Rondane & Rondslottet
Rondane is Norway’s oldest national park. Established in December 1962. The area has 963m³. It is located in the Innlandet region adjacent to two other protected areas: Dovre and Jotunheimen. In Rondane there are 10 mountain peaks with a height of more than 2 thousand meters. The highest of them is Rondslottet with 2178 m above sea level. The center point of the area is the narrow, 4 km long Rondvatnet Lake. On its southern shore, there is one of several tourist cabins (Rondvassbu). It is the place where most trails start to the nearby mountains, including the most popular one, Rondslottet.
Get Directions
Rondane National Park is closed to motor traffic, but there are many car parks on its borders, such as the Spranget near Otta.The car park itself is free, but to get to it, you have to pay a fee a few kilometers in advance for the entrance to the access road.
I arrived at the Spranget parking lot on Saturday morning around 9.00 am. It was still chilly, though the bright sun was a sign of warming. In the parking lot I found quite a lot of cars and, which surprised me, a whole lot of bicycles. It turned out that they are bikes for rent, as from here there was a 6.5 km gravel road leading to the Rondvassbu lodge and most of the trails started at this hostel. Renting a bike through a special application cost 125 kr (one way). I threw my backpack over my shoulders and set off (on foot, of course).
Amazing views accompanied me since the parking lot. The vast plain ended in the distance in a series of majestic peaks. There was only one road leading towards them, disappearing from sight behind a small hill.
I didn’t get to the lodge, as one of the routes to Rondslottet have started a kilometer earlier. I knew it would be crowded on the way. From a distance, I could see tiny moving points starting their journey from the lodge. I also passed a few cyclists heading to Rondvassbu, probably also intending to climb the highest mountain of Rondane. Initially, the path was not that scary, but soon it turned out that climbing Rondslottet was not a piece of cake. The first sharper ascent, then another longer, easier section as the path led down the long valley of the Rondholet. The end of the valley was also the end of the idyll. The steep climb to the pass between the two peaks Vinjeronden and Storronden was demanding. In this section, I overtook several other hikers, and on the pass I met an organized group resting. And if you thought the previous piece was difficult, the next one, leading to the summit of Vinjeronden, beats it. The steep path between large, jagged rocks, where you often have to help yourself with your hands, is extremely demanding. Fortunately, you can admire the surrounding landscape during breaks to catch your breath. Earlier, I passed a hiking family with young children in the valley. I wondered if the parents had any idea what they were doing when taking their kids on such a trip.
Finally, I was able to climb the top of Vinjeronden. I caught my breath and continued walking before it got crowded at the top. More people were still coming from below. I had to go down to the next pass and then again a steep climb, this time leading to the right peak. It wasn’t easy. When I descended the great blocks of stones, I often had to help myself with hands. I watched in disbelief as the Norwegians passed me, leaping recklessly from stone to stone. On the pass I overtook a few people again and eagerly started climbing.
It’s hard to say how long this trip took me, but I finally got to the top. 2178m above sea level. You can’t say it’s nothing. And the views from the top are just like from a fairy tale. In the distance I could see little points moving on the top of Vinjeronden and a whole spectrum of Rondane peaks that I couldn’t even named.
I gasped and wondered what to do next. I was thinking earlier which route should I use to return and so far I have not decided. Should I to go back the same way or take a different route and go around the Langglupdalen and Rondvassdalen valleys to Rondvassbu and then to the parking lot. Now, standing at the top, I saw a third option. I could go back to the Vinjeronden Pass and climb up Storronden from there, from where the trail goes down. I was afraid, however, that the lack of a path from the pass to the very top may be a bit troublesome and maybe there is no such trail for no reason.
Ultimately, I decided to take the longer way. Descend from Rondslottet from the east, reach the bottom of the Langglupdalen valley, where on a fairly flat terrain I will come to the Rondvassdalen valley to the south and to Lake Rondvatnet. There, I had to go uphill, as the shores of the lake are steep and the only path is about 500 meters higher on the west side. From there, a gentle descent to the lodge and a last quiet 6.5 km walk to the parking lot. I was hoping to make it before sunset as the road seemed really long.
I started my way down. One of the reasons I chose this route was to avoid the crowds on the main route. Indeed, I was followed by only one couple that passed me not long before the valley’s trails were joined. Besides, I encountered a few climbers going up. This tour was much less popular, which I liked very much.
The descent was more difficult than the previous climb. Fortunately, a swift river flows along the bottom of the valley, in which I refill the water bottle and soaked my sore feet. After a short rest, I squeezed back into my shoes and was back on the trail. The route through Langglupdalen is the most monotonous part of this journey. Well, maybe except the initial kilometers, between the car park and the Rondvassbu lodge. I walked around Rondslottet from the north and was able to see from below what the mountain I was just on looked like. From this perspective, its jagged ridge resembled the battlements of a medieval fortress. This is where the name of the mountain probably came from (” slott ” in Norwegian means ” castle ”).
I came to the crossing with the Rondvassdalen valley and turned south. The sun slowly began to sink westward, illuminating the eastern slopes of the mountains. Dry summer, like this one and the last year, caused that many water reservoirs and mountain lakes have a significantly lower water level. I have noticed this state many times in my recent journeys. This time it also caught my eye when I got to Bergedalstjønnin Lake. The surface of the water was so low there that it resembled a larger puddle, surrounded by a wide sandy beach. I counted a dozen or so tents on the southern shore of the lake. Was it an organized group or random tourists who decided to stay overnight here? I do not know. There was no cabin nearby. The nearest Rondvassbu was separated by Lake Rondvatnet. There was a boat run the lake and maybe it was the reason for this group camping. Maybe the next cruise was not due until the next day and all these people would start crossing the lake in the morning?
My questions remained unanswered. I passed this bizarre campsite and, walked along the bottom of the valley, I came to a cross in the trails. One of its branches led to the lake and probably to the quay. I took the other one, twisting uphill. I already had more than 20 km in my legs and the next effort to climb heights was not the lightest. But I wasn’t going to give up. The rest in this place would be only a waste of time. The sun was about to go down any minute. And it was going to be light some time later, but I still had a lot to go through. Therefore, I couldn’t afford to take breaks.
The climb seemed to take forever, but I finally stepped out onto a flat piece of ground that began to gradually descend shortly thereafter. The gentle slope of the slope made this part of the hike a relief. I was glad to see the buildings of the lodge in the distance. Soon after, the path took me to the southern edge of Rondvatnet Lake. I entered the gravel road that I already know. About 6 km left.
The sun went down while I was still on the trail. Now it was gradually getting dark. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, it grew darker. I walked persistently knowing that I had a flashlight in my cell phone at my disposal. However, it turned out to be unnecessary on a straight road. Even when the last stretch of road I went in the darkness. I got to the parking lot and found my car. Earlier, I planned to set up a tent somewhere near the car. I had all the camping equipment in the trunk. Now, I decided that looking for a suitable place for a tent in the dark, and then setting it up, is not what I would like to do at the moment. I ate the salad left in the car and headed back home.
That day I walked 38 km and made a total of over 2000 meters of elevation. It took me 12 and a half hours. I felt this effort in my knees for the next few days. And despite being extremely tired, I think it was one of my best mountain trips.
