While not a “long” trip in the sense that many of you are out for weeks, we just spent a week around Dovre when the weather looked favorable. Before setting out on the Tour de Dovre, we visited DNT Snøheim and hiked toward Snøhetta (the Storetoppen route is no joke—it nearly turns into bouldering). Since we couldn’t get into the cabins we had hoped for, we made it a two-day ride with just an overnight at Folldal Fjell Hotel. Our bikes: two e-bikes (Specialized Turbo Vado SL & Canyon ON hardtail MTB) and one analog hardtail MTB.

Day 1 – Dombås to Folldal (70 km / 1,030 m)
The route is easy to follow, even without a phone or GPS. We took our time, stopping at some of the accommodations on Matthew’s map for coffee and a look around. Having already driven from Dombås to Hjerkinn, we had some sense of the scenery, but the cycle route itself was even more impressive—climbing into the hillsides dotted with cottages. When the sun broke through, the purple heather (røsslyng) lit up against the pale reindeer lichen (reinsdyrslav), glowing brilliantly beneath the still-moody sky.

At Furuhaugli Motel/Dovrefjell Lodge we found “good coffee”—by which I mean an actual machine that could make espresso drinks, not just drip coffee! We stopped again at Hjerkinn Fjellstue for lunch and a warm-up. They weren’t really serving meals (only waffles and snacks) but had no problem letting us eat the food we’d brought inside. Their coffee was also good, the wind stayed outside, and the chairs were maybe a little too comfortable.

From there, we continued up the gravel road Kvitsdalvegen. The singletrack section that followed was one of my favorite parts of the day—just enough to mix things up. It was a little rough in places, but still rideable on 38 mm tires and no suspension (at least in dry weather). In wet conditions it would probably be slick, since much of the surface seemed to be clay. Eventually we rejoined pavement, and it was a gentle downhill nearly all the way to Folldal, until the climb up to the Mountain Hotel began.

That final climb is big, but the view, food, and mattresses at the top made it worthwhile. The elderly couple who run the hotel didn’t have a record of our booking (or our friends’), and we were definitely met with some confused looks when we arrived. They seemed stressed at first, but fortunately had space for us. Dinner was a great buffet of salmon, boiled potatoes, steamed broccoli and carrots, followed by prune pudding for dessert. The owners left around 8 pm, asking us to blow out the candles, turn off the lights, and keep track of anything we drank from the fridge to settle up in the morning. It felt a little odd at the time, but now that we know what to expect, we’d definitely stay again. Tip: make sure to book directly with the wife—she’s the “resepsjon” and handles reservations. Breakfast the next morning also let us pack a lunch for the road.

Day 2 – Folldal to Dombås through Grimsdalen (69 km / 834 m)
I started the day with rear brake issues (a sticking piston), so we planned to stop at the sports shop in town when they opened at 10. Unfortunately, I was about three months late—the shop never even opened for the summer season and was closed for good. That meant riding without rear brakes, something I wasn’t excited about with a steep downhill ahead. Lesson learned, and yes, I now know how to fix it myself for next time!

Grimsdalen itself was magical. It’s one of those places where photos simply can’t capture the scale or feeling—you just have to see it for yourself. I hardly took any pictures because it felt better just to take it in. We stopped at DNT Grimsdalshytta for lunch, where the pizza and gigantic cinnamon roll couldn’t be passed up. I was impressed with the e-bike charging infrastructure there—perfect for topping up before the climb out of the valley if you’re worried about range.

The rest of the valley gave us a strong headwind, which meant pedaling even on mellow downhills. But when the sun came out, we were grateful for the breeze on the climbs. Before dropping back toward Dovre we stopped for views across the plateau and some much-needed fluids. I survived the descent with only a front brake, stopping once to cool it down and give my hand a break. From there, instead of descending all the way into Dovre, we stayed on FV 491 until Dombås. In that whole stretch we saw just one car, one tractor, and a train—much nicer than riding along the E6!

This is a wonderful route with plenty of spots for water, snacks, or overnight stays. If tent camping isn’t your thing, you can easily get by with just the essentials and clothing for the possibility of changing weather. It’s now on my “must-do” list for when cycling friends visit Norway. We were lucky with the weather this time—I doubt we’ll ever get that lucky again!

I’ll post some links to short videos I shared on Instagram in the comments.

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