St. Olav’s Way
Norway
643 Kilometers/400 miles
June-July 2025
Just like the Camino Frances and Camino Portugues routes I hiked in Spain and Portugal, this too is a pilgrimage path, but this one goes from Oslo to St Olav’s grave in Trondheim. It’s a path that people have been walking since the 11th century so there’s much to learn about medieval history and culture along the way, from viking chiefs to wooden stave churches built in the 13th century. I loved learning about the history along the way, but for me the path is just a way to get to know this country in my favorite way, slowly walking through it.
Ruins of St. Halvard's Cathedral, Oslo, June 23, 2025
Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim, July 19, 2025
The first week I struggled getting my hiking legs under the weight of a heavy pack and without the help of hiking poles. I rarely saw other pilgrims, which is a stark contrast of the caminos; only a couple thousand hike this every year compared to hundreds of thousands on the camino. There were lots of walking on roads, through barley fields and forests, and even down people’s driveways. It rained often. I mostly camped since Norway has a right to roam which basically means I can camp for free anywhere uncultivated and away from houses. I saved money that way, but I also stayed at pilgrim hostels and guesthouses in order to take a shower and do laundry.
After the first difficult week, things got better once I arrived in Lillehammer (home of the 1994 winter olympics). As soon as I crossed the bridge I was welcomed by locals out on a walk and after a quick chat they invited me to their home and gave me ski poles to use as much-needed hiking poles. Then the next day on my way out of town I lightened my pack by purging unnecessary stuff and mailing it to Trondheim. Things were looking up as I left the city with a lighter pack and hiking poles, but two days later I rolled my ankle and fell while walking down a grassy hillside in the rain. By the end of the day and 14 miles later it was throbbing and I couldn’t put weight on it. After hobbling along, crying amongst strangers, and thinking my hike was over, I was generously offered help and found myself staying at a BnB run by a former nurse. Miraculously the next day my foot felt much better and after a visit to the doctor found out it was not broken but just a ligament issue. So after taking a day off and hiking short days with an ankle brace, I felt back to normal and ready for the mountains ahead.
The last week of full sun road walking in hot temperatures was brutal, but I will miss camping wherever I landed when I was so tired I couldn’t take another step. I’ll always remember my fellow pilgrim from Germany saying this one particular spot was ‘not so nice’, and I was like this is the best camp spot I’ve had the whole hike (see photo).
The highlight of the hike was crossing over the mountains, Dovrefjell, with surrounding national parks home to wild reindeer and musk ox (no sightings sadly). The views above treeline without roads or buildings in sight was exactly what I was waiting for-quintessential Norwegian landscape.
The coast and fjords have been calling me and that’s why Norway has been in my top three counties to visit for quite sometime. Originally the dream was to visit during winter to work with sled dogs, but since it hasn’t worked out (yet) I figured the next best thing was to walk 400 miles across it. And I feel like I barely scratched the surface.
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