A memory for life – in Loen
In August 2019, we packed up our family, two adults and two children aged 11 and 13, into a motorhome and set course for Loen. The small village located at the innermost part of the Nordfjord in Stryn municipality.
Loen is located approx. 10 minutes by car from Stryn, 2.5 hours from Ålesund, 4.5 hours from Bergen, and 6 hours from Oslo. Our trip over the mountains started from the main office in Hyggen, via Hemsedal, with a ferry over to Sogndal and further out to Loen.
To say we were extremely lucky with the weather is an understatement, and what a view we had – THE ENTIRE way!! Norway really is a spectacular and beautiful country!!!!
The goal of the trip was to finally get to test out Via Ferrata in Loen. And we really did that to the fullest – it was a long weekend that will definitely go down in the memory book!
What is Via Ferrata
Via Ferrata originally means iron path and has a history dating back to the First World War when routes were built in the Dolomites, Italy, so that the military could navigate steep terrain more easily.
In recent times, these have become popular, facilitated climbing routes.
A Via Ferrata route has permanent safety measures bolted into the rock, such as steel cables, brackets, ladders, and bridges.While you walk, you clip carabiners from a specially adapted climbing harness onto steel cables, suspension bridges, and iron rungs that are secured into the cliff walls. In addition to natural footholds, planks and iron steps have been set up.
Camping by Lovatnet
After arriving in Loen, we found a super motorhome spot right down by Lovatnet at Sande Camping, and enjoyed the scenery with a wonderful outdoor dinner surrounded by the majestic mountains and the green Lovatnet lake.
In the evening, the grandparents also came to visit, which worked out great since we also had our dog with us. Dogs and Via Ferratas are a bad combination, so he was to stay behind in the center of Loen with the grandparents.
Then we got a good night's sleep before being challenged in the Loen Via Ferrata!
Equipment and parking
We had booked climbing equipment in advance with Loen Active, an activity company located in the center of Loen, right behind Hotel Alexandra. Here you can rent the equipment you need. They also have a large parking lot where you can park for free all day.
We were handed climbing harnesses and helmets. All 4 of us had well-worn hiking boots, which is incredibly important for a full day on the cliff wall. As for the clothes you should bring, that varies with the weather. We had glorious sunshine and only brought extra wind jackets in addition to the clothes we were walking in.
NB! Remember gloves – unfortunately we forgot, got some blisters after a day on the wire…
The most important thing is definitely that you bring enough food, chocolate, and water!
There is no opportunity to refill drinks before you reach the top.
With or without a guide
You can choose whether you want a guided tour in a group or to go without a guide.
The dad in our family (also called the Swede) is an experienced climbing guide, so we chose to go on our own. The routes are well marked, so it is hard to go wrong.
From Fjord to Mountain
The tour starts at Loen Active, right down by the Nordfjord. The first 100 meters are along the fjord, and then on a gravel road up to the right just before you reach the Loen Skylift.
It is a path and forest road for the first hour, all the way up to approx. 450 m.a.s.l. Eventually you arrive at a wooden platform, with a map of the different routes where the difficulty levels are noted. From the platform, the climbing starts, on the Via Ferrata, up to 900 m.a.s.l. The climbing harnesses are attached to solid cables so you are secured the whole way.
Tip! We started our trip around 12:00, which meant we walked after the collective guided tours and were relatively alone the whole way. We simply avoided waiting for others to climb – or slowing down others climbing behind us.
Difficulty level of the route
The climbing routes are graded from A – F, where A is the least demanding.
We had all previously done Via Ferratas in Italy, so we had some experience. But we all wanted this to be a good experience for the whole family, so we chose the 'easy' route. Meaning Route 1.
Normally, such routes have a difficulty level of A, and perhaps some parts with B. So we thought today would be the same....
But we eventually found out that we should have read the climbing map a bit more carefully, because here there were also long sections that had a difficulty level of C. A bit more intense challenges than expected, then… This map from Loen Active shows well how the routes are laid out:
Experience of a lifetime
But what an experience. And what a sense of mastery when you even tackle the challenges that the C-sections gave! We got to push both body and brain up, up, up – sometimes it was mom who needed help, other times it was the youngest. Fear and mastery hand in hand.
All 4 of us knew that going back down was not an option, so it was just a matter of taking our time when it was occasionally challenging to find the next step on the cliff wall. And breaks. Breaks full of chocolate, adrenaline, and spectacular views. In glorious sunshine.
We had, as mentioned, forgotten to bring gloves on the trip (these can be rented from Loen Active), which made our hands relatively sore after hours on the cliff wall. Great was therefore the joy when another couple climbing at the same time as us had a spare pair that we were given to keep. We took turns using the gloves, one glove per person is better than none 😀
Challenge after challenge
All climbing is fun, and when we got a few breaks along the way, we got enough energy to continue further upwards. And search for the next spot, pull ourselves up sections where afterwards you cannot understand how you found the next step. But we helped each other, told each other where to take the next grip or step, and praised each other when we had reached the next point. And all the time we could see our goal: the famous Gjølmunne Bridge!
Gjølmunnebrua (The Gjølmunne Bridge)
The suspension bridge that hangs 750 m.a.s.l. between Mt. Hoven and Mt. Midt-Tunga. The longest Via Ferrata suspension bridge in Europe.
118 meters long, over a 160-meter-deep canyon.
Walking across this bridge is definitely one of the highlights of the trip. If you haven't had butterflies in your stomach earlier on the trip, they will probably show up here…
Click on the image below to watch a video of the Gjølmunne Bridge:
The mom in the family is probably the one who likes taking photos and videos the most, and therefore sent the other three across the bridge first – and remained alone on the other side. With photos and videos on her phone. Happy and content. Until she realized that she had to cross the bridge herself too. With a slight fear of heights. Alone.
On thin metal plates. With a cable on each side, and one above where the harness was attached.
Then it was just a matter of taking one step at a time. With jelly legs. And pushing myself. Pretending it was nothing. With my heart pounding all the way into my ears. And talking to myself: "One more step, you can do this. One more step." And "Now you've reached the middle, now it's too stupid to turn back." It also helped a lot to have a cheering squad on the other side of the bridge – because everyone made it across in the end, and even managed to look down and out at the view just a little bit!
About an hour from the bridge to the summit
On the other side of the bridge, there is a nice platform with an insane view. Great place to have a bite to eat here.
Then it's just a matter of clipping back onto the cables, there is still about an hour left before the summit is reached.
Or… you can challenge yourself with a slightly shorter detour, then with a 'walk' on the cable Gjølmunnestrengen. A cable that is 36 meters long – meaning no metal plates to walk on, only thin cables both to walk on and to support yourself on, if needed. Then you really have to keep your wits about you… And there is some security in the fact that you are secured with a climbing harness here, just like on the rest of the trip. At least you won't fall down if an accident should occur…
So we chose the regular climbing route for the next 150 vertical meters up towards the summit. And from approx. 900 m.a.s.l. it is a normal path all the way to Mt. Hoven, which is situated at 1011 m.a.s.l.
At the summit – Hoven restaurant
Up at the summit, there is a large viewing platform with the Hoven restaurant and kiosk, as well as toilets, etc. This is also the terminal for the Loen Skylift – one of the steepest cable cars in the world.
Can safely say that the ice cream we bought at the top was the best in the world – and the most well-deserved! The same can be said about the view. Absolutely fantastic!! We could see the lush Lodalen valley, the green Lovatnet lake, Oledalen, Loen, the mountain peak Skåla, and the mighty Jostedalsbreen glacier. I think we could even see the motorhome, the grandparents, and the dog from the top 😀 Beautiful as far as the eye could see!!!
After the ice cream was consumed and most of the adrenaline had settled, it was time to head down from the mountain. Then there are two alternatives:
Take the Loen Skylift. It takes you down from 1011 m.a.s.l. and back to the fjord in 5 minutes.
Be aware that the ticket prices here are quite high. For a family of 4, this cost us NOK 1,180 for 5-7 minutes in the air. But it was absolutely worth it. After a day on the cliff wall.
From the lower station, it only takes 5-8 minutes to walk back to Loen Active to return the climbing equipment.Alternative return is a 6-kilometer long gravel road/path down to a parking lot at Oppheim. From there, it is about 6 kilometers back to Loen Active.
Facts from our trip
We spent approx. 7-8 hours in total on the whole trip.
Do you have to be in good shape?
You do not need to be in peak physical condition to do Via Ferratas. But it always helps if legs and arms are used to some exercise over time. The writer does minimal training and managed the trip fine, but would probably have had an EVEN better time with some training beforehand. The oldest child and the dad in the family are in good shape and climbed up without a peep. So there is some difference regarding trained / untrained. Having said that, we met both 10-year-old children and climbers who were 60-70 years old along the way, so Via Ferratas is really something for everyone who is somewhat active.
Is it wise to go if you have a fear of heights?
Well… The pictures speak for themselves… If you have a fear of heights, I personally would not recommend you do this Via Ferrata. Rather take the gravel road up and get the same great experience at the top.
Accommodation
We used a motorhome on this trip, and got an absolutely fantastic spot at Sande Camping only 1 meter from Lovatnet. Morning swim every day. Spectacular view from the breakfast table right outside the vehicle. Can't get any better!!
Sande Camping is located about 4.5 km from the center of Loen, has its own shop with delicious freshly baked goods, ice cream, and everything else needed for comfort at a campsite.
Want to see a film from a trip on Via Ferrata Loen?
Highly recommend this one:
Other activities in Loen
We stayed in beautiful Loen and at Sande Camping for a few days, some of us just wanted to relax, others wanted to experience more. Based on our own experience, we can recommend the following:
Briksdalsbreen (The Briksdal Glacier)
If you are in Lodalen anyway, you should take a trip up to Briksdalsbreen, a glacier arm of Jostedalsbreen. Located on the northern side of Briksdalen, at the inner end of Oldedalen in Sogn og Fjordane.
From 1200 m.a.s.l. the wild glacier fall plunges down into the lush, narrow Briksdalen valley. A spectacular sight that attracts 300,000 visitors from all over the world per year!!
Here you'll find a cafe, restaurant, souvenir shop, and activity park. From Briksdalsbre Mountain Lodge, it is easy to make your way to Briksdalsbreen, a walk of about 40 minutes on a good path/road.
See more info at www.briksdal.no
Skåla – Norway's longest uphill hike
The two fittest of us still had plenty of run left in their legs, so the day after climbing the Via Ferrata they chose the summit hike Skåla – Norway's longest uphill!
A hike that starts at 0 and goes up to 1848 m.a.s.l. A steady climb all the way up.
Along the way, you pass, among other things, the beautiful Tjugen Seter (425 m.a.s.l.) and Lake Skålavatnet where you can take a dip if you wish. It is wise to fill up drink bottles in the meltwater river you pass going up, as melting snow is the only water source once you reach the top.
Once at the summit, only ten-twenty meters from the edge of Skåla, stands the famous round Klouman Tower, one of the most spectacular cabins in the DNT (Norwegian Trekking Association) system!
An overnight stay in this tower is highly recommended. The tower is open during the tourist season, selling kiosk goods.
The view from the top is fantastic, try to catch a sunset / sunrise if you can!
See video from Skåla here:
Rakssetra – the most famous photo spot in Loen?
The hike up to beautiful Rakssetra is estimated to take about 3 hours round trip. An easy hike, with a 'Kodak moment' at the top. Fantastic view with beautiful, old mountain farm houses in the foreground. Superb place to eat your packed lunch!
Weather change and home journey
After 3 wonderful days in Loen in glorious sunshine with swimming in Lovatnet, the plan was to drive via Beitostølen to hike Besseggen on the same trip. But during our last night in Loen, there was a major change in the weather, so plans were quickly altered. Instead, we did Besseggen a couple of weekends later.
Now, after digesting the experiences a bit, we are all left with great memories. What wonderful weather we were blessed with, talk about going at the right time!!! Norway is a beautiful country!!
Want to experience the same as us? Get in touch and we will put together an experience package for you!
Team Expa v/Cat
