Telemark is Norway's interior mountain country — and the closest thing the south of the country has to the Western Fjords for cyclists who want fjell terrain without the long drive west. Gaustatoppen, 1,883 m, is the landmark, but the appeal is the network of quiet valley roads and high-mountain plateau roads that tie together Tinn, Vinje and Rauland.
Region at a glance
All Routes in Telemark
2 curated road-cycling routes in Telemark.
Gaustatoppen Rundt — 172 km Loop
A 172 km loop that circles the Gaustatoppen massif rather than taking it on directly. The day starts by throwing away every metre of altitude down Zombie Hill into Rjukan, spends 50-odd kilometres on a high rolling plateau, then drops for the better part of 70 km to Sauland — before the sting: a 33 km climb back to the roof of the route that is far harder than its 3.6% average lets on. Zombie Hill is the climb out of Rjukan that ends Norseman athletes' bike leg — but this route descends it from Gaustablikk as the warm-up, then comes back to Gaustatoppen from the south side instead.
Tinnsjøen Rundt — The 145km Loop Around the Tinnsjø Basin from Gaustablikk
A 145 km loop from Gaustablikk that goes around the Tinnsjøen basin and finishes by climbing back up Zombie Hill — the climb that gave the Norseman triathlon finale its name. The day opens with a 7 km warm-up climb out of the start, drops 30 km to Sauland, builds 50 km of patient gradient past Tinnsjøen and up to the plateau, and earns a lakeside refuel at Sandviken Kafé i Tinn — then 6.8 km at 9.6% on Zombie Hill stands between you and the finish.