Planning for a week on the Gudbrandsdalsleden, Norway

[NadineK]

Hi fellow pilgrims!

I may have a free week in Europe towards the end of August and just recently have toyed with the idea of traveling up to Oslo and walking for a week on the Gudbrandsdalsleden. Thinking Oslo to Hamar (maybe a bit beyond if I can get a bus back to Oslo).

I've spent some time on https://pilegrimsleden.no/en/ and it's been really helpful, but as someone who loves using gronze.com and the Buen Camino app to plan my walks these days, I'm worried that I may be going into this walk a bit blind.

I'm a well-traveled pilgrim on various Camino routes, along with a couple of hikes in the UK (Hadrian's Wall, West Highland Way, Pennine Way). Once my legs get warmed up I can walk for a long time- though of course terrain has an influence on that- but even on the up and down days I'm good with 30km stages.

All this being said, I have a couple of starter questions, and I know there may be some of you out there who might be able to help answer them!

1. I won't be traveling with a tent/camping gear, so I'd plan to stay in accommodations. I'm looking to stay on the cheaper side if I can, and I've already started a decent list of places where I could spend the night. I see that reservations are recommended/required... what's the ideal time frame on contacting the accommodations? Is this something I could/should plan a month or two in advance, or is it okay to reach out a week or so before starting the walk? A few days before?

2. Is there opportunity to stock up on water as I walk (I won't be carrying a water filter), or do I need to carry all my water for the entire stage?

3. And speaking of stages, the main website recommends stages of around 20km. If I have a few days in the mid-20km to 30km range, is that unheard of? I don't have a great sense of the elevation gain/loss at the moment, or the difficulty of the terrain... but I don't want to imagine that this will be anything like Meseta-walking on the Camino. If all goes according to plan I'll have walked for about 3-weeks on some Camino routes in Spain leading up to this, so hopefully my Camino legs will have kicked in at this point!

If you've walked any of St Olav Ways and have a couple of your best tips to share, I'll take them! (like, easiest food to carry/prepare in the more basic lodging along the way??)

Thanks so much
Nadine

 

[Tassie Kaz]

Hi fellow pilgrims!

I may have a free week in Europe towards the end of August and just recently have toyed with the idea of traveling up to Oslo and walking for a week on the Gudbrandsdalsleden. Thinking Oslo to Hamar (maybe a bit beyond if I can get a bus back to Oslo).

I've spent some time on https://pilegrimsleden.no/en/ and it's been really helpful, but as someone who loves using gronze.com and the Buen Camino app to plan my walks these days, I'm worried that I may be going into this walk a bit blind.

I'm a well-traveled pilgrim on various Camino routes, along with a couple of hikes in the UK (Hadrian's Wall, West Highland Way, Pennine Way). Once my legs get warmed up I can walk for a long time- though of course terrain has an influence on that- but even on the up and down days I'm good with 30km stages.

All this being said, I have a couple of starter questions, and I know there may be some of you out there who might be able to help answer them!

1. I won't be traveling with a tent/camping gear, so I'd plan to stay in accommodations. I'm looking to stay on the cheaper side if I can, and I've already started a decent list of places where I could spend the night. I see that reservations are recommended/required... what's the ideal time frame on contacting the accommodations? Is this something I could/should plan a month or two in advance, or is it okay to reach out a week or so before starting the walk? A few days before?

2. Is there opportunity to stock up on water as I walk (I won't be carrying a water filter), or do I need to carry all my water for the entire stage?

3. And speaking of stages, the main website recommends stages of around 20km. If I have a few days in the mid-20km to 30km range, is that unheard of? I don't have a great sense of the elevation gain/loss at the moment, or the difficulty of the terrain... but I don't want to imagine that this will be anything like Meseta-walking on the Camino. If all goes according to plan I'll have walked for about 3-weeks on some Camino routes in Spain leading up to this, so hopefully my Camino legs will have kicked in at this point!

If you've walked any of St Olav Ways and have a couple of your best tips to share, I'll take them! (like, easiest food to carry/prepare in the more basic lodging along the way??)

Thanks so much
Nadine

I walked St Olav's Way Oslo to Trondheim as a solo female in 2016. Being 7 years ago now (yikes ) & not knowing the effects of Covid, I'll just give generalised comments.

Athough a through trail, the 'stages' were designed more as day walks by each commune along the way. This means they tended to avoid towns/villages & infrastructure such as accom, eateries, supermarkets, etc.
Be prepared to deviate...often...to utilise any amenities & to be totally honest, heaps of unnecessary phaffing about of the trail itself.
The paths varied in underfoot conditions & maintenance. It's hilly but no mountain goat skills required.

Accommodation was the biggest cause of anxiety for me. Without wishing to cause an international incident , & as some Norwegians themselves declared (& were dismayed hearing of my experiences), it was an area with room for improvement. Not regarding standards, which were generally excellent no matter the price, but with...um...lets say 'business practices'. I booked everything in advance but...
Two bookings were not honoured because the owners decided to go away or just shut for a few days. I discovered this nugget of info by way of a note on the door when I arrived...
Another place I had booked, supplied c/crd details & received confirmation only to find the hotel had been turned over to refugee accom.
Others places, even with notification of my expected arrival time, there was just no-one around.
Another, a key was left for me...but it was the wrong key...
Anyway @NadineK, this is not meant to alarm or deter, it is simply advice to pay particular attention to accom; I recommend booking in advance (well in advance for Aug...summer holiday time) & then confirming @ least a few days in ahead.
To be fair, I had smooth sailing probably 2/3 of the time; I stayed in some wonderful gems, encountered lovely owners, enjoyed high standards & Norwegian breakfasts (usually included in the tariff & a budget saver!) are the best!
As stated, this was 7 years ago...so much could have changed & others may have had different experiences even walking the same time as I did.
Also remember Norway is very expensive compared to other countries so you may have to adapt your travelling style...
Edited to add; re water. I filled up at my lodging then during the day, my main source was church yards...they often have taps. I also used creeks/waterfalls when safe to do so...which was nearly always.

Enjoy the planning & God Tur!

 

[dougfitz]

It is just over a decade since I walked the Gudbrandsdalen, so I expect many things might have changed.

I never had the same problems with accommodation as @Tassie Kaz. I would book at most a couple of days ahead, mostly for the next day. There were some stretches with less accommodation options than there appear to be now, and getting several days in place was necessary to make that section work. I booked the hotel in Oslo for a couple of nights well in advance, and walked the first day and came back to the hotel that night, returning the next day to where I had stopped. Nothing else was booked before I left, and some days I just walked to a place and took what was available. Be careful of campgrounds on weekends, they fill fast, and I did have to walk on to the next town one Friday afternoon because a place had filled for the weekend.

I never had a problem collecting water. If I did collect it from a stream or the like, I would always treat it, but I am told that water in the wild is potable. You would want to satisfy yourself about this from current sources.

As to stages, as I indicated, mine were governed by available accommodation. There is nothing that I know of other than that would dictate daily walking distances.

Its a wonderful pilgrimage. I do hope you enjoy it.

 

[NadineK]

Thank you both- @Tassie Kaz and @dougfitz - for these helpful replies! It's good to know that I should be able to reserve a day or two ahead, and/or confirm those bookings if made further in advance. And I suppose go in with a flexible mindset, especially if there's a snafu with accommodation booking!

I'm looking forward to learning more and hopefully this plan of mine will work out- it would be my first time in Norway and I think a slow walk is a wonderful way to experience a place/culture!

 

[HeidiL]

Contact me directly if you need assistance - I live in Oslo and walked in 2020 - 2021. (Yes, you can drop by and use our washing machine.)

We walked on the west side of Mjøsa, I have later walked from Oslo to Hamar on the east side. Accommodation was cheaper on the east side, but the mosquitos were bigger.

 

[Deeanne]

@NadineK thank you for asking these questions and for the others who responded. We have a couple weeks for a walk and are looking at the Gudbrandsdalsleden pilgrimage. We met on the Camino in 2016. We have also served together as hospitaleras (CF and Aragones). Since we are three, I was wondering if accommodations would be more difficult and we should reserve more in advance than a few days as recommended on the pilegrimsleden.no website. Specifically I was looking at Stiklestad to Trondheim on the inner trail. This would give us enough time for travel days (from and back to the US) and to explore a bit of Oslo. @HeidiL I would love to hear your recommendations since we have never been to Norway before. We are very excited to be planning another walk together!

 

[Pilgrim Elaine]

Hello, St. Olav Ways pilgrims! I am planning to walk the Gudbrandsdalsleden this summer, and I appreciate all the questions, tips and information here, thank you! NadineK, I wondered how your pilgrimage went and how you found the finding accommodations. I also wanted to know how early in the Spring it is advisable to walk this route, considering rain (or snow!), temperatures, mosquitos and available amenities, etc. I hope I will not have to carry camping equipment. And I appreciated the question about what food to carry - what foods did all of you carry, and how did that work out? Thank you for your help, and I wish you many beautiful future pilgrimages!

 

[HeidiL]

I don't think I'd start before May 1st, and I'd check the weather on https://www.yr.no/ first. https://pilegrimsleden.no/en/ is a good website for planning accommodation, if you end up in trouble, please feel free to ask me - I'm in Oslo and will probably be at home most of the summer.

Many of the places where you can sleep have food for sale and OK kitchen facilities, but if there's some kind of "just add boiling water" food you can bring from home, you'll save money. There are lots of supermarkets on the way, but I'd stay away from restaurants...

 

[Pilgrim Elaine]

I don't think I'd start before May 1st, and I'd check the weather on https://www.yr.no/ first. https://pilegrimsleden.no/en/ is a good website for planning accommodation, if you end up in trouble, please feel free to ask me - I'm in Oslo and will probably be at home most of the summer.

Many of the places where you can sleep have food for sale and OK kitchen facilities, but if there's some kind of "just add boiling water" food you can bring from home, you'll save money. There are lots of supermarkets on the way, but I'd stay away from restaurants...

Hello, HeidiL, thanks for your response and for your offer of help! So far, I think I will be walking alone, but that could change.
May 1? Wow, I thought it was not advised to get to Dovrefjell until late June. Or maybe iI heard that Dovrefjell may have snow in June. How much rain should I expect on Gudbrandsdalsleden and what are the rainiest times?
Thanks again!
Elaine

 

[HeidiL]

There may be snow on the ground, but the paths may be OK. Maybe late May would be safer? June is often more rainy than May near Oslo - but the weather in Norway is extremely changeable.

See https://dovrefjell-sunndalsfjella.no/en/dovrefjell-throughout-the-year/ for details...

 

[Pilgrim Elaine]

Hello, HeidiL, thank you for your reply and the link. Now, I think I may not be walking until July. I hope there is not too much rain in July. Best regards,
Elaine

 

[dougfitz]

Hello, HeidiL, thank you for your reply and the link. Now, I think I may not be walking until July. I hope there is not too much rain in July. Best regards,
Elaine

That might be a little optimistic! I plan to start in Oslo in late Jun, and I am expecting that there will be rainy days. When I last walked the eastern route, there were regularly days with a little drizzle in the morning, and less frequently a rain front would come through and it would rain for a substantial part of the day. I will be taking both a good rain jacket and rain pants that I know will keep my relatively dry for several hours in rainy weather. There might only be a few such days, but in my view it is worth taking good gear if one wants to stay warm and as dry as possible.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

I agree with @dougfitz, I spent the entirety of July in Norway in 2022 and I think we had less than a week without rain! Good luck!

 

[Pilgrim Elaine]

That might be a little optimistic! I plan to start in Oslo in late Jun, and I am expecting that there will be rainy days. When I last walked the eastern route, there were regularly days with a little drizzle in the morning, and less frequently a rain front would come through and it would rain for a substantial part of the day. I will be taking both a good rain jacket and rain pants that I know will keep my relatively dry for several hours in rainy weather. There might only be a few such days, but in my view it is worth taking good gear if one wants to stay warm and as dry as possible.

Hi, Dougfitz, that was a note of optimism on my part, but I know there will be rain and am planning to be prepared! Thanks a lot,
Elaine

 

[HeidiL]

Sorry, May is often better than June - if you can afford to split the walk and have the time, you could start from Oslo in May and walk to Dovre, then return later...

 

[Pilgrim Elaine]

Hi, Dougfitz, that was a note of optimism on my part, but I know there will be rain and am planning to be prepared! Thanks a lot,
Elaine

That might be a little optimistic! I plan to start in Oslo in late Jun, and I am expecting that there will be rainy days. When I last walked the eastern route, there were regularly days with a little drizzle in the morning, and less frequently a rain front would come through and it would rain for a substantial part of the day. I will be taking both a good rain jacket and rain pants that I know will keep my relatively dry for several hours in rainy weather. There might only be a few such days, but in my view it is worth taking good gear if one wants to stay warm and as dry as possible.

Hi, again, Doug! I believe I'll be walking around the same time as you. I sent a facebook message to you with a few questions. It would be great to hear from you!

 

[Pilgrim Elaine]

That might be a little optimistic! I plan to start in Oslo in late Jun, and I am expecting that there will be rainy days. When I last walked the eastern route, there were regularly days with a little drizzle in the morning, and less frequently a rain front would come through and it would rain for a substantial part of the day. I will be taking both a good rain jacket and rain pants that I know will keep my relatively dry for several hours in rainy weather. There might only be a few such days, but in my view it is worth taking good gear if one wants to stay warm and as dry as possible.

Hi, again, Doug! I believe I'll be walking around the same time as you. I sent a facebook message to you with a few questions. It would be great to hear from you!