To help hikers find their way in the Norwegian mountains and forests, and to ensure they choose the hike that is best suited to their ability, Norway uses a shared standard for grading all its marked paths. The trails are all colour-coded to let hikers know what to expect.
Find your level
Norway’s grading system is based on four difficulty levels used both nationally and internationally: green, blue, red and black. The trail grading colours (and the difficulty levels they correspond to) are as follow:
Green - Easy
Suitable for:
Beginners
No special skills required
Mainly short walks
Special symbols mark the areas suitable for wheelchair users/prams
Altitude metres:
< 300 m
< 5 km
Type of path:
Tarmac, gravel, forest roads and good paths
Work done on paths to enable easy walking
Firm, even and obstruction-free path
No streams to be crossed
Degree of elevation/ exposure:
Moderate ascents, but no steep or difficult sections
Blue - Medium
Suitable for:
Beginners
Walkers of average fitness
Basic skills
Altitude metres:
< 600 m
< 10 km
Type of path:
Similar to green trails, but can have more challenging sections
Can be rocky but no demanding scree
No streams to be crossed
Degree of elevation/ exposure:
Most ascents are moderate, but can include some steep slopes
Certain sections can be considered precipitous for some
Red - Challenging
Suitable for:
Experienced walkers
Good stamina
Good equipment and hiking boots required
Altitude metres:
< 1000 m
< 20 km (own symbol)
Type of path:
Path, open terrain, rocky, scree and rugged mountains
Crossing streams, traversing steep slopes and long stretches of both loose rock and marshland
Up to two streams to be crossed
Degree of elevation/ exposure:
Several types of ascents and challenges
Several precipitous and exposed sections
Can include technical challenges and parts that require some climbing
Black - Expert
Suitable for:
Experienced hikers
Good stamina
Good equipment and hiking boots required
Knowledge of maps and use of a compass
Altitude metres:
No maximum
Type of path:
Longer and/ or more technical trails than "red"
Can include a number of streams to be crossed
Degree of elevation/ exposure:
Typical walks are long summit trips with steep ascents on uneven paths
Can have precipitous and exposed sections sections/passages where scrambling is necessary
Narrow ridges, smooth rock, scree etc.
The Norwegian Mountain Code
Be sufficiently experienced and fit for your intended tour: Make sure the length of the walk is adapted to your physical and mental fitness, your prior experience and the equipment you bring along. Check the classification of the walk and assess the route.
Leave word of your route: Leave word of your route with your accommodation provider or with family/ friends who are not going along on the walk. If you have left word of your route and change your mind, you must try to notify someone. Mobile phones don’t always work in the mountains, so don’t arrange to call home.
Be weather wise: Always check the weather forecast before you set out and if the weather deteriorates, turn back. Conditions on the mountain can change quickly with fierce winds, low clouds and freezing temperatures making visibility and walking impossible.
Learn from the locals: Locals can provide information about areas where there is a risk of avalanches/ rockslides, which route to take, how long a walk will take and general conditions in the mountains. Contact your accommodation provider for more information. It is recommended to use a guide in demanding terrain or on trails that are not waymarked.
Be equipped for bad weather and cold, even on short walks.
Use a map and compass: Learn to use a map and compass, and always bring them with you on walks. A sat nav (GPS) is also a useful aid.
Don’t go solo.
Turn back in time: sensible retreat is no disgrace.
Equipment
Hikers have to be prepared for all types of weather in the mountains, even in summer. You must bring along clothes and equipment that are suitable for use in good weather, but also for snow, rain and wind. The weather can change very quickly in the Norwegian mountains, and it can snow at high altitudes even in summer.
Map, Compass and GPS
Food and drink: Bring enough food and drink for the duration of your walk.
Clothes: Wear a layer of wool as an inner layer, then a fleece top and a windproof jacket. Bring rainwear as well.
Footwear: Wearing sturdy footwear is very important – mountain boots are recommended.
Bivouac sack: Good to crawl into to shelter from the elements.
Mobile phone: Bring your mobile phone with you, but remember there is not always a signal.
First aid equipment: Bring basic first aid equipment.
Demanding terrain
Glaciers: Some of the walks in the mountains involve crossing glaciers, which requires both knowledge and equipment. Using a guide is recommended. Watch out for falling ice at the edge of the glacier, and for cracks in the ice.
Steep terrain: Some walks are in steep terrain. Stick to the path, and use trekking poles. In boulderfields, you must take care not to lose your balance and dislodge rocks that could hit you or others.
Crossing rivers: Do not attempt to cross a river unless you are certain that you can get across. Do not try to jump across or skip from stone to stone in streams if there is a chance you could lose your balance. The best place to cross a river is where it is shallowest and where the water is most slow-moving. Cross diagonally upstream against the current. Using trekking poles is recommended.
Season and climate
Season: The walking season usually lasts from May until October, but this varies depending on the location, altitude etc. The season also varies from year to year, so ask at the reception desk or at a tourist information office if you are unsure about where you can go walking.
Daylight: Check when it gets dark (depends on time of year).
Green - Easy
Blue - Medium
Red - Challenging
Black - Expert
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