Experience Maridalen's Alps

Get your heart rate going amongst thick trees, streams of glistening water and stunning viewpoints. This is a tougher hike than most in the area, but shows the true beauty of the "Alps of Maridalen".

The hike starts at the Skar parking lot at the end of Maridalsveien and goes up to Gaupekollen. This part of the hike is steep but not very long. When you arrive at the top of Gaupekollen, be sure to enjoy the great views and perhaps take a short break. Once you have caught your breath, keep following the same trail towards Mellomkollen. This is an unmarked but obvious trail. When you come to a crossroad, keep right heading down to a small pond. From here, the trail goes up towards Mellomkollen where again you will get wonderful views over the city of Oslo and Varingskollen.

From Mellomkollen follow the signs to Tømte and then downwards to Liggeren. Once you've reached Øyungen lake, walk along the shore until you reach the dam. From there, follow the gravel road on either side of the river 2.5 kilometres (1,6 miles) back down to the parking lot at Skar.

Difficulty level: Medium
Elevation: 150-500 metres above sea level
Time consumption: 2,5-3,5 hours
Transportation: Drive or take bus no. 51 the Skar parking lot.
Good to know: No restrooms on the route. Relatively good cell phone coverage with some outages. Hiking shoes are recommended. The trail is usually quite wet at the top. Rocky trail in some sections.

Insider tip: When you get to the plateau at the top of Mellomkollen, make sure you cross the marsh to get to the viewpoint – it's well worth the effort, not to mention a great rest spot for a hearty snack.

Description courtesy of Outtt.
Download the Outtt app from Google Play or App Store for more outdoor activity suggestions in Oslo.