Which is rightfully considered the most beautiful cliff in the world. 122 kilometers north of Preikestolen is another natural attraction of Norway - the Troll's Tongue rock (Norwegian Trolltunga), which got its name because of its unusual shape.
The “Troll Tongue” was formed when a piece of rock broke off from the Skjeggedal mountain massif, but due to its relatively small weight, it did not fall down, but hovered at an altitude of 350 meters above the river. Now under the rock "Troll's Tongue" there is an artificially created (as a result of damming the river) lake Ringedalsvatnet. Mount Skjeggedal itself is located about 10 kilometers from the town of Odda.
In 2009, “Troll’s Tongue” appeared on the cover of one of the popular travel magazines and a flow of tourists poured into the rock, and the following year this flow tripled. However, since 2010, the funicular, which made it possible to ease the path to the top of Mount Skjeggedal, stopped working, and now tourists have to travel almost 12 kilometers from the parking lot on their own feet to the Troll’s Tongue rock and the same distance back. But you won’t be bored on the way to “Troll’s Language”, because... there is an opportunity to admire the “troll cauldrons” - deep, seemingly bottomless mountain lakes. Tourists should take into account that it is better to visit “Troll’s Tongue” from June to October, so as not to walk through snowdrifts.
Peak of Mount Skjeggedal
The now defunct mountain lift
Troll's Tongue is one of the most beautiful and dangerous places in Norway. Once you see this rocky outcrop above Lake Ringedalsvatnet, you will definitely want to take a photo on it. It is located at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level.
2009 was a turning point for this place: a review article was published in a famous travel magazine, which attracted crowds of curious tourists from all over the world. “Skjeggedal” is the original name of the rock, but locals are accustomed to calling it “Troll’s Tongue”, since the rock is very reminiscent of the elongated tongue of this mythical creature. 
The Legend of the Troll's Tongue
Why do Norwegians associate the rock with the troll? It all comes down to the old Scandinavian belief, which Norway is so rich in. In time immemorial, there lived a huge troll, whose size was commensurate only with his own stupidity. He took risks all the time, testing his luck: he jumped over steep chasms, dived into deep waters and tried to reach the moon from a cliff. 
The troll is a creature of the twilight world, and he did not come into the light during the day because there were rumors that it might kill him. But he decided to take another risk, and with the first rays of the sun he stuck his tongue out of the cave. As soon as the sun touched his tongue, the troll was completely petrified. 
Since then, the unusually shaped rock above Lake Ringedalsvatnet has been attracting travelers from all over the world like a magnet. For the sake of a successful shot, they, like the legendary troll, risk their lives. 
How to get to the iconic place?
Odda is the nearest town on the way to the ascent. It is located in a picturesque area between two bays and is a fjord with beautiful colorful houses in the middle of pristine nature. The easiest way to get here is from Bergen, which has an airport. 
Buses run regularly. Traveling 150 kilometers through the Hordallan region, you will be able to admire the Norwegian forests and many waterfalls located here. Due to the popularity of the mountain, Odda is not a cheap place to stay, and a free room is very difficult to find. You have to book your accommodation at least three months in advance! 
The further path to the Troll Tongue will have to be covered on foot; it takes 11 kilometers. It is best to come here from June to October, as this time is the warmest and driest of the year. You will have to walk along narrow paths and slopes, but the amazing surrounding landscapes and clean mountain air will quietly brighten up your time. In general, the hike takes about 9-10 hours, so you need to take care of heat-protective clothing, comfortable shoes, a thermos with warm tea and a snack. 
The road is marked with various signs and is laid along the old funicular rails that once ran here. The rails have long been rotten, so walking on them is strictly prohibited. A twenty-minute queue at the top of the mountain, and you can add a breathtaking photo to your collection against the backdrop of an abyss, snowy peaks and a blue lake. 
Caution doesn't hurt
The ledge rising hundreds of meters above sea level is very dangerous, which brave travelers sometimes forget about. In our age of social networks, thoughts are more occupied with how to publish a spectacular shot than with our own safety. 
The first and so far only negative case occurred in 2015. An Australian tourist was trying to take a nice photo when she came too close to a cliff. Having lost her balance, she fell into the abyss. The Norwegian travel portal immediately removed many extreme photos from its website so as not to tempt new tourists into risky behavior. Physical fitness, proper footwear, slowness and caution - these are the main rules for a successful ascent to the legendary “Troll’s Tongue”.
Norway, the land of Vikings and fjords, is full of amazing sights. In addition to the Pulpit of the Preacher (aka Preikestolen), it is also worth highlighting the famous Troll Tongue (Trolltunga in Norwegian). The Norwegians believed, and still probably believe, that their country is inhabited by mythical trolls. These are a kind of mountain spirits, inhabitants of the stone labyrinths of Norwegian rocks.
The appearance of the Troll Tongue actually resembles the shape of a tongue. Moreover, local residents claim that this is exactly what the tongue of a real troll looks like (although no photographs or video evidence were presented). Well, let's take the Norwegians at their word.
Troll's Tongue on the map
- Geographic coordinates 60.130931, 6.754399
- Distance from the capital of Norway Oslo is about 225 km
- The distance to the nearest airport in Bergen is about 90 km
If you have already been to square Preikestolen, then don’t be lazy and visit Troll’s Tongue, which is located 120 kilometers from it and 10 kilometers from the town of Odda.
This attraction appeared quite naturally. A piece of rock broke away from the mountain, but due to its low weight it hung at an altitude of 350 meters and did not fall down. There is now an artificial lake under the Troll's Tongue.
An unrealistically beautiful view opens up from here for many kilometers around. Especially if you are lucky with the weather and the bright sun is shining. Silence and tranquility reign around and envelop you in the fog of pristine nature.
In 2009, photographs of Troll Tongue appeared in a popular travel magazine, which became an impetus for an increase in tourist flow to these places.
Previously, a cable car went to the top of the mountain, but in 2010 it stopped working, and then even the staircase-rails (on which the cable car ran) were dismantled, thereby complicating the way up for travelers.
So, if you are planning to climb Tongue, then forget about an easy walk. Arm yourself with patience, water, provisions and good hiking shoes. You can safely throw your high-heeled shoes into the nearest trash can (even if they were designed by venerable European fashion designers).
The climb will take about 10 hours of your time. The road is quite difficult, dirty and full of stones. From the parking lot to Tongue it’s about 11 kilometers over fairly rough terrain. There are practically no modern “helpers” on the trail, except for half-erased red signs.
The best time to visit the attraction is from May to October. At this time there is no snow, and walking along the trail is much easier. Having made the climb, you will be rewarded, because the views that open will amaze you and leave indelible impressions and amazing photographs as a memory.
Journey to the Troll Tongue (Trolltunga)
It was the second day
The route by car looks schematically like this: Fossli Hotel - Tyssedal - Skjeggedal - Trolltunga(Troll's Tongue) - Stavanger - Sandnes.
Road to Tyssedal It is interesting because of the tunnel that starts almost from the threshold of the hotel and twists like a corkscrew down into the depths of the mountain, and after the tunnels we go out to the fjord and there is scope for photography. Very nice for the first time. You can also swim and buy cherries from local peasants at the strange price of 900 rubles per kilogram, despite the fact that there is no logistics here - here are the orchards with cherries growing along the coastline. In my opinion, even our Uzbeks at the beginning of the season don’t get so impudent.
The route to the intermediate point is 100 km. The place is called Skjeggedal. It's a two, two and a half hour drive. Finding Skjeggedal is easy: just drive into town Tyssedal, which is located on the shore of the fiord between two tunnels, see gas station. In front of it there will be a turn to the left and then along a narrow serpentine (the serpentine is such that two cars cannot pass each other, so someone has to back away) up to the hydroelectric power station. This is the gateway to Trolltunga, to Troll Tongue.
This is where it is located Norway's oldest funicular.
This is where the interesting part of the trip begins.
Let's start with the fact that the funicular is no longer working.
Neither on demand nor without demand.
There is an announcement about this on the information board with the phone number of the manager in charge of this venerable unit.
They called.
The woman answered:
- No, I won’t turn on the funicular. We no longer use it to lift tourists up. Go upstairs yourself, on foot.
That’s the whole story of the charming, I have no doubt, Norwegian woman...
It's good for you to say so. What if someone’s heart stops or their head starts spinning along the way? However, this does not concern the Norwegians. On the one hand, they are right: thereby they relieve themselves of any responsibility for the lives of tourists climbing the mountain to the language; they filter at the first stage the number of people who want to take a photo of themselves in the language, thereby raising the significance of this achievement: reaching the language.
So my companions, having walked along the steps of the funicular for several tens of meters, left the race.
By the way, walking up the steps is prohibited. There is a path in the forest along the cable car branch. The trail is very unpleasant. I went down it when I was going back...
And now I, taking a bottle of water and a camera with me, am scratching up the sleepers. Like in the song:
- “And I’m walking along the sleepers and I’m walking along the sleepers. Home out of habit..."
So I go and hum to myself.
The sun is hot, sweat streams down your forehead and then runs down your cheeks in a stream and drips down.
At first I counted the steps, then I gave up.
I amuse myself at stops to catch my breath by taking pictures of myself with my iPhone while balancing on the steps, risking fucking backwards and rolling down at the speed of an express train while sending the photo to Facebook. At one of my stops I see that the path comes out of the forest and crosses the funicular line from below. I notice two young blondes.
- Hello girls! Where are you going? On Trolltunga? I'm going there too! Let's see who's faster!
The girls wave back and disappear behind the trees without stopping talking among themselves in a language unknown to me. Subsequently it turns out to be Dutch.
When I finally reach the top, I look tired.
But this is all bullshit: if I want, I can always go back...
I then repeat this inner conviction throughout the entire 4-hour hike, slowly and at the same time quickly moving towards the goal.
I move non-stop, photographing everything in my path.
At first the road is just a road - a wide path across a flat plateau on which Norwegian houses stand. I don’t understand what they are doing here in the wilderness. Perhaps they go to tongue every day. Or maybe they fish from small lakes.
Here are photos of this place and further along the way. In the first photo you can see that the girls from Holland are on my tail
After the plateau comes the first climb. How many more of them will be on my way, but this damn thing almost knocked me down: stepping on a loose stone with my sneaker, I slightly pulled the tendon on my ankle. Now I walk slower and take care of my left leg. On top of that, I’m not wearing socks, but fashionable moccasin tracks. The back of the sneaker crawls across the bare skin, slowly rubbing the callus.
I don’t remember now, but some song stuck with me. I go and sing it mentally. The water has run out, but there are streams. There are many of them, and the water from them can be drunk. I fill a bottle with water from a small waterfall-stream and move on.
You know what?
I completely forgot that I was walking for a long time, so I only have 3 cigarettes. I make a wish that if I get to the Language, the first thing I will do is light a delicious cigarette. I've been wanting to smoke for about an hour now. I've been walking for an hour and a half now.
I overtake some strange woman with a large backpack. She stood and looked at the printout in her hands and looked at the sign where the word Trolltunga was not there. She was confused. Well, I know where to go thanks to the photographs from Korczak’s report.
—Are you on Trolltunga?
The woman says nothing and moves away from me.
Just in case, I turn on the camera on my phone and look at myself from the outside. Yes, I seem to look fine. The truth is frivolous: a bottle in one hand, a camera in the other. No trekking boots, no backpack...
Well. I move on, humming and waving my bottle.
After all, if it becomes unbearable, I can always go back...
Descent to the plateau. Here it is, a house in the middle of the plateau. I recognize him as if I had already been here. What does good visual memory mean?
The road here is not so difficult and I take a break from the previous ascent and descent. I'm walking on a flat surface.
Everything is fine.
The sun is shining.
There is a mountain range ahead and there (I know where) the troll’s tongue.
The plateau is over. Rising again. Several people come across me. We say hello and leave. Now I remember my trek the next day to the pea - people there on the road did not say hello. And it's good here. A few people.
Space...
And the air! What delicious air is here!
The sight of yesterday’s lamb flashes through my head, I swallow my saliva, realizing that I’m hungry. And strongly. I try not to think about food anymore, drink water more often and move on.
The view before me is depressing.
I see where the tongue is. Here he is, opposite me. But you can’t go in a straight line - there’s a 200-meter cliff and the fjord water is green below. You have to go around. Through two ridges. That is, 2 ascents and 2 descents.
But I think to myself: if something happens, I can always turn back….
And I continue to walk forward through fields of mountain flowers, through small swamps created by meltwater flowing from the mountains. I jump from stone to stone, taking care of my left leg. The main thing is that it doesn’t swell tomorrow. And today I will need it to go back.
More and more people come my way. We say hello and I pass by.
I think: how do they feel coming back? And what does it feel like: ALREADY to see and meet someone who has not YET seen?
They probably think that the green new fish is running towards the tongue, afraid of not being able to make it in time...
Somehow imperceptibly, with a song, I pass two ridges, pass by the dam that holds the water of the lake and reach the finish line.
Impatience is growing.
So when?
When?
What is he like?
And so, somehow casually and usually, I go out to Trolltunga.
Here he is, handsome:
He's amazingly handsome.
Real troll language.
Very similar.
It sticks out of the rock and under it there are several hundred meters of emptiness, and from it there is such a stunning view of the fjord
I ask the man sitting in a daze to take photographs of his tongue with me. You need to record your feat. I ask and throw the empty bottle and jacket and run to the tongue. 4 metal staples to go down to the base, a small run along the tongue and I get into the pose of a distance conqueror. Then I lie down and crawl to the edge. Holy shit. Everything inside is shaking with fear - I’ve been afraid of heights since childhood. For a while I freeze, lying on my stomach, then I begin to slowly crawl away from the edge, backing away like a cancer. The grandfather and grandmother sitting opposite on the rock burst into laughter. They are sitting in the stalls. They have the most expensive tickets
It’s funny to me too and in general I’m completely delighted. I run away from the language, take the camera and look at the pictures. Not this way. Not this way. I take aim. I'm looking for shooting position and zoom. Please take photos with me again. Run to the tongue again. I don’t understand why I run like this. So much energy came from somewhere. I want to stand on my head or walk on my tongue with my hands
I imagine myself as a mountaineer. Yes, I'm Connor MacLeod.
There must only be one left!!!
At this very moment girls from Holland arrive. We must give way to them. I was surprised looking at them - they also walked without stopping, constantly chatting among themselves - I heard their voices behind me and this was another incentive to move forward. The girls were brave - they immediately went to the edge of their tongues and asked to take a photo of them. My photographer - an Italian - immediately began to fuss and ran to click them on his tongue, ahead of me, well, I’m not at a loss: I’m shooting the whole trio from a different angle
Then the Italian himself on his and his camera. Everything inside me is boiling and rejoicing. I'm here! A week ago I saw this in pictures on the Internet.
And now HERE and NOW.
How cool!
It feels so good... Everything inside is rejoicing and singing...
Highly recommend. Very.
The best place. And apparently the energy here is special. Just rushing.
It was time to go back.
I walked away and looked back at the tongue until it was out of sight. The way back was under the impression of the experience. I hummed something to myself again.
Here it is: some melody sticks and spins and spins in your head...
— information about the second trip to the Troll Language.
Trolltunga(literal translation from Norwegian “Troll Tongue”) is a rocky horizontal ledge on the Skjeggedal rock, which rises above Lake Ringedalsvatn at an altitude of 350 meters. Thanks to this, the Troll's Tongue rock is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful and dangerous places in all of Norway.
2009 was a turning point in the fate of Troltunga. An article in a well-known travel magazine allowed a local legend to come to light. After this, the number of people wishing to see the miracle of nature increased several times, and in order to visit the very edge of the Troll’s Tongue and take unique photos, you even have to stand in line.
Troll language - how to get to the starting point
The town of Odda is located 135 kilometers southeast of Bergen. From Bergen bus station (located next to the railway) buses depart to Odda 3 times a day: 8:20, 11:50 and 20:55.
After a three-hour trip, transferring to a ferry and again to a bus, we disembark at the bus station of the tourist town of Odda. But the travel doesn't end there. You need to travel another 6 kilometers by local bus or taxi towards the north to the village of Tyssedal. Here is the final stop of the regular bus and there is another 7 kilometers ahead along the asphalt to the funicular. If you take a taxi, you can drive right to the start of the walking part of the hike to the Troll Tongue - Skjeggedal.
Trip to Troll's Tongue
The troll's tongue is located at an altitude of about 1100 m above sea level, and we are only at 300-400. For the sake of treasured photos and unique sensations, we need to gain 700 m and walk 12 km along a mountain trail. It's not that simple. The entire hike to Troll's Tongue will take about 5 hours one way.
The first thing that catches your eye at the beginning of the trail is a pile of worn-out shoes under a stand with a map of the area. The “remnants” of past tourists eloquently show us that it is better not to go upstairs in sandals and light sneakers. Trekking shoes are the classic and best option.
Behind the stand you can see an old wooden funicular with rusty rails going up. Unfortunately, after 2010 it stopped functioning, so you need to climb along a forest path along it. This part of the climb is the steepest and most difficult. Gather your will into a fist and believe that the rise will end someday.
At the top of the funicular you can see a road that leads tourists further along the plateau, along high-voltage lines and wooden houses. After some time the road begins to rise. Water supplies are easily replenished in cool streams along the way.
Very soon a house will appear near a small lake with one modest room. It serves as a tourist shelter and anyone can stay here overnight. There are 6 kilometers left from the house to the finish.
After another half hour of hiking to Troll's Tongue, a dizzying view of Lake Ringedalsvatn opens up. The treasured Troll's Tongue can already be seen, but there is still 4.5 kilometers to go. A couple of ups and downs, the last push before the finish... here it is! Photographs, descriptions and eyewitness accounts pale in comparison to seeing this miracle with your own eyes. Now you can be proud of yourself. Now you myself you stand on the Troll's Tongue and absorb the pristine landscapes along with local legends...
Stand in line, take a couple of photos, a minute or two - and down, because you need to go down to the highway before dark. This is what 97% of tourists do, but not us. We stay overnight near Troll's Tongue and return to it at sunset - when the landscapes around are illuminated by the gentle orange rays of the setting sun and not a soul is left around. Trolltunga is at our disposal until dark and then at dawn. Our hike to Troll's Tongue continues around Lake Ringedalsvatn, but that's another story and the route is described in detail in another article.
Trip to Troll's Tongue - upcoming dates
| Start | Finish | Route | Price | Days |
| 17.06.2019 | 22.06.2019 | 320 € | 6 days | |
| 24.06.2019 | 29.06.2019 | 320 € | 6 days | |
| 13.07.2019 | 18.07.2019 | 320 € | 6 days | |
| 22.07.2019 | 27.07.2019 | 320 € | 6 days | |
| 11.08.2019 | 16.08.2019 | 320 € | 6 days | |
| 18.08.2019 | 23.08.2019 | 320 € | 6 days | |
| 24.08.2019 | 29.08.2019 | 320 € | 6 days | |
| 31.08.2019 | 05.09.2019 | 320 € | 6 days |
The Legend of the Troll's Tongue
Norwegians are a people with a rich imagination and Trolltunga could not ignore Scandinavian beliefs. One of them says that the huge Troll was childishly kind and playful - he could not sit in one place: he dived into deep and dangerous waters, jumped over abysses or tried to catch a rainbow over a cliff. And on sunny days that were dangerous for his life, he holed up in a cave until dark. And then, one day, he wanted to check: could he do what he loved in broad daylight? What will happen if he challenges the Sun itself? And the Troll stuck his tongue out of the cave...
So the Tongue of the playful troll still hangs over the lake in the form of a petrified ledge. And he reminds all tourists of one thing: you should always challenge even your greatest fears. You should at least try. But the degree of danger should also be assessed objectively, otherwise there is a chance to turn into a tourist attraction...
Have a great hike everyone and stay safe!
Photo of Troll's tongue in Norway (Troltunga)
