Southern Norway - Norway - page 245

HIKING & CYCLING FROM RJUKAN
Rjukan makes a superb base from which to strike out into the surrounding wilderness on
foot or by mountain bike. To get an idea of what's possible, visit the tourist office to pick
up the freeRjukan - og Tinn,which has a number of route suggestions.
GAUSTA
The most obvious goal for peak baggers is the hike to the summit of beautiful Gausta
(1883m), from where you can see a remarkable one-sixth of Norway on a clear day. The
popular, and easy, two- to three-hour, 4km hiking track leads from the trailhead of
Stavsro (15km southeast of Rjukan) up to Den Norske Turistforening's (DNT; Norwegian
Mountain Touring Club) Gaustahytta (1830m), next to the rather ugly NATO radio tower.
The summit is reached by walking along the rocky ridge for a further half-hour. A 13km
road link, but unfortunately no public transport, runs from the far eastern end of Rjukan
to Stavsro (altitude 1173m) at lake Heddersvann. Taxis ( 35 09 14 00) charge around
Nkr450 one way. Allow all day for the hike, which leaves plenty of time for exploring the
summit. The tourist office distributes a map of the Fv651, but theTurkart Gausta Områ-
detis a better option and is available for Nkr50.
More-difficult, three- to four-hour routes to the summit also run from Rjukan itself and
from the Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum.
If you can't make the hike, the Gaustabanen service takes you almost to Gaustahytta.
HARDANGERVIDDA
For something a little wilder, but bleaker, the Hardangervidda Plateau, the biggest moun-
tain plateau in Europe and home to Europe's largest herd of wild reindeer, rises up to the
north of Rjukan and offers a wealth of fantastic hikes that vary from easy two- to three-
hour strolls to longer day hikes and multiday challenges. From Gvepseborg, the summit
of the Krossobanen cable car , the most rewarding day hike is the five-hour (without
stops) round trip to the Helberghytta DNT Hut . The route has good waymarking and al-
though it can be very boggy in sections, it's easily achievable for any moderately fit walk-
er. The first section winds up from the cable-car platform through a forest of stumpy,
twisted trees before emerging onto the gently undulating plateau. The scenery, which
takes in icy-cold lakes, snow-streaked hills, barren moorland and views back over towards
Mt Gausta, is supremely impressive.