Hallingskarvet National Park

Hallingskarvet is a single long massif, about thirty-five kilometres of nearly level plateau top ending in a steep southern wall that rises hundreds of metres above the surrounding country, so it reads from a distance as a raised table rather than a range of peaks. The national park, created in 2006, covers about 450 square kilometres and adjoins Hardangervidda. Its highest point, Folarskardnuten at 1,933 metres, is the highest in the old Buskerud county. The philosopher Arne Naess built a cabin, Tvergastein, high on the mountain in 1937 and wrote much of his ecological philosophy there. The Bergen Railway runs along the northern side, giving car-free access from Finse and Haugastol.

What you actually see

• The mountain wall - a long steep southern face above the plateau.
• The flat summit plateau - level ground running for tens of kilometres.
• Folarskardnuten - the massif's high point at 1,933 metres.
• The railway access - Bergen Line stations at Finse and Haugastol.

When to go

July to September for walking, once the snow has cleared from the ascent routes; the plateau holds snow late. February to April is a ski-touring season. Weather is severe and exposed on the top in any month.

Honest expectations

There is no shelter on the plateau and navigation in fog is difficult on featureless ground. Ascent routes onto the wall are steep and can hold snow into midsummer. Wild reindeer are present and disturbance rules apply on some routes.

Nearby

Geilo and Haugastol are the road bases; Finse, Hardangerjokulen and Hardangervidda lie west and south.