If you have 2–3 hours to spare while you are at Bjorliheimen, a trip to Rånåbue is a great alternative. Rånåbue is a day trip hut located at the top of Rånåkollen.
The trail is well marked.
Ut.no describes the hike as Bjorli's signature hike – moderately demanding, 4.5 km long with 463 meters of elevation gain, and estimated to take about 2 hours round trip. This matches our experiences well.
On a dry, hot day in mid-July, low-top hiking boots were perfect footwear. Most of the hike is uphill, which can be slippery on wet days. We were glad to bring plenty of water – there are no streams along the route.
From the top you have a panoramic view of Reinheimen, Tafjordfjella, Romsdalen, Lesjadalen and Bjorli. As soon as you pass the tree line you get a great view, and you can look down to Bjorliheimen and the rest of Bjorli for much of the hike.
If you are a member of Fjelltoppjakten – an app where you can check in on mountain peaks all over Norway – you can extend the trip by a few hundred meters and check in on both Rånåkollen (1160 m) and Nordre Rånåkollen (1151 m). The terrain between the peaks is easy to walk.
From Bjorliheimen it is approximately 4 kilometers to the parking lot for the tour. How to get to the starting point:
- Drive out onto E136 towards Dombås
- After about 500 meters, turn right onto Fv517 towards Rånå.
- After about 3 km you will find the parking lot with information signs.
Have a good trip!
Torleiv Åreskjold