevation profile
~1 417 m of ascent across the week
Bar height = day's ascent · width = day number
Across 9 days · ~155 km on the move
You take the included afternoon train from Oslo Airport to Otta, then a hotel transfer up to Rondane Haukliseter Fjellhotell at Høvringen on the western edge of Rondane National Park. Welcome dinner.
Included
What is in the price.
- Return train + hotel transfer between Oslo Airport and the route
- 7 nights at mountain hotels and lodges with breakfast
- 6 packed lunches and 6 evening meals
- 1 night at the DNT Vetåbua self-service cabin with meals
- Luggage transfer between all overnight stops except Days 6 and 7
- Maps and a written route description
Not included
And what is not.
- Travel and cancellation insurance (we strongly recommend both)
- Drinks with meals
- Cross-country ski rental incl. poles, boots and return transport (waxable skis NOK 2,300; skin skis NOK 2,500)
- Optional extras: an extra luggage item (NOK 500 each) and an extra set of maps (NOK 750)
Where you sleep
Lodges and stays along the way.
Rondane Haukliseter Fjellhotell
Nights 1-2
Nights
2
Mysuseter Servicesenter
Night 3 - rooms share a bathroom and toilet in the corridor
Nights
1
Spidsbergseter Resort Rondane
Night 4
Nights
1
Friisvegen Turistsenter
Night 5
Nights
1
DNT Vetåbua
Night 6 - DNT self-service hut, you cook your own meals
Nights
1
Pellestova Hotell Hafjell
Night 7
Nights
1
Stasjonen Hotel Lillehammer
Night 8
Nights
1
Extend your stay
Bookend the trip with a city stay.
Most travelers add a night or two at the start or end. We arrange these through the same operator network with the same single line of contact - write to us with your preference and we will fold it into your enquiry.
After the trip
Oslo
Two or three days for the Munch Museum, the new Opera waterfront, the New Nordic kitchens we list separately, and a slow walk along the Akerselva.
Add to my enquiry →Before you come
Know-before-you-go.
Practical Norway
- Visa
- Schengen - most Western travelers visa-free for 90 days.
- Currency
- Norwegian krone (NOK). Cards accepted almost everywhere; cash rarely needed.
- Plugs
- Type F (European two-pin), 230 V / 50 Hz.
- Tipping
- Not expected. Round up if service was exceptional.
- Language
- Norwegian. English is widespread and fluent - you will not need a phrasebook.
- Tap water
- Some of the cleanest in the world. Refill, do not buy bottled.
Typical conditions
The cross-country weeks run from February into April, with the days lengthening fast through the season. Daytime temperatures are typically between about −10 and 5 °C, coldest in February; evenings drop further. Mountain weather can still close a stretch of track or change a plan at short notice, and the hosts at each lodge can advise on the day.
What to pack - for this trip
The five-to-seven things most travelers underpack for a Norwegian ski-touring week.
Skiing kit
- Classic cross-country skis with NNN bindings, boots and poles - or rent them through the operator where the trip offers it
- A small daypack for the packed lunch, a thermos and a spare layer
- Cross-country boots you have skied in before - not new for the trip
Layers
- Heavy merino base layer (top and bottom)
- Insulated mid-layer (synthetic or down) for breaks
- Hardshell jacket and trousers - Norwegian winter weather is no joke
- Spare warm gloves (you will get one wet)
In the pack
- Your own thermos - the lodges refill it on the winter trips, and plastic bottles freeze
- Goggles plus sunglasses (high-altitude sun on snow burns fast)
- Light headlamp for the early starts and late returns
The operator gives you access to its travel app about a month before departure; the app includes a suggested packing list for the trip.
The country
What the week looks like.
Photo: Yngve Ask / Mountains of Norway
Photo: Yngve Ask / Mountains of Norway
Photography credits as shown on each image.
Practical questions
How is the booking arranged?
We refer you to one of our long-standing Norwegian partners who runs this journey. The booking, the contract, the prepayment and the consumer protection (under Norway's Reisegarantifondet) sit with the operator. The price is the same as booking the operator directly; we are paid a small referral commission and there is no additional cost to you.
Can the itinerary be modified?
Yes. The standard itinerary is the most-walked or most-cycled version, but the operator routinely runs slower variants, longer stays at specific lodges, or extensions in Oslo, Bergen or other gateway cities. Tell us what you have in mind in the first conversation.
When does it run?
In February and March. In 2027 the operator runs three set weeks, starting on 18 February, 4 March and 11 March.
Is travel insurance included?
No. We strongly recommend booking comprehensive travel and cancellation insurance separately, ideally at the time of booking the trip. The operator can suggest Norwegian providers if useful.
Related reading
See all Field Guide →Background reading on this kind of trip.
Regions Compared · 11 min read
Rondane in Winter and the Peer Gynt Ski Route: A Norway Guide
Rondane and the Peer Gynt ski route face each other across the same valley in central Norway. One is lodge to lodge on skis or snowshoes, the other prepared track between mountain hotels.
Field Guide · 13 min read
Lofoten Islands, Norway: a trip guide for American travelers
Lofoten is a 95-mile (150 km) line of five islands strung together by bridges and tunnels. Where you sleep decides what you can reach, and the drive from one end to the other is longer than the map suggests.
Field Guide · 13 min read
Norway hut-to-hut cross-country skiing: an American's guide
The phrase you searched for and the trip you want are not always the same thing. What a Norwegian mountain week asks of you, and which of five routes fits an American who has only ever skied groomed track at a nordic center.
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Start a conversation
If this looks like your kind of week, write to us.
Tell us when you are thinking of traveling and how you would like to shape it. A curator will reply within one business day with a considered first option, the operator we would arrange it through, and an honest pricing range for your specific dates.
Travel Guarantee Fund memberFluent English support
Refined by Nordic Curator from a journey by one of our long-standing Norwegian partners. The booking, the contract and the consumer protection (under the Norwegian Travel Guarantee Fund, Reisegarantifondet) sit with the operator. We are paid a small referral commission and there is no additional cost to you. The price is the same as booking the operator directly. How we work.