Romsdalseggen ridge is a famed mountain ridge and hiking route in Western Norway, sitting above the town of Åndalsnes in the Romsdal region. It’s a scenic traverse with dramatic views over fjords, valleys, and the peaks of the Romsdal Alps. The route draws hikers from all over and often ranks among Europe’s most beautiful day hikes.
In the summer of 2024, we hiked a long stretch of this iconic ridge — and of course brought our dog Ibo along for the adventure.
Romsdalsgondolen Gondola
We moved on to the coastal town of Åndalsnes, the starting point for what is arguably one of Norway’s best-known treks. A big advantage here is the option to shorten the hike significantly by taking the Romsdalsgondolen gondola, which departs right from the town center. Skip it and you’re in for a fairly steep, tiring ascent from town up to Mount Nesaksla, where the gondola’s upper station sits.
If you opt for the gondola, a return ticket is around €47 per person. You can buy it online on the official website https://www.romsdalsgondolen.no or at the base. A nice bonus: a 10% discount if you sign up for the newsletter on the site. Even better for us — dogs ride the gondola free.
For Ibo, the ride itself was an experience. At first he wasn’t thrilled with the gentle sway of the cabin, but he handled it beautifully. We chose a spot in the far corner to minimize distractions like kids or other dogs. The gondola whisked us up to roughly 700 m a.s.l., and even during the ride we were already soaking up sweeping views of Åndalsnes, the coastline, and a dramatic mountain backdrop.
Along the Ridge with a Dog
The Romsdalseggen ridge trail is clear, well marked, and for the most part keeps to the crest. In our experience it’s safe to tackle with a dog — not something you can say about every exposed ridge hike.
We encountered only a few short, more exposed sections. They’re well protected, technically straightforward, and don’t pose any major risk if you take care. We put Ibo on a leash for these bits, just in case. He also wore a hiking harness rather than a collar — for us, that’s essential on any terrain with even brief exposure.
There are a few small tarns along the ridge, which Ibo appreciated — he jumped right in to cool off. Despite a less-than-ideal forecast, the weather turned out great.
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Turbo Views
The clouds stayed high, so we had unbroken views almost the entire time — and they were truly something else! Below us lay the Romsdalen valley, carved by the River Rauma, which then flows into the Midfjorden fjord. You could clearly see how nutrient-rich the river is: every flat patch in the valley is under cultivation.
Those colorful fields make a striking contrast with the sharp, almost Alpine peaks around them. The meanders of the Rauma snaking along the valley floor are outright iconic.
In the distance, we could even make out surrounding glaciers, adding to the raw, Nordic character of the landscape. Everywhere you looked was another photogenic frame.
Mjølvafjellet Summit
Our goal was Mjølvafjellet at 1,216 m, which we reached without any real trouble. The final approach was a bit rougher underfoot, with occasional sharper rocks on the path. On those short sections I carried Ibo by his harness, just to be safe.
We spent just under an hour on Mjølvafjellet (1,216 m a.s.l.). The top is fairly broad, which paradoxically makes the views down into the valley a touch less dramatic than on earlier parts of the route. On the other hand, you get a fine look at the ridge continuing toward Blånebba and the noticeably lower Holstind.
Any slightly limited sightlines I made up for with the drone — calm weather let me circle the summit and bring home a few classic shots.
Back to the Gondola
We didn’t continue farther along the ridge for time reasons and returned the same way to the gondola’s upper station. The cabins run frequently, so we didn’t wait long for the ride back down to Åndalsnes.
Conclusion
Even after reading up extensively online, nothing beats firsthand experience on Romsdalseggen. The views are genuinely superb and, thanks to the gondola, the hike can be relatively undemanding yet wonderfully rewarding.
While hiking with a dog felt a bit unusual here, we certainly weren’t the only ones. We can confidently recommend Romsdalseggen to active hikers with dogs looking for a safe ridge walk paired with some of Norway’s finest views.
Essential facts about the hike
- Location: Åndalsnes, Romsdal region, Western Norway
- Route name: Romsdalseggen ridge
- Trailhead: Åndalsnes town center / upper station of the Romsdalsgondolen gondola (Nesaksla)
- Highest point: Mjølvafjellet – 1,216 m a.s.l.
- Elevation gain: approximately 900–1,000 m (significantly less if you use the gondola)
- Distance: depends on the variant; our out-and-back was 8 km (about 4 hours)
- Difficulty: moderate, briefly exposed in places
- Dog friendly: yes, with common-sense caution and a leash and harness