TROLLSTIGEN (Åndalsnes)
62° 27' 59.99" N, 7° 39' 59.99" E
Trollstigen – Norway’s most famous road.
Before becoming a major attraction for cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers, Trollstigen used to be an important transport passage between the villages Valldal in Indre Sunnmøre and Åndalsnes in Romsdalen.
Opened in 1936 this climb gets its name from Norways folklore relationship with Trolls. Trollstigen means Troll’s ladder and when you experience it for yourself it seems like a fitting name. A mysterious, beautiful and tough road/climb with the iconic Stigfossen Waterfall cutting the path of the road in two.
8.9
KM
| 743m | 8.5% | 22% | CLIMBED | AVERAGE GRADIENT | MAX GRADIENT |
|---|
This short climb is deceptive as for the first 5 Kilometers you ride along the valley floor and the gradient is less than 3%. (seen in the background of this photograph
Norwegian trolls are believed to be mythical creatures that live in isolated rocks or caves. They are believed to live alone or in small families and are hostile towards humans. As per the troll legends, they are believed to be evil and dangerous beings that prefer the wilderness. For centuries villagers would ring the church bells to keep the trolls away.
The second of 11 switchbacks. From here the gradient increases rapidly. In total on Trollstigen you climb 743m with the majority of that in 7KM.
The mountain behind causing dramatic and shifting shadows.
The thundering noise of the Stigfossen Waterfall which is 240m high.
Looking down the face of the Trollstigen with the Stigfossen waterfall which is 240m high (falls 180m) dominating the landscape.
Although Stigfossen is the most famous and prominent waterfall, there is a second waterfall Trollfossen. Trollfossen is 280m high, making it 40 meters higher than Stigfossen.
THE SUMMIT
When you first see the vertical rock face of the Trollstigen, you will say, “Wow!” . We definitely recommend approaching the climb/road from Åndalsnes to experience this moment.
This road took our breath away and we experienced it towards the end of the summer when the mighty Stigfossen waterfall was not at its strongest. It was as epic as we hoped and we can’t wait to go back to Norway to explore more of Norway’s Epic Cols.
TROLLSTIGEN CYCLING CLIMB FAQ'S
This road is only open from May to October and early/late season is not guaranteed. Impressively snow machines cut through meters of snow to open the road.
Trollstigen has 11 hairpin bends / 11 switchbacks
There are a few shops selling food and gifts. There are also many impressive viewpoints. One is cantilevered 200 meters above the rocks.
It means Trolls Ladder or Trolls Path
With the road only open a few months a year, the road does get very busy with tourist cars and busses. We recommend going before 8AM or 1 hour before sunset. Lower traffic and hopefully beautiful light too.
