Towering sea cliff in Norway opens jaw-dropping tourist route

Spectacular snow-capped mountain views, aquamarine water stretching out below and sheer, sheer cliff.

The towering Hornelen mountain on the western coast of Norway is now open to adrenaline-seekers with the nerves of steel needed to tackle its new via ferrata climbing route.

Via ferrata directly translates from Italian to English as “iron path” – it’s a term used to describe mountain climbing routes that use steel cables and fixed ladders to aid climbers.

Hornelan mountain is 860 meters (2,820 feet) high and is claimed by tourism board Fjord Norway as the tallest sea cliff in Europe. From its peak, Hornelen offers spectacular panoramas of the Norwegian fjord surrounds.

“The adrenaline rush looking down between your climbing boots and seeing ships in the fjord passing by over 2,000 feet below you is unparalleled,” Rogier van Oorschot, the man behind the new climbing route, told CNN Travel in a statement.

The new climbing route is van Oorschot’s vision – he’s been working on the project for nine years. Construction started last summer and the via ferrata officially opened on June 18, 2023. Van Oorschot is now operating guided tours via his company, Hornelen Via Ferrata.

Three different routes

Hornelen is located on the island of Bremangerlandet in Norway’s Nordfjord region. The mountain, infamous in Norwegian mythology as a gathering place for witches, is also believed to have been scaled by King Olaf I of Norway, who ruled over the country from 995 to 1000.

Those wishing to follow in Olaf’s footsteps via the via ferrata can choose between three routes of varying levels of difficulty: Ørnelia (Eagle Hill), Hekseveggen (The Wall of Witches) and Olavsrute (Olaf’s route).

Eagle Hill is the easiest of the three, described by Kristoffer B. Fürstenberg, Fjord Norway’s chief communications officer, as “a nice introduction to via ferrata – an easy two hour climb” and suitable for children over 12. Booking onto Eagle Hill costs 1,095 Norwegian krone (around $102) per person. The price is the same for adults and children.

Next up is the Wall of Witches, which is a “medium challenging six hours climb” suitable for those over 14. Booking onto this route costs 1,495 krone (around $139) per person.

Olaf’s route heads all the way to the top, and is the most difficult, suitable only for those over 16 years of age and in good fitness. It costs 1,695 krone (around $158) per person. Olaf’s route is an all-day trek, but rewards those who persevere with what Fürstenberg calls an “extraordinary view.”

“You have the ocean 860 meters straight down underneath your feet,” he tells CNN Travel. “To the left you see the big and open ocean, the islands, the fjord villages, the narrow fjord arms, the snow capped mountains and the glaciers further into the fjords. I don’t think you can find any other place where you see all of this at the same time.”

Hornelen Via Ferrata says it is committed to ensuring the safety of climbers, asking travelers to declare any medical conditions beforehand and providing a harness, via ferrata set – which includes two carabiner arms and a shock absorber – and a helmet for each climber.

“The guides provide course and safety demonstrations before the trip, and make sure everyone is safe during the entire trip,” says Fürstenberg.

More information on how to prepare and what to bring is available at Hornelen Via Ferrata’s website.

Hornelen Via Ferrata has only been open for guided climbs for a few days – the first one took place on June 23 – but van Oorschot says feedback has already been “overwhelming.”

“The sheer steepness of this rockface rising up from the sea and the open view over the fjords is what everybody is surprised by,” he says.

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