With Trollstigen’s opening potentially limited to just a month this year — from July 14th to August 15th — it’s worth looking at other serious climbs that offer the same kind of challenge, beauty, and drama. If you’re planning a summer ride in Norway and don’t want to gamble on the short Trollstigen window, here are eight climbs worth your time. Some are even in the same league — narrow roads, sharp hairpins, and wild surroundings — with fewer crowds.

1. Gaularfjellet (719m)

Route: Fjord Norway

Like Trollstigen, Gaularfjellet is a road built to twist its way up a steep mountain face, with a stunning viewpoint at the top. It has sharp bends, minimal traffic, and a remote feeling. What sets it apart is its high plateau, where the road meanders through untouched terrain after the main climb. You can reach it via Balestrand or Sognefjord, and it’s already open for business as of the 11th of April 2025. It usually doesn’t open until mid-May, so this is a unique year to ride it early!

2. Lysevegen (860m)

Route: Lysefjorden Loop

A brutal 9.4% average gradient climb with 27 tight switchbacks rising from the fjord at Lysebotn. This one feels even more extreme than Trollstigen, with a more severe gradient and far fewer people. A tunnel cuts into the rock near the start, making it memorable. Access is tricky: you’ll need to take a long ferry journey to Lysebotn, and it’s best done as a loop from the Stavanger region. See our dedicated route page for more info.

3. Melfjordbotn (425m)

Route: Trondheim – Bodø (detour required)

For those who relish a challenge and aren’t interested in the beaten tourist trail, cycling Melfjordbotn is an experience to seriously consider. Often called the “Trollstigen of Northern Norway,” this climb delivers steep gradients, hairpin bends, and an atmosphere that’s raw and unapologetic. Melfjordbotn is not just an alternative to Trollstigen — it’s its northern, wilder sibling. For cyclists looking to get off the radar and into raw Norwegian nature, this is the kind of climb that sticks with you. It’s hard, beautiful, and completely uncommercialised. If Trollstigen is your postcard, Melfjordbotn is your secret letter.

4. Tusenmetern (1009m)

Route: Jotunheimen Gravel Loop

Probably the best gravel climb in the country with 48 hairpin corners going from sea level to over 1000m. It’s a must road to cycle if you’re in the area and is completely car-free! Unlike Trollstigen’s polished tourist feel, this climb is raw and isolated. The gradient is consistent but tough. Expect long views and a real sense of being alone in the mountains. It’s rideable from July to late September from Øvre Årdal.

5. Dalsnibba (1498m)

Route: The World’s best day ride

Accessible from Geiranger, this is the world’s highest fjord climb. It’s a steady grind that finishes at a viewpoint nearly 1,500m above sea level. Like Trollstigen, Dalsnibba has hairpins and epic fjord views, but it’s more exposed and longer. There’s a toll to reach the final stretch reducing traffic, and it’s best combined with the ferry from Hellesylt to Geiranger for a full day’s loop.

6. Gamle Strynefjellsvegen (from Stryn) (1103m)

Route: The World’s best day ride

This is one for the history-minded. An old mountain road with a hard-packed gravel section, tight corners, and scenic lakes. It’s not as steep as Trollstigen and has fewer switchbacks, but the views are stunning, and the mountains have a similar feel to Trollstigen with rock walls on either side. It also carries the same 1930s engineering charm. Ride the road to Grotli, and then you can hit Dalsnibba, which is just down the road.

7. Aursjøvegen (978m)

Route: Fjord Norway

A quiet, rough road near Trollstigen that gives a similar experience — cliffs, waterfalls, switchbacks — without the busloads of tourists. It climbs from Eikesdalen and has a section blasted into the mountainside. It’s partially gravel, so take 32mm tyres or more. For those already in the area, it’s a perfect plan B if Trollstigen is closed.

8. Vestkapp (500m)

Route: Bergen – Trondheim (detour required)

Norway’s westernmost point, with a short but tough climb straight from the sea to the highlands. There are no hairpins, but the exposure and sudden elevation gain give it a dramatic punch. The road is paved, narrow, and steep. It’s an ideal detour if you’re already cycling the Eurovelo 1 between Bergen and Ålesund.

Each of these roads offers its own take on what makes cycling in Norway so rewarding: big climbs, shifting weather, and long views. If Trollstigen is off the table this year, there’s no shortage of alternatives — many just as worthy, and some even better for those who prefer solitude over spectacle.

Discover a map of Norway’s big climbs here