Trollstigen - Wind, Mountain, Emotion

Starting point: Åndalsnes, Norway. Fresh, pretty, harmless—for now. But less than 10 kilometers later, it becomes clear: This is no leisurely fjord tour. This is a pilgrimage for masochists and endorphin junkies.

The Trollstigen: an absurd parade of switchbacks with 11 hairpin bends, so steep you can see your sweat pouring downhill. Waterfalls cascade down beside you, while your lungs silently beg for mercy. Asphalt like something out of a Nordic legend—smooth, wicked, and beautiful. Anyone who doesn't experience a spontaneous endorphin rush at the sight of the switchbacks carved into the rock is either completely worn out—or too busy counting spokes.

Up above? A postcard panorama, a funfair on a tour bus, and a waffle kiosk. You're wet, dirty, and on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Perfect.

But was that it?

Not quite. If you're not already puking or freezing, keep going. Away from the tourists, over to the Alnesreset Pass. It's not bad—but it's lonely. A silent loop into nowhere, a final test for the mind. Not steep, not wild, but a mental check on civilization. After that, there's only wind, vastness, and the question of why you didn't just stay on the fjord.

You roll back to Åndalsnes like a stone kicked loose by a troll: faster and faster the closer you get to the valley floor.

Conclusion: Trollstigen isn't a climb—it's a test of character with a panoramic loop. Anyone who reaches the top either has steel in their calves or a very toxic relationship with themselves.

And anyone who then follows up with the Alnes reset, even though the bus parking lot was within reach – they're not cycling. They're escaping from something. But they're doing it in style.