Video recap:
The Innerdalen Valley in Norway is an environmentally protected area and is consistently regarded as the country's most beautiful valley. I have only explored a small part of Norway to date but it's hard to imagine a more picturesque place. During our stay we (partially) climbed the Innerdalstårnet, the most iconic peak in the valley. Check out the video/pics below:
0:00 - We arrived at the park entrance around 9 am and took the access road to the Innerdalen valley until we reached the (free) car park at the end of the paved road. The parking lot is fairly large but the locals said it can be quite crowded on a weekend during the summer, especially if the weather is nice. It was essentially empty when we arrived on a Thursday, however. Just beware that the overflow parking seemed to be in a farmers yard and that he charges for parking, so it's best to have some cash on hand just in case. Accessing the valley then requires walking up the gravel path for about 3-4 km.
0:31 - Along the way you pass a few Norweigian style houses and farm stables.
0:39 - The first lake comes into view with the Innerdalstårnet shrowded in the clouds in the distance.
0:42 - After about an hour of walking we arrived at our accomodation, the Renndølsetra. This was a really amazing place to stay and a very unique experience. It's a small farm that raises pigs, chickens, sheep, and cows and makes their own homemade products. For dinner you are served family style with all the other guests, which was about 10 other people when we stayed. They were all from Norway but everyone spoke perfect English, so we had some really nice conversations and got to learn a lot about the country and its culture. The Renndølsetra also makes excellent waffles and cinnamon buns which it seems like every hiker stopped for at the end of the day, even the ones not staying on the farm.
0:56 - Following a quick morning stack, the clouds started to burn off and the Innerdalstårnet became visible. With the increasing sun and warmer temperatures we figured the mountain might be dry enough to try to climb to the top. The Renndølsetra provides free helmet rentals too if you are a guest there, which they recommend using because the very top has a lot of loose rock and it is a very steep scramble.
1:24 - The hike up towards the Innerdalstårnet is quite beautiful, passing along a waterfall and traversing through different grasslands and forests.
2:05 - Once you gain the first ridge you'll have an excellent view back along the valley, assuming its not cloudy and raining...
2:40 - As you walk south through the next alpine valley towards the Innerdalstårnet, you'll arrive at a large lake. The path towards the Innerdalstårnet diverges from the main trail at the northern corner of this lake
3:07 - The hike is moderately demanding due to its steepness, and there are certainly areas that can be dangerous so it's probably not the best thing to attempt unless you are very comfortable with heights. As you ascend the views on the lake and the last remnants of the glacier on the other side of the valley become pretty impressive.
3:28 - I reached the saddle point between the Innerdalstårnet and the adjacent peak, which still had some great views down the long narrow chute dropping off to the valley below.
4:17 - At the moment where the scramble becomes almost vertical I decided to turn around. Since I was the only one up there at the moment and I didn't know the route (there is no clear path or markings beyond this point), I didn't feel comfortable proceeding. Going up would have been fine, it was just the coming down that seemed risky, and a fall in the wrong place here would definitely mean serious injury and could easily be fatal. While apparently Norwegians do this all the time without ropes, I think the only safe way to do so is if you know exactly the correct path to the top. I hope I come back again another time with a guide to ensure I'm on the proper path and minimize the risks.
4:47 - Unfortunately the morning sun had disappeared by the time we got back down to the alpine lake and the temperature had cooled, but that didn't stop us from jumping in for a quick swim.