A TASTE OF HARDANGERVIDDA
Gvepseborg
200
400
600
800 1000m
Walk 2 h 5,4 km
Marked path
Pignatten
“Bad weather path”
Map: HTS Buy the map at Visit Rjukan or Rauland Tourist Information.
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
SPIKED
RAMPION
A rare plant in Norway;
largest natural distribution
around Rjukan and
Rauland
CROWBERRY
DWARF BIRCH
Common plant with edible but
bitter berries
One of the first plants to
appear in the mountains after
the ice age
WILD REINDEER
TRACKS
Find out more about wild
reindeer at www.villrein.no
MEADOW PIPIT
Norway’s most abundant
mountain bird
Gaustatoppen 1883 moh.
TINN
NASJONALPARK
KOMMUNE
VisitRjukan Torget 2 tel. 35 08 05 50
www.visitrjukan.com
2 h round walk
Moderate
Elevation 886–1,108 m
Hiking map: Rjukan Vest–Møsvatn,
Hardangervidda sør-øst
General map: Rjukan 1614 IV
Nature and cultural history
A moderately demanding circular hike offering great views of
Hardangervidda, Rjukan and Gaustatoppen. You’ll be walking on
a gravel road and a path, with gentle inclines and some boggy sections. Don’t forget to bring watertight footwear.
From the café at Gvepseborg, head up the gravel road to Verdens
ende (World’s End) and on to Kalhovd. The trail is signposted rundløype/Gvepseborg rundt. Where the gravel road divides, bear left
Accessible June
25– October 15
towards the gun emplacement. It’s a 200 m ascent from Gvepseborg
to the gun emplacement, from where you have a great view of
Hardangervidda, Rjukan and Gaustatoppen. From here, continue on a
path across gentle heights towards Kringlehovda. At the intersection
of paths before Kringlehovda, bear left towards Gvepseborg, and then
enjoy the view of the mighty Gaustatoppen all the way back.
Alternative: In sunny weather you might like to make a detour to
the Piggnatten viewpoint, and in strong winds we recommend the
forest path on the storm detour route.
FROM SEABED
TO MOUNTAIN PLATEAU
SABOTEURS IN A CLASS
OF THEIR OWN
The industrial town of Rjukan was developed
from 1907 onward by Norsk Hydro. The geography allowed large amounts of electricity
to be generated – a crucial resource for the
newly established fertilizer company. Located
in the depths of Vestfjorddalen, the town is
overshadowed by Gaustatoppen throughout
the winter. Since 1925 the townsfolk have
celebrated the sun’s return in March with a
lively carnival. But why shouldn’t these sunstarved people enjoy easy access to some
winter sun and white expanses? In 1928,
Norsk Hydro granted them their wish, opening the Krossobanen, a 5-minute aerial
tramway
ride into the landskapsvernområde
mountains. Since then,
Brattefjell-Vindeggen
Northern Europe’s first passenger-carrying
cableway has transported more than five million people up to the sunny plateau. You can
now ride the “sunshine car” up to
Hardangervidda daily.
You are now on the edge of Hardangervidda,
Norway’s largest national park and Northern
Europe’s largest mountain plateau. The entire plateau covers some 8,000 km2, equivalent to 20% of the Netherlands. About 550
million years ago, the plateau was submerged. Gradually a sheet of rock drifted over
the seabed, was compressed, folded and
rose from the sea. What is now Western
Norway rose the most, and greater erosion
created deeper valleys and steeper mountains than in the east. Glaciers and melting
ice at the end of the last ice age chiselled out
the landscape we see today.
Young, specially trained men who knew the
mountains played a key role in sabotage
operations during the Second World War.
Several of the principal heavy-water saboteurs
came from Rjukan. Norsk Hydro’s hydrogen
plant at Vemork also produced heavy water,
which was crucial to the occupying German
regime’s plans for atomic weapons. On the
night of February 28, 1943, the saboteurs conducted the famous Operation Gunnerside, in
which they destroyed 500 kg of heavy water at
the plant. Mission accomplished, the saboteurs fled up the road beneath the aerial tramway, using parts of the path you will follow on
this hike, and vanished into the wide expanses
of the plateau, without being caught by the
Germans. The gun emplacement you pass was
the object of a less well-known sabotage operation. A team managed to insert extra explosive
into anti-aircraft grenades, which were then
used to blow up German gun emplacements.
To learn more about the saboteurs and
Rjukan’s industrial workers, visit Norsk
Industriarbeidermuseum at Vemork or join a
guided tour in the footsteps of the saboteurs.
Driving directions
Start in Rjukan town centre.
Krossobanen
Follow Hwy 37 in the direction of Rauland.
After 2 km (from the market place) turn right
at the Krossobanen aerial tramway.
the road uphill for
P Follow
500 m to the free car park.
GPS: 32 V 475032, 6638065
Ride the aerial tramway up to Gvepseborg. Adult round trip NOK 90 (2009).
Distance to Krossobanen from:
Rjukan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 min
Skinnarbu . . . . . . . . . . . 20 min
Tinn/Austbygd . . . . . . . 35 min
Rauland/Krossen . . . . . 45 min
Hovin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 h
2,5
19,0
33,5
45,5
59,0
km
km
km
km
km
Please take all garbage home with you.
Dogs must be kept on a leash. Take care
around grazing livestock and close all
gates behind you.
You are responsible
for your own safety.
Enjoy the walk!
TINN
NASJONALPARK
KOMMUNE
For more hiking tips, visit www.nasjonalparkrute.no.
2009 Photo: Bjørn Rørslett/Samfoto, Jan Rabben/Samfoto, Terje Rakke, Guro Lien
SUNSHINE FOR
THE MASSES!