Each hike/trek/package offered by Outdoorlife Norway is labelled with a symbol that indicates the tour’s level of hiking difficulty, as described on this page. The scale was developed by Outdoorlife Norway, but is loosely based on scales, symbols, and descriptions widely used by international hiking, biking, and skiing associations/communities.
Our Hiking Difficulty Scale was Developed for the Following Reasons:
• To help guests determine which tours best match their skill-sets and fitness levels
• To increase the quality and safety of our tours
Guests who have realistic expectations about the difficulty of their upcoming adventure are more likely to have an enjoyable experience.
Suitable for | People of all ages, including children and seniors, who are in fair condition.
Trail Conditions | Wide and facilitated, with hardened and/or smooth surfaces.
Excellent/extensive signage and trail markings.
Type of Terrain | Flat, typically found in parks and forests, or along lakes and beaches.
Distance / Duration / Elevation | Very short, with no increase in elevation.
Guide’s Roles | Facilitator, managing logistics, interpretation, and hostmanship.
Suitable for | People of most ages* who are in general good condition, and have some (basic) hiking experience.
Trail Conditions | Largely facilitated, wide paths with mostly firm and stable surfaces.
Decent signage and trail markings.
Type of Terrain | Flat and/or hilly.
Distance / Duration / Elevation | 2-3 kilometres / 2-3 hours per-day / small increases in elevation
Guide’s Role | facilitator, managing logistics, interpretation, hostmanship, plus some
assistance in navigation, technical skills, and safety.
*The minimum age to participate is specific to each hike. Please click on individual tour pages for more information.
Suitable for | People of most ages*, who are in general good condition, and have previous hiking experience.
Trail Conditions | Partly facilitated (ie. wooden/stone staircases, bridges, railings). Narrower paths and slightly more technical, although mostly firm and stable surfaces. Rocks and other obstacles are present. Some signage, good trail-markings.
Type of Terrain | Hilly, with some steeper, rocky stretches that require good eye/hand/feet coordination.
Distance / Duration / Elevation | 3-8 kilometres / 3-5 hours per-day / substantial increases in elevation
Guide’s Role | facilitator, managing logistics, interpretation, hostmanship, plus some
assistance in navigation, technical skills, and safety.
*The minimum age to participate is specific to each hike. Please click on individual tour pages for more information.
Suitable for | People of most ages*, who are in very good condition, and have previous experience
hiking on unsteady surfaces in mountainous terrain.
Trail Conditions | Facilitated at times with simple technical equipment (ie. chains and ropes). Narrow and/or non-existent trails, mostly marked with simple signs/cairns. Some technical, “off-the-beaten-track” hiking necessary.
Type of Terrain | Mountainous. Steeper sections with rocky surfaces that require very good eye/hand/feet coordination. A variety of obstacles, including unsteady surfaces (ie. creeks, swamps, bushes, and boulders).
Distance / Duration / Elevation | 8-12 kilometres / 5-7 hours per-day / major increases in elevation
Guide’s Role | Mentor, mostly focusing on navigation, safety, and technical skills. Logistics are planned well in advance. Interpretation and hostmanship are executed whenever possible.
*The age range required to participate is specific to each hike. Please click on individual tour pages for more information.
Suitable for | People in their physical prime – excluding anyone under 18 years old – who are in extremely good condition and have extensive hiking experience on unsteady surfaces in mountainous terrain.
Trail Conditions | Rarely facilitated with very simple technical equipment (ie, chains and/or ropes). Mainly non-existent, narrow, unmarked trails that require a lot of technical “off-the-beaten-track” hiking and scrambling. at times with simple technical equipment (ie. chains and ropes).
Type of Terrain | Mountainous. Mainly unsteady surfaces and with a wide variety of obstacles (ie. creeks, rivers, swamps, bushes, boulders, and steep rock surfaces).
Distance / Duration / Elevation | At least 12 kilometres / 7+ hours per-day / 1,500 meter increases in elevation per-day
Guide’s Role | Expedition leader with a great focus on navigation, safety, and technical skills. Logistics are highly tailored and planned well in advanced. Interpretation and hostmanship are executed when possible.
