Activities

Eplet is located in Luster, the heart of the Fjords of Western Norway. There are lots of attractions, but the first time you stay here these are 5 main attractions you should consider doing; Feigumsfossen Romantic Road Bike ride, Molden Mountain Hike, Glacier hike, Fjord Seal Kayak,Ice Troll.

All the activities can be booked when you are here, which is easier. If you are staying just 2 nights and want to do a longer trip with icetroll we recommend that you book directly with them;www.icetroll.com. The above map indicates some of the possibilities. Luster kommune has many trekking cabins and a range of marked trails;breheimen hut to hut. If the weather is bad and you prefer staying inside your car we have made a selection of the most popular daytrips with car. If it is raining every day and the kids want to do something fun, we recommenced the glacier museum in Fjærland or the Lustrabadet public swim spa in Gaupne.

The 5 main attractions are of an easy to mediate level. Some people find them very easy, some rather hard. But most people can absolutely manage them. But you don't necessarily need to do these, whatever level you prefer, from easy hikes to climbs in Jotunheimen it is all very accesible from Eplet. Remember that the activities listed on our webpage are just a small selection of the possibilities around. There are numerous great hikes and bike rides in the region. We have many active guests coming back every year, and we will never run out of suggestions. If the weather is bad and you prefer staying inside your car we have made a selection of the most popular daytrips with car.

Rental Bikes

Eplet is located in Luster, the heart of the Fjords of Western Norway. There are lots of attractions. All the activities can be booked when you are here, which is easier.

There are 4 brilliant biketrips starting at Eplet. For that reason we have a garage with more than 20 solid mountainbikes. They are for rent for everybody, guests staying at Eplet pay half price. Included is helmet and small backpacks. We have children bikes in several sizes, but we dont have children's bikes/seats.

The most popular ride is The Romantic Road

You should also try the dramatic road along Veitastrondsvatnet, The spectacular mountain road to Mollandsmorki (recommend in Lonely planet) or if you want a bit longer; the 75 km loop around Lustrafjord.

Romantic Road

Along the seaside of Lustrafjord - from Kinsedalen to Skjolden - there is a small well-surfaced road which is the perfect spot for a relaxed biketrip along the innermost part of the second longest fjord in the world. You just have to do this one! Crossing the fjord on a tiny ferry, rolling along an idyllic well paved road with very little traffic, experience the Unesco Urnes stave church and visit the deer farm. Halfway you stop and take a picture of a very nice little waterfall, half an hour later you hike up to the second highest free falling waterfall in Norway. Buy a bottle of home made juice in the self service fridge just as you get thirsty along the road. You may see a wild deer running along the road together with you, you may see a bunch of seals in the fjord. Or porpoises. Feigumsfossen the second highest free falling waterfall in Norway with 218 metres fall. It sounds like an earthquake and if you get closer than this picture you are guaranteed a cold shower.

Hikes

Staying at Eplet you can choose between different kinds of hikes. The most popular is the Molden Hike. It is a fairly easy hike with amazing views in all directions.

A more challenging hike is Solvorn-nipa. Starting directly from Eplet it is a long and hard hike up the steep valley side.

If you want a peaceful stroll we recommend Mosaviki, 20 minutes walk along the fjord from Eplet. At Eplet you will get a little booklet with some cultural history and some small maps that you can use for your own exploration through the forests.

Molden Hike

Molden is a single standing plateau mountain 1118 masl with the fjord and lowland on all sides. Its location between Jostedalsbreen, Jotunheimen and other mountain regions makes the view breathtaking.

It is fairly easy to access Molden. The hike takes 2-3 hours up and 1-2 hours down. The path is well marked and starts at Molden parking at 500 masl. To get to Molden parking you; a) Use your car from Eplet: 10 min drive. b) Bus along the main road. You need to hike from the bus stop at 300 masl up to Molden parking at 500 masl. That trip extension takes an hour. c) Rent bike at Eplet and bike up to Molden parking. After climbing Molden you continue on the Spectacular mountain road. Highly recommend.

From the summit you see the head of the Sognefjord, the second longest fjord in the world. You see the peaks of Jotunheimen national park and the glacier plateau of the Jostedalsbreen national park. Straight under your feet lies Lustrafjord. This picture is then the sun rise on Molden summit on a mid-summer night.

Fjord Kayak

Lustrafjorden is the innermost part of Sognefjorden - the second longest fjord on earth. A kayak trip along the shores of Lustrafjord is a perfect way to explore the wilderness. There are seals, porpoises and a variety of landliving animals that don't run away before you get very close.

FjordSeal was established in 2010 by Franka & Paul Fransen. They offer guided kayak trips. The normal trip is about 4 hours and is designed for the whole family. Children 7-14 years are required to paddle in a tandem with an adult. After instructions we paddle towards Solvorn.

With one of the routes available we will visit a colony of seals and have a lunch break. Bring your own food,drinks and extra clothes/towels,and don't forget your camera: you will have four exciting hours, guaranteed!

In the period from the 1st of May to the 30th of September there are daily trips. Start at 09.30 at the base in Marifjøra about 400 meters from Tørvis Hotel. Bring your own food, drinks and extra clothes/towels. Booking in advance is advisable as there are limited places available,with a maximum number of 10 persons. Call +47 957 74 196 www.fjordseal.com

Ice lake kayak

In the proximity of the Jostedalsbreen glacier there are several remote valleys with glacier lakes. Combine a glacier walk with a widerness experience and a kayak trip where you paddle between icebergs. icetroll offers kayak and glacier hikes in these regions. The tours are designed for any ability. They are long day trips, so you should be prepared with a big lunch pack and good clothing fro being outdoors the whole day. But the tempo is relaxing, so you don't have to be in especially good physical shape.

These are the day trips:

1. Styggevatnet Daytrip. 7,5 hours. Early July- mid October. Kayak paddle and glacier walk. Highlight: Kayak around icebergs.

2. Styggevatnet Halfday. 4 hours. Mid July- mid October. Boat trip and glacier walk. Designed for families.

3. Tunsbergdalsbreen Daytrip. 9 hours. June- mid October. Kayak paddle and glacier walk. Highlight: Hiking a Wild Gorge & Isolated Glacier

4. Nigardsbrevatnet Daytrip. 6 hours. Late May- early July. Kayak paddle and glacier walk. Highlight: longer glacier trip. There are also several overnight trips.

Most of the day trips can be reached with the glacier bus, but be aware that you may not catch the glacier bus on the way back. If so, you need to take a later bus from the glacier center that will not take you all the way down to Solvorn. You will have to walk the last three kilometers from the main road down to Eplet.

Rafting

icetroll offers rafting in Jostedøla. You will paddle in a seven passenger raft with a highly trained guide through class I, II, and III (in high water conditions) rapids. The Jostedøla river originates in Jostedalsbreen, and on its way down to Lustrafjord it cuts a path through alpine valleys of unmatched beauty. When rafting you will see this landscape from its most thrilling vantage point. The starting point is Jostedalen camping, not too far from the glacier center.

There are three different trips:

1. Little miss piggy family trip. 2 hours. Daily at 10:00 and 14:00. A very easy trip for the whole Family!

The trip may depend on the amount of water in the river.

2. Riverpig trip. 3 hours. Daily at 1000 and 1400. Takes in a series of class 3-4 white water and fantastic gorge and mountain scenery.

3. Big Boss Hog trip. 6,5 hours. Daily at 1000. Includes lunch, a shower under a 200m high waterfall, and a fantastic run through class 4 rapids. You will see almost the whole Jostedalen Valley from the water.

Glacier hiking

Jostedalsbreen glacier is the largest ice cap on the European continent. From the endless white plateau a lot of glacier arms are pushing their way down the valleys. One of the most spectacular and the easiest accessible of these is the Nigardsbreen glacier in Jostedalen. You get to the glacier center by private car (45 minutes) or with the Glacier Bus, which leaves Solvorn at 08:35 every day. The bus returns to Solvorn 18:15.

Jostedalen breførarlag BFL, the glacier guide company, offers guided tours on Nigardsbreen. There are 6 different hikes:

We recommend the Special Blue Ice Hike. During July and August choose the early one at 10:15. Trip takes 5 hours, 12 years minimum age.

If you want to try ice climbing choose the Special Blue Ice Hike, total time 6,5 hours.

For children we reccomend the Kids Special Blue Ice Hike, age limit 8 years. You book the tickets online at BFL

All equipment is included and safety is the number one priority. The walk is not physically hard.

Although some people find that they have used new muscles from walking with crampons on the ice, so it can be tiring!

The hosts recommend enjoying the glacier with a cinnamon roll from Lustrabui bakery

Breheim Hut to Hut

The Norwegian trekking association - DNT - owns hundreds of mountain huts and maintains an extensive hiking network linking them together. Hardangervidda and Jotunheimen national park huts are the most famous. But they are also the most crowded, and the huts are more like big mountain hotels. In most Norwegian mountain regions you will find self-served huts where you can stay over, make fire and food. Some of the huts even have food supplies.

Breheimen National Park is an untouched gem. Hidden between Jostedalsbreen and Jotunheimen national parks it does not receive huge numbers of visitors. But the landscape is amazing. Because of its size and location it contains some of the biggest glaciers in Norway, some of the deepest valleys. Luster region has the highest numbers of self-serviced mountain huts in Norway. In Breheimen you can choose anything from a 3-day hike to a 1-week hike.

It is easy to get to Breheimen with a public bus from Eplet. In the reception at Eplet you can get maps and information about Breheimen. We sell the standard DNT-key you need for most of the huts in all of Norway.

We recommend that you stay a few days at Eplet before the hike. In that way you will get all the information you need for a hut-to-hut hike in Breheimen. It is difficult for me to describe everything to everybody on e-mail. For a hut-to-hut hike you will need wind and waterproof clothing, walking boots, backpack, map, general safety equipment and sleeping bag.

This is the basic Breheimen 3-day hike, it is amazing:

Day 1. Bus from Eplet to Skjolden. Walk from Skjolden to Fast (or take a taxi the first 5 km along the road if it is raining)
Day 2. Hike from Fast to Fivla.
Day 3. Hike from Fivla to Navarsete. Hike from Navarsete to Gaupne. Bus from Gaupne to Solvorn.

You could also stay at Navarsete to make an extra day. Make day 3 and 4 very short.

If you have a car you can drive from Eplet to Gaupne, leave the car there, stock up with food and take the bus to Skjolden.

If the weather forecast is very bad:
Day 1. Bus from Eplet to Luster. Taxi from Luster to the end of Dalsdalen. Hike to Fivla Day 2. Stay at Fivla. Day 3. Hike from Fivla to Navarsete. Hike from Navarsete to Gaupne. Bus from Gaupne to Solvorn. For any overnight hikes in Breheimen you need the standard DNT-key. You can get it in the reception at Eplet. For more information, visit The Norwegian Trekking Association.