Besseggen
OSM hiking route on the Besseggen ridge, Jotunheimen, Norway (14.5 km line), Gjendesheim to Memurubu. Vertical figures sampled from Copernicus GLO-30. Days (1) is a placeholder from round(lengthKm/12); published descriptions treat this as a one-day walk (unverified).
Last verified 2026-09-24 · no issuer named on the permit
Cite this record
The Hiking World, Besseggen, verified 2026-09-24, https://www.thehikingworld.com/trails/besseggen
How we verify · last checked 2026-09-24
Byline
- The Hiking World editorial · author
Desk byline for seed records. Named surveying editors replace this once a trail is verified.
Figures marked provisional are seed data and still need verification. Source and last-checked date sit under each cited value.
Weather forecast
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Permits and fees
| Permit | Cost | Quota / restriction | Issuer | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No walking permitUnverified — not officially sourced | Not recorded | — | Not recorded | Issuer page | Unverified |
Line download is the stored OSM geometry, simplified. It is not a surveyed GPS track. GPX · GeoJSON
Editorial v1 · Provisional catalog
Demanding ridge scramble
- SAC T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade)
- Demanding mountain hiking. Exposed sections possible; hands may be needed for balance.
- YDS Class 2
- Class 2. Simple scrambling, occasional use of hands.
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Ingested from OpenStreetMap relation 1417687 (ODbL). The mapped line and 2D length are derived from that geometry. Ascent, descent, and high/low points are sampled from Copernicus GLO-30 (copernicus-dem:glo-30) and remain provisional. Water, permits, and hazards were not taken from OSM tags and must be verified.
OSM 2D length is 14.5 km (relation 1417687; longest-component snap of Gjendesheim-Besseggen-Memurubu, ref jot2, roundtrip=no). lengthKm is verified: 14.5 km sits in the DNT 13–16 km published range (clean line; independent of the OSM line; DNT/ut.no Klassikeren over Besseggen, https://ut.no/turforslag/114842/klassikeren-over-besseggen, checked 2026-08-24, ~13.7–14 km). The 1-day / high 1,743 m figures remain cross-checks, not those DataPoints. No wikidata=* on the relation; none attached.
typicalDays 1 is the published typical day-hike (~8 hours on DNT/ut.no Klassikeren over Besseggen, https://ut.no/turforslag/114842/klassikeren-over-besseggen, checked 2026-08-24). Not a DataPoint. Boat season ~early June–autumn; peak July–mid-August (DNT Gjendesheim, https://www.dnt.no/hytter/betjente/gjendesheim/besseggen/, checked 2026-08-24; Gjendebåtene, https://gjende.no/en/, checked 2026-08-24).
Water was not mapped to named WaterSource points (no honest atFraction). Lake and stream water along the ridge was not positioned from an official named list this pass.
Water
No water sources recorded.
Surface
Surface is not recorded. This field is filled only from an OSM surface tag, not from the grade.
Permits & fees
No permit required.
Getting there
Sourced legs to the Gjendesheim (OSM line start) base start station — where this trail record begins. This is not a route planner: durations are approximate and marked provisional until an official transport page confirms them.
Bus · Oslo (OSL / city) → Gjendesheim
NOR-WAY Bussekspress, Valdresekspressen. About 5 h. NW150 Valdresekspressen Oslo–Fagernes–Beitostølen extends seasonally to Gjendesheim at the foot of Besseggen (https://www.nor-way.no/en/routes/line-nw150/, checked 2026-08-24). Oslo–Beitostølen is about 3 h 45 min on that page; the Gjendesheim extension is the summer/autumn seasonal tail.
nor-way.no · verified 2026-08-24 · official · provisional
No rail to Gjendesheim. Most walkers use Gjendebåtene one way (Gjendesheim↔Memurubu) and hike the ridge the other; book the boat in advance (https://gjende.no/en/, checked 2026-08-24).
Plan from your location
Type a city, then pick a match. These links open external search tools — they do not fetch fares or timetables.
Getting there car-free
Gjendesheim (OSM line start) · car-free flag: seasonal
NOR-WAY Valdresekspressen NW150 seasonal extension to Gjendesheim from Oslo (https://www.nor-way.no/en/routes/line-nw150/, checked 2026-08-24).
Memurubu (OSM line end) · car-free flag: seasonal
Gjendebåtene boat between Gjendesheim, Memurubu, and Gjendebu; book in advance (https://gjende.no/en/, checked 2026-08-24).
Trailheads
- Gjendesheim (OSM line start) car-free: seasonal
- Memurubu (OSM line end) car-free: seasonal
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Hazards
- Narrow, exposed ridge scrambling on the Besseggen knife-edge: DNT/ut.no describes steep passages and an airy feeling with Gjende about 400 m below one side and Bessvatnet on the other (https://ut.no/turforslag/114842/klassikeren-over-besseggen, checked 2026-08-24). DNT's colour system grades this class of trip red / krevende (demanding); the same UT.no trip page currently stamps it svært krevende (extra demanding).
- Sudden weather change in Jotunheimen; Gjende sits at 984 m with peaks above 2,000 m on all sides (https://gjende.no/en/, checked 2026-08-24).
- Extremely crowded in July, August, and early-September weekends (ut.no same trip page, checked 2026-08-24) — a logistics press, not a closure.
Questions
Do I need a permit for Besseggen?
No trail permit is listed as required on this record for Besseggen.
When is the best time to hike Besseggen?
On this record the best season is: Boat season ~early Jun–autumn; peak Jul–mid-Aug.
How difficult is Besseggen?
Besseggen is graded DNT: krevende (red / demanding) · SAC T3 (mapped — no official SAC grade) · YDS 2. A sourced hazard on this record: Narrow, exposed ridge scrambling on the Besseggen knife-edge: DNT/ut.no describes steep passages and an airy feeling with Gjende about 400 m below one side and Bessvatnet on the other (https://ut.no/turforslag/114842/klassikeren-over-besseggen, checked 2026-08-24). DNT's colour system grades this class of trip red / krevende (demanding); the same UT.no trip page currently stamps it svært krevende (extra demanding).
How long is Besseggen?
The OSM 2-D length on this record is 14.5 km (verified). Published figures may differ. See /guides/how-long-is-the-trail
How do I get to Besseggen?
The record’s base start is Gjendesheim (OSM line start). A primary gateway on the record is Oslo Airport, Gardermoen (OSL). Trailhead transit notes are not included in this public FAQ.
Related trails
- Preikestolen · Norway