Trolltunga, Rock formation in Ullensvang Municipality, Norway.
Trolltunga is a rock shelf that juts out from the mountainside, suspended 2,300 feet (700 meters) above Ringedalsvatnet in the Hardangervidda region. The platform sits at an elevation of 3,640 feet (1,110 meters) and ends in a flat tongue of granite that opens toward the valley below.
Glaciers carved this rock platform during the last Ice Age, scraping away layers of stone and leaving the tongue exposed. The area remained little known until the mid-20th century, when hikers began to discover the formation.
The name Trolltunga translates to Troll's Tongue in Norwegian, reflecting local folklore and the distinctive shape of the protruding rock formation.
The 27-kilometer round-trip hike starts at the Skjeggedal parking area and usually takes between ten and twelve hours. Sturdy footwear and clothing for rapid weather changes are important, as conditions in the high mountains can shift without warning.
Fewer than 800 hikers reached this spot each year until 2010, but by 2016 the number had grown past 80,000 visitors. This shift has widened the access trail and brought ropes and markers to the more difficult sections.
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