Romsdalseggen Ridge

Romsdalseggen is one of Norway's signature ridge walks — 10 km from the Vengedalen valley up onto a high crest and across to Åndalsnes, with the dramatic Romsdalen valley a thousand metres below on one side and the famous Trollveggen (Troll Wall) — Europe's tallest vertical rock face at 1,100 m — visible across the gorge on the other. The hike opened to wide attention after a 2014 Norwegian Trekking Association upgrade, and now sees several thousand walkers a summer.

The walk starts from a small car park in Vengedalen at 380 m, reached by a 12 km road from Åndalsnes. The first 3 km is a steady climb up the southern flank of the ridge to Høgnosa (1,030 m), gaining 650 m in switchbacks. From there the ridge proper begins — narrow, rocky, occasionally exposed, with chains on the steepest sections. The walking is sustained for 3 km along the crest, with peaks (Blånebba, Mjølva) named for the rolling slabs they stand on. The final descent drops 950 m through a steep zigzag to Åndalsnes town, with the Nesaksla viewpoint over the fjord as a worthwhile final stop.

The walking season is July to September — outside that window, snow on the upper ridge makes the chains dangerous. The Åndalsnes summer bus service (NOK 250 round trip, late June to late September) connects the town to the Vengedalen trailhead — book on the Visit Northwest Norway website. The trail is well-marked with the standard Norwegian red Ts. A 2025 via-ferrata variant ("Romsdalseggen Via Ferrata") adds a sustained climbing section for those with experience; standard ridge walkers use the normal route. Cumulative climb is 1,000 m; descent 1,200 m.