Looking for some free adrenaline? 550 meters above Åndalsnes hangs Rampestreken, a viewpoint that’s guaranteed to make your knees go weak. Whether that’s from the fear of heights or from the insane view, I’ll leave up to you. You can be standing on top of Rampestreken within an hour or so, but you do have to work for it.
Update: In 2021 the Romsdalsgondolen opened its doors! So now you can ride a cable car up the mountain. From there it’s just a short descent to Rampestreken. Do keep in mind that you’ll have to go back up again, too. But it saves you a hefty climb!
How do you get to Rampestreken?
To get to the start of the hike, follow the signs to Åndalsnes center. You’ll soon come across a small parking lot with a little white building. This is where your adventure begins. If there’s no space, you can drive on a little further and park at the movie theater (Rauma Kultur Hus). From there it’s a five-minute walk to the starting point.
Climbing super fast toward Nebba
The trail is well marked and every 100 meters you get an update on how far you’ve come. If you follow the red markings on the trees and the signs, you’ll get where you want to be all by yourself. As always, do make sure you have good shoes and enough water. A nourishing snack is never an unnecessary luxury either!
The first part of the hike mainly consists of a kind of steel plates. They’re there to protect the vegetation in the forest, so you’re not supposed to wander off next to them. Further on you’ll come across chains and little stairs that take you to the first highlight: Nebba (93 m.a.s.l.). Use these chains when you see them, because they’re there for a reason!
Norsk Tindesenteret
From Nebba you can look out over all of Åndalsnes. The pointy building by the water that towers above the rest is the ‘Norsk Tindesenteret‘. Here you’ll find the Mountaineering Museum, you can have a lovely lunch and dinner, and you can also book day tours in the area.
Tripping over tree roots
What I personally found really special about this hike were the roots in the forest that make you trip every five seconds. Sometimes a bit annoying, but I thought the network of twisting bits of tree was a really special sight. Do watch out when it’s wet here, because before you know it you’ll be looking at those roots from VERY close up.
By the way, don’t be surprised if you’re regularly overtaken by running Norwegians during your hike. The locals love coming here for their daily run. And the longer you hike, the more you’ll admire them for it.
Romsdalstrappa – the Sherpa construction
What follows is the tough part of the hike. Once you’ve climbed about 400 meters, you arrive at the Romsdalstrappa. One of the most famous stone constructions in the area. This staircase was built by Sherpas from Nepal and takes you past the Rampestreken viewpoint all the way to Nesaksla at 708 meters.
Rampestreken viewpoint
Before you know it, you’re standing face to face with the viewpoint, which is decorated with the same flags you see at Everest Base Camp in Nepal. I hesitated about three times before I dared to walk out onto it, and for a moment I felt very vulnerable. You see, at the end of the walkway there’s a grate that lets you look 550 meters straight down. Luckily it’s not such a problem if you look straight ahead. Then you see Åndalsnes in all its glory, the mountains of Isterdalen in the distance and here and there a cruise ship or ferry crossing the Romsdalsfjorden.
Taking shelter at Nesaksla (708 m.a.s.l.)
If you continue up the stone steps for another 20 minutes – which is really worth it -, you’ll eventually reach a little stone building: Nesaksla. This is a great place to take shelter when it rains, and when the sun is shining you can look even further across Romsdalen and even see all the way to Trollstigen.
Romsdalseggen, the most beautiful hike in Norway
If you follow this route all the way, you’ll automatically end up at Romsdalseggen. But do you want to combine all these sights? Then choose to start the hike over Romsdalseggen from the other side and finish in Åndalsnes. On the way down you’ll then pass Rampestreken and Romsdalstrappa. You can find more about this hike in my blog about Romsdalseggen.
Personal travel advice
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