A summit hike to Sikkilsdalshø – "our own private Besseggen"

Wondering what to do this summer? I want to share my gem with you!

Some places simply need to be experienced. Not because they shout the loudest, but because they hit the deepest.

Sikkilsdalshø is one of them. We like to call it our "own private Besseggen". It's at least as spectacular, but with a silence, space and tranquillity that gives you the mountain all to yourself.

From Skåbu Fjellhotell, the hike begins at your own pace. You can cycle or drive towards Sikkilsdalsseter, before the trail, which is clearly marked with cairns and red DNT 'T' markings – leads you up through a landscape that gets more beautiful with every step. When you reach the top, the world opens up with views of Besseggen, Gjende and the mighty mountains of Rondane, Dovre, Jotunheimen and Langsua.

But it's not just the view that makes this place special.

Sikkilsdalen carries stories. About horses that are released out into the wild every summer, about generations who have lived close to nature and about royalty who found their sanctuary right here. The charming Prinsehytta, the Prince's Cottage, used by the royal family through the ages, stands as a silent witness to everything that has passed.

One of the stories I never tire of hearing is about Crown Prince Olav who was in a rush to leave the mountains. On the way down the steep slopes towards Vinstra, his brakes ran hot, and the solution? Well, let's just say it was as down-to-earth as the people here have always been. The Crown Prince and the driver simply had to stop and cool the brakes down in ... their very own way. This says something about both the place and the people here.

The journey here once took several days, by boat and horse. Today, the road is easier – but the feeling of arriving is the same, whether you drive or take the train to Vinstra and encounter the mountain on your final leg up to Skåbu.

Here, tranquillity awaits. As does the view, a lovely meal and a good bed at the end of the day. True warmth and hospitality!

Perhaps this is precisely what makes people come back. In the end, it's not about the trip itself, but also about the feeling.