Besseggen, or Besseggi, is a mountain ridge in Vågå kommune in Oppland county, Norway. Besseggen lies east in Jotunheimen, between the lakes Gjende and Bessvatnet.Put Besseggen into our Vagamo trip planner to see other points of interest to visit during your vacation in Vagamo.
The walk over Besseggen is one of the most popular mountain hikes in Norway. About 30,000 people walk this trip each year. The route over Besseggen starts at Gjendesheim, up to the trails highest point, Veslfjellet (1,743 m), down Besseggen, further over the relatively flat area Bandet (at the foot of Besshø), and ends at Memurubu, where one may take the regularly scheduled ferry route back to Gjendesheim. Many choose to do the hike in the other direction by starting at Memurubu after first taking the ferry there from Gjendesheim. The trip is estimated to take about 5–7 hours to walk without rest stops.
From Besseggen there is a great view over Gjende and Bessvatnet. One of the unique aspects of the view is that Gjende lies almost 400 m lower than Bessvatnet, and while Bessvatnet has a blue color typical of other lakes, Gjende has a distinct green color. The green color is the result from glacier runoff containing clay (rock flour). Looking down towards Memurubu one can see the nearby river Muru coloring the water with a light colored runoff.
The large number of hikers has led to serious erosion on the trails leading to Besseggen, both from Gjendesheim and Memurubu. In 2005 the Norwegian government authorized spending of 1.2 million Norwegian kroner towards the restoration of the trails. The project involves placing stone plates on the trail to limit additional damage and prevent further erosion. The stone plates were flown in by helicopter from Vågå since mass harvesting of stone from Jotunheimen is illegal. The technique used to pave the trail is modeled on the methods developed for the Snowdonia National Park in Wales.
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Besseggen reviews
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We got the 10.20 ferry having parked in the long stay carpark and camped in the campsite close by. It took us 6 hours to hike. Incredible views, we had great weather. Remember to keep turning around..... more »
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Wonderful views. Spectacular hike. The hike from Memrubu to "Bandet" and the Besseggen climb are the best part. The last 5 km downhill walking is a bit boring. It is best to do the hike from Membrubu.... more »
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Amazing place! Recommended! Just be sure that you are ready for some challenges in trail :) have a nice trip!
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Lovely long trek.. wonderful views... be well prepared (14km from Memurubu and about 1000m accents totally)
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