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QUESTION & ANSWERS

Till Topps answers questions from our readers

On this page we will answer some of the questions we have received from our readers.

?  Which is the best way of getting to Jotunheimen area and travel costs?
Answer: The easiest way is to go by bus from Oslo to Jotunheimen. Contact the tourist office in Oslo or Lillehammer for information about buses, prices etc. The easiest way is if you can take the bus to Gjendesheim and start there.

?  Can you give some route descriptions in Jotunheimen with costs etc?
Answer: One nice trip is to start with Glittertind (Norways heighest glacier-mountain 2470m) and then continue with Galdhöpiggen (Norways heighest mountain 2469m)and then back to Gjendesheim via Besseggen (Norways most popular trip, fabulus view with lakes on both sides). We walked this trip and we think that you will need at least 6 days for this trip.

We calculate that you will reach Glitterheim day 1 (the map says that the trip will take 7 hours, effective time).

The second day you climb Glittertind and finnish in Spitterstulen. The mountain is easy to climp (about 7 hours) so you don't need any special equipment except warm clothes.

The third day you climp Galdhöpiggen and this will take about 7 hours. This is a little bit tougher than Glittertind so you will be tired after this day. But when you are back in Spiterstulen you can relax with a bath in the swimming pool and have a beer (or several?) in the bar.

The fourth day you should walk to Gjendebu. The map says that this will take about 8 hours but this will take more so calculate that you don't reach Gjendebu this day so camp one hour or two from Gjendebu.

The fifth day (rest day!) you walk the rest to Gjendebu and then by boat to Memurubu. The rest of the day is "recharging of batteries".

The six day is time for Besseggen, Norways most popular route. We think that this will take about six hours and is worth every minute.

General info: The terrain is rocky with small and bigger stones. Good footwear is nesessary. If you sleep in lodges, this will cost you between 100-175 Norwegian kr. This depends if you sleep on the floor or in beds. Food is excluded but you can buy food in every lodge, but it's rather expensive.

?  Do you need a mountain guide if you want to climb the peaks?
Answer: You don't need a guide if you want to climb the peaks and therefore it doesn't cost anything. You can join a guided tour for smaller or larger groups if you want.

?  Is it possible to climb Glittertind without having irons on your boots?
Answer: It's no problem. It's mostly snow and it can be a little bit slippery but it's rather ok. A bigger problem is if the weather is nice (warm). You than fall deep in the snow (to your knees or more) every step you take. Be shore to tighten your trousers so you don't get a lot of snow inside it. But if you start early in the morning (about 8 or so) before the sun rices to high this is no problem.

?  Is it a problem finding a flat spot for the tent in Jotunheimen?
Answer: No it's no problem. But higher up (above 1000m) and in stony terrain there can be problems. So don't wait to long every evening looking for a good tent place. If you know your route we can allways tip you of good tent places you can use.

?  Did you setup your tent only close to cottages or did you camp on the trails in Jotunheimen?
Answer: Mostly we set up our tents near the trails. But sometimes (once every trip or so) it's nice to take a shower or use a real toilet and then we camp near the cottages. If you camp near or on the cottage the take out a small fee for it (about 35Nkr per person).

?  Is is possible to drink water from the lakes and streams in Jotunheimen or did you refill your bottles at the cottages?
Answer: Water are no problem. You can drink the water from every creak or even from the lakes. So you don't have to bring any water from the cottages. Remember to bring water with you when you climb the peaks of Glittertind and Galdhöpiggen because higer upp in the mountains it can be difficult to find. Lower there are no problems.

?  Are there a lot of mosquitoes in Jotunheimen and how do you protect yourself?
Answer: Because of the stony terrain in Jotunheimen there aren't a lot of mosquitos. The hike are usually higher up than in Sweden. Often above 1000 m which means that the mosquitoes are less than in low and wet terrain. If you want some advise about anti-mosquito preparation we can recomend Off.

?  Are there any literature about Jotunheimen?
Answer: There is a very good book about Jotunheimen and all of the tracks there. The books name is 'Jotunheimen - fra hytte til hytte' and are unfortunatelly in Norwegian. Othervise the Norwegian Tourist Association has a book called "Til fots i fjellet" (ISBN 82-90339-35-6). This book covers all the hike routes in Norway. If you are lucky it's available in english.

?  Where can you buy maps over Jotunheimen or other hike places?
Answer: You can allways try kartbutiken in Stockholm. Their emailadress is kartbutiken@kartbutiken.se or check their site at www.kartbutiken.se.

?  How can I climb Kebnekaise?
Answer: There are two ways to the top, one over the glacier and one around (harder). You can join a guided tour over the glacier (kosts about 140 Skr). It's not recomended to go over the glacier by yourself. The top is magnific and worth every step to it. The trip will take one day if you start early (about 8 am) and there are no camp areas so you must be back at noon. The terrain is rather stoney and the last 50m is rather icey but you don't need any iceaxes etc. Just good walking shoes (no jogging shoes or rubber shoes).

?  What equipment to use in Jotunheimen or Kebnekaise?
Answer: It's recomended to use good walking shoes. The weather is rather tricky sometimes. We have had about 30 cm snow in july! so warm and watherprof clothes is recomended. If the weather is normal, you can walk in a shirt and short trouses. But use something warm when you stop for food etc. Water is no problem. There are streams every were. Use a plastic bottle and fill it up every time you pass a stream. It's difficult to find water at the tops so bring extra at the peek-trips.

?  How do you drain your forcemeat sauce?
Answer: Read our article under food/recipe.

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