When does Trollstigen open? 2026 season guide

Opening history year by year

Trollstigen's opening date moves with the weather. Some years the road clears by mid-May; in heavy-snow years it has slipped into June. The 2024–2025 closure for rockfall protection work was an exception, not the pattern.

*2022 opened late due to winter avalanche damage to the café and road at the plateau.

Why does the opening date vary?

Trollstigen sits under steep, avalanche-prone mountains, and clearing operations depend on how the winter snowpack settles. The highest point on the road is 858 metres — cold enough that snow lingers well into June in heavy years. Statens Vegvesen starts clearing operations in April, but it's the avalanche risk on the slopes above the hairpins that controls when the road actually opens. Until geologists and avalanche specialists sign off, the gates stay shut.

Rockfalls and closures: what happened in 2024 and 2025

The mountainside above Trollstigen has been shedding rocks for as long as the road has existed. Through the early 2020s the incidents piled up:

• 2021: A rock hit the bonnet of a car on the hairpins.
• 2022: A winter snow avalanche damaged the café building and parts of the road.
• 2023: A motorcyclist was struck by a rockfall.
• April 2024: A landslide took out a section of the road.
• June 2024: Six rockfalls in ten days, culminating in a rock smashing through a car window.

After the June 2024 incidents, Møre og Romsdal county closed the hairpin section for the rest of the year. Emergency rassikring — rockfall mitigation — work started that autumn. Crews released unstable boulders, installed new barriers, and stabilised the worst slopes. The road reopened on 11 July 2025.

Earlier in 2025, a plan was discussed to close Trollstigen for parts of August in 2025, 2026, and 2027 to complete the work. That plan was revised. According to Fjord Norway's official information (last updated 18 November 2025), no major rockfall protection measures are planned for 2026, and the season is expected to run as normal. A larger long-term project to secure the entire route is planned for the future but depends on toll funding and is several years away.

Short closures during heavy rain remain possible — the county road administration closes the road temporarily when rainfall raises the risk of fresh rockfall. These closures are usually measured in hours.

From our ride over Trollstigen

I rode Trollstigen on 21 August 2021, from both sides, on a day that was almost too warm. The Åndalsnes side is the spectacular one — there's no real argument. You spend the approach through Isterdalen staring up at the cliff face, trying to work out where the road actually goes, and then you're in it: eleven switchbacks stacked on top of each other, Stigfossen crashing down the rock wall alongside you, and the peaks of Kongen and Bispen bracketing everything above.

The Valldal side is a different animal. It's a long, gradual grind up through the Valldal valley, much less dramatic visually, and on a hot day the climb drags. It's the sensible way up if you're linking Trollstigen into a longer route — but if you're here for the hairpins, start in Åndalsnes.

The café at the top does a proper Norwegian waffle with brown cheese and jam. After 11 kilometres of climbing, it earns its place in the day.

Planning your ride over Trollstigen

Which direction?

From Åndalsnes for the spectacle — you climb into the hairpins and watch Stigfossen and the switchbacks unfold above you. From Valldal for a gentler warm-up if you're linking it into a longer loop.

When to go

July and August are peak tourist traffic. Coaches, motorhomes, and rental cars share the narrow road with you. Early morning (before 9:00) and late afternoon (after 18:00) are quieter. June and early September are the sweet spot for traffic, if the weather holds.

Gearing

The climb sustains around 8% for most of its length with steeper ramps in the hairpins. A compact chainset (50/34) with a 30- or 32-tooth cog is fine for most riders. It's sustained, not savage.

Food and water

There is a café at the plateau but nothing on the climb itself. Carry two bottles in warm weather. Weather changes fast near the top — a rain jacket is worth its weight even on clear days.

Safety

The road is paved, well-maintained, and wider than its reputation suggests. The hairpins have barriers on the outside. The real risks are coach traffic on the descent and loose gravel near the edge — take the descent conservatively, especially on the corners.

Frequently asked questions