Norway. Besseggen Ridge trail

 

  We kicked off our Jotunheimen adventure with the iconic Besseggen Ridge hike—a dramatic trail between two lakes of different colors, with jaw-dropping views of Norway’s highest mountains. After a beautiful bus ride from Oslo, we spent the night under the stars, far from the crowds, surrounded by pure alpine silence.

  We arrived at the start of the Besseggen Ridge trail in the afternoon, after a long but incredibly scenic bus ride from Oslo. The road wound through valleys, lakes, and towering peaks—already a preview of the wild beauty that awaited us in Jotunheimen National Park. This marked the beginning of our multi-day hiking adventure: 80 kilometers through Norway’s most iconic mountain range. 

   Map of the Jotunheimen hikes...

   Just as we started our hike, we spotted a deer with antlers—one of those quiet moments that makes the wilderness feel truly alive...

  The trail began gently enough, but soon led us upward onto the spine of the famous Besseggen Ridge. It’s one of the most legendary hikes in Norway—not just for its challenge, but for its absolutely surreal views...

   The ridge itself rises sharply between two dramatic lakes: Gjende, a long, emerald-green lake far below on one side, and Bessvatnet, a deep blue alpine lake on the other, sitting nearly 400 meters higher. This unique contrast—two lakes, two colors, two elevations—is what makes Besseggen so unforgettable...

  The trail is steep and rocky in parts, with a bit of scrambling required on the ridge itself. But every bit of effort is rewarded with sweeping views of glacial valleys and untamed wilderness...

   We camped near the serene Bjørnbøltjønne lake, its still waters mirroring the rugged beauty of the surrounding peaks. Behind us, the high ridges opened to breathtaking vistas—and in the distance, we thought we could make out the silhouettes of Glittertind, Norway’s second-highest mountain, and Galdhøpiggen, the tallest in Northern Europe at 2,469 meters, rising proudly above the landscape...

   It was a wild, peaceful place to end our first day—a perfect introduction to the heart of Jotunheimen...

   The next morning, bathed in soft light, we completed the short final stretch down to the Memurubu hut...

  As we approached, peaceful views over the lake and valley unfolded before us—made even more beautiful by the calm of the early hours...

  Looking back, we were glad we hadn’t gone all the way down the previous evening. Instead, we had ended our first day of hiking just before the descent, choosing to sleep higher up on the ridge. It wasn’t that the campsite was packed with tourists—we simply wanted to be deeper in the wild, alone in the mountains. Sleeping up there, with wide-open views and the quiet of the highlands all around us, turned out to be the most beautiful night of our entire trip through Norway...

  After we descended to Memurubu, we began the next part of our beautiful hike - the Gjendebu trail...