Mt Prest Hike in Aurland – How to get there
The Mt Prest hike is situated 8km outside of Aurland, the best way to get there is to drive up from Aurland on the scenic route also known as the snow road. This is the start of the one of the most spectacular roads you’ll ever experience so make sure you do it all. Note if you’re going to drive the whole thing It’s not open all year round, if you’re travelling before July check ahead. The path to the start of the hike is open year round… snow excuses! ….. I know I know, pun game on point.
This GPS coordinates of the parking are lat. 60.91799 long. 7.23139, if you can’t set coordinates head to the Stegastein lookout, here are the closest toilets to the start of the hike, then continue up the road. On your left hand side you’ll see a car park which is signposted with a hiking sign. Park here, if you’re a van lifer this car park is a great place to stay so you can do early morning or late evening hike.
What to bring
As with all hiking in Norway it’s important to bring a few layers, the hike itself is a short and intense climb. We did this early in the morning and it was crisp in late August. It’s likely quite windy at the top (1363m) so bring a shell jacket to break the wind.
Essentials are
- Walking Boots
- Shell Jacket
How long does it take
The hike took us 2.5hours with pictures and video stops along the way.
Sights you’ll see along the way
The entire hike will see you look down over the Aurlandsfjorden, this is the ford over from the Unesco World Heritage Fjord of Nærøyfjord. I think it’s equally as beautiful. You’ll maybe see the odd sheep but besides that the fjord falling away below is going to be the main focus.
If you think a 2-3 hour hike is too long don’t fret, there is actually a plateau halfway up to the top, you can see this a 1.51 in our video. It gives you a really nice edge to get some great shots of the fjord below, even though it’s not the summit it’s a good achievement and make the hike a 1-2 hour hike depending on your fitness.
The little mountain book
We’d read before hiking in Norway that many of the mountains had little mountain books to sign your name. This was the first mountain we came to which had one. Having faffed around taking some photos by the time we came to sign it our hands were a little chilly, so look for the worst handwriting in there and it’s probably mine!
Words of caution
When you get halfway up you’ll come to see a very narrow ridge it’s 1.37 on our video. The actual route climbs up and over to the right, it’s just poorly marked so keep an eye out and keep looking up. This ledge was a little dangerous with a significant drop to the left.
Where to next?
Once you’ve completed this hike and assuming you’re travelling from Aurland which is the most common tourist route, continue along the snow road. The next destination you should head to is the Jotunheimen national park, where you’ll get a change to conquer Norway’s tallest mountain.
Hike stats
Length | 6km |
Difficulty | Hard |
Type of hike | Out & Back |
Seasons | May-October |
2 replies on “Mt Prest Hike in Aurland”
The 2-3hrs, is that one way or round trip on this hike?
Hey Megan, Sorry we didn’t get back to you sooner on this! It’s round trip!