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 cross-country ski expedition along the Trolløypa, from Rondane to Lillehammer
A self-guided ski expedition on the Trolløypa - Rondane to Lillehammer
Six days on cross-country skis from the edge of Rondane National Park to Lillehammer, with your bags moved between hotels and one night in a self-service hut.
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.
- Open18-26 Feb 2027
- Sold out4-12 Mar 2027
- Sold out11-19 Mar 2027
The journey
A self-guided cross-country ski expedition along the Trolløypa, from Rondane to Lillehammer.
The Trolløypa is the long marked winter route across the uplands east of the Gudbrandsdalen valley, and this is the whole of it: from Høvringen on the western edge of Rondane National Park, over Ringebufjellet and Øyerfjellet, to Lillehammer at the head of Lake Mjøsa. Nine days, six of them on the move, on cross-country skis rather than skins, and self-guided from start to finish.
The skiing is rated challenging. The moving days run from 18 to 35 kilometres, some on track that is groomed daily and some on track that is only groomed when it needs it; when snow and wind fill the track in, you follow the route markers with map and compass. Most of the line runs above the treeline, with no summits to climb and no steep ground, but the long days ask for stamina and a feel for mountain weather in winter.
We arrange it through a long-standing Norwegian partner. The train from Oslo Airport is included, and your bags move between the hotels on every day except the two either side of Vetåbua, the DNT self-service hut where you spend the sixth night. The last ski day follows stretches of the Birkebeiner trail down into Lillehammer. 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 travellers 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.
Further reading
See all Field Notes →Background reading on this kind of trip.
Field Notes · 10 min read
Hut-to-hut walking with DNT: how the Norwegian system works
Norway has around 600 mountain huts run by a federation founded in 1868, opened with a standard key, paid for on your phone, and largely run on trust. For a British walker used to commercial walking holidays this is a different country. Here is how it actually works.
Field Notes · 9 min read
When is the best season for walking in Norway?
July is not always the right answer. September sometimes is. Here is the regional, month-by-month version, written for a walker with one good week and a strong preference for being told the truth.
Field Notes · 12 min read
The Lofoten Islands: a travel guide for British visitors
Five main islands and one road, roughly 130 km from Svolvær to Å. Most planning mistakes come from treating Lofoten as a single place rather than a line.
If this isn't quite right
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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 travelling and how you would like to shape it. A curator will reply within one working 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.