The Rauma is a 68-kilometer-long river that runs through the Romsdalen valley from Lesja to Åndalsnes in countless bends. All kinds of plants and trees grow along the river, and it’s a lovely place to stretch your legs after all that road tripping around the area. Behind the Trollveggen visitor center, for example, you can take the Eiafossen trail and marvel at rapid after rapid. And the big bonus: admiring the Trollveggen from its foot!
How do you get to the Eiafossen hike?
You can park your car at Trollveggen Besøkssenter along the E136, about 11 kilometers from Åndalsnes. The visitor center is open from June 1 to August 31. You can grab a coffee here, buy souvenirs and watch a documentary about the area and its history.
The parking lot is pretty big, so there’s always room. It doesn’t really matter where exactly you park the car, because you’ll be walking a loop! The trail starts behind the little yellow station building and follows the road for the first 400 meters.
Hiking along the Rauma river
After 400 meters you can turn right under the railway and climb over a little gate. Shortly after that you’ll come across a small set of steps that helps you over the next fence. The trail that follows takes you across a burial ground from the year 400 BC and on along the Rauma river.
The Rauma is a household name in Romsdal and gets lots of visitors, especially in summer. The river is a bright green and is surrounded by gigantic mountain peaks (Store Trolltind, Store Venjetinden, Trollryggen and Romsdalshornet) of 1500 up to 1800 meters. Norwegians consider the area one of the most beautiful valleys in Norway.
You can also travel this route by train! The Raumabanen takes you from Dombås to Åndalsnes past all the highlights (Sletafossen, Vermafossen, Kylling Bridge) along the Rauma. An absolute must – as long as you’re not afraid of heights.
The pebble beaches of Eiafossen
The trail winds over little hills, through woodland, past small pebble beaches, and takes you to the Rauma river and back into the forest several times. The hike is only three kilometers long in total and the elevation gain is no more than 40 meters. You’ll be back at your car within an hour and a half! Unless you decide to have lunch along the way, dip your toes in the water or skip stones, of course. And don’t forget to write your name in ‘the big book’ that’s kept in the mailbox halfway along the hike.
The monstrous Trollveggen
An absolute highlight of this hike is Trollveggen, also known as the ‘Troll Wall’. The 1100-meter-high wall is part of the mountain Trollryggen and is the highest vertical rock face in Europe. Trollryggen was first climbed in 1958 by Arne Randers Heen and Ralph Høibakk. This was the first climb in Norway where the climbers had to spend the night on the mountain. To this day, Trollryggen is still the longest climbing route in Europe, with about 3.5 kilometers of scrambling.
In 1980 Trollveggen was discovered by BASE jumpers. Within two years, more than 150 adrenaline junkies jumped off the rock face. The fun was short-lived, though, because in 1986 BASE jumping from Trollveggen was banned after several fatal accidents.
A perfect hike for families
The Eiafossen loop is perfect for families with young children – preferably ones who can swim – or for beginner hikers. We really enjoyed walking the loop ourselves to keep our muscles loose after our Romsdalseggen climb. The trail is open all year round, but keep in mind that it can be slippery here in winter!
Personal travel advice
Would you like to travel through Romsdal too, but don’t feel like wrestling through the overwhelming choices on the internet? Then feel free to get in touch with me for personal travel advice and plan an unforgettable trip through Norway!
