Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway
Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway

Galdhøpiggen

To sit on top of Jotunheimen, you’ll have to conquer a 2469m (8,100ft) rise above sea level first. You’ll be rewarded with a 360 degree panorama of Jotunheimens mountain and lakes.

Hiking: Galdhøpiggen

Elevation at peak: 2469 meters

About Galdhøpiggen

Galdhøpiggen can usually be climbed in three ways from Spiterstulen: Easy, Hard and Extreme

It runs fine from Spiterstulen with "young hikers" down for 5-6 years old if they are motivated. We go to the top with school kids 6-7 years each week. Otherwise, it is worth mentioning that it also runs an easier ride to the top of Juvasshytta, but when you are dependent on the mountain guide and the equipment includes a glacier requires.

On your own

The tour starts in the woods, it leads you to the top of the mountain and Norway! Such ascent providing wonderful variations both in terrain and views. It is worth mentioning that the tour not only reaches one, but three peaks over 2,000 meters! Across the bridge at Spiterstulen and slightly to the right. Where you follow a clear path, it is renovated by Sherpas in 2010 because of high attrition, and we ask why people follow the signs. Moreover, one goes over a relatively decent area. before you have to grapple with some loose gravel. After the gravel is a nice climb over snow and watches before rounds Svellnose. When then get to the bottom of Kailhaus top, one can lose a little "pep" but this is a wonderful slope! On top you can see over the top of the goal - Galdhøpiggen and see that it is achievable! Slightly down and last climb is that aløtid heavy but rewarding. On top you can see 1/4 of Southern Norway on a nice day!

With mountain guide

This is the trip you ever take a lead from Spiterstulen. The tour starts at the farm, which they all do ... Over the bridge and to the left, then follow the trail to Svellnosbreen up to the glacier's edge. Here, the trip may differ slightly from a regular glacier because here you have to take into account conditions. While those going on the glacier goes for a walk in the icefall, you choose to have a different maybe shorter walk through the formations for this trip. Then you go over the flat glacier before arriving GALDHØPIGGEN feet! Here there is a well-deserved break before really climbing the top with about 400 meters in one hour! A great way to reach the top on!

Extreme

This is the tour for trained mountaineers. Adhering to that of the glacier, but on top of the moraine break off towards the front Tverråtind. Then the trip goes around and up on this before you follow the ridge around Tverråtindane - Ymelstind - Storjuvtinden before landing at Galdhøpiggen and down again on Kailhau and Svellnose (there are 8 of 2000 on a trip ...) This tour will typically require a few abseil so it may be smart to talk to guys in reception at Spiterstulen.

Climbing

It is possible to climb to the top of the "Gateway", but we recommend a good knowledge and climbing guide for this. It provides its own freedom and mastery which is incredibly nice. But we want to refer to courses and Climb Driver for Jotunheimen who can be bought.

History

Geologically, Galdhøpiggen belongs to the Caledonian folding, like most of Southern Norway's mountain ranges. The peak is made of gabbro, a hard but rather coarse-grained rock which is found in most of the Jotunheimen range. During the ice ages it was heavily glaciated and got its present form. The theory that the highest summits in Norway stayed above the ice as nunataks has been abandoned by most geologists. It fits well with the present flora in the area, but it does not fit well with the present knowledge of ice thickness and the results of glaciation.

For many years, geologists did not know that Galdhøpiggen was the highest summit in Norway. The honor was granted to the much more visible Snøhetta in the Dovrefjell range. Hence no attempts were made to climb the peak, while Snøhetta was visited for the first time in 1798 as part of a scientific trip to the area. In 1844 the geologist and mountaineer, Baltazar Mathias Keilhau, made two unsuccessful attempts to reach the summit. On one of these he reached a summit, which was later named Keilhaus topp (at 2,355 m above sea level very close to Galdhøpiggen), but the terrible weather forced him to return.

In 1850 three men from Lom reached the summit; the guide Steinar Sulheim, the local teacher Lars Arnesen and the church warden Ingebrigt Flotten

Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway
Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway
Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway
Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway
Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway
Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway
Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway
Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway
Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway
Galdhøpiggen Photo by Christian Roth Christensen – Visit Norway
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