Project NPL – Norge på langs

A long-distance hike – a long-cherished dream that will come true for us in 2022. Years ago, we saw a documentary about the Appalachian Trail and since then, the topic has remained with us. The big long-distance hiking trails in the USA – like the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) – are probably familiar to everyone who has ever been involved in long hikes. However, the fact that there are also great long-distance hiking trails apart from the Way of St. James in Europe, which means right on our doorstep, is something we only discovered years later. We will walk one of them in 2022: the Norge på langs, or NPL for short, which means “Norway lengthwise”.

Norge på langs (NPL)

Unlike many other long-distance trails, the NPL does not (yet) have a fixed route. Therefore, each traveler plans his own route. Not even the starting and ending points are set. You start somewhere in the south and finish high up in the north. Or the other way around, of course. Most hikers, however, start at the lighthouse in Lindesnes. For many, the North Cape or Knivskjellodden – a rocky outcrop near the North Cape, which lies a little further north – have become the destination for their hike. In between there lies a distance of about 2,500 to 3,000 kilometers. This can be covered on foot, by bicycle or, in winter, on skis. Or a combination of different modes of transportation.

Our plan

Our version of the NPL starts on May 15, 2022: the sabbatical has already been approved (Katharina) and the employment contract has been terminated (Manuel). The route is also planned. At a length of about 2,700 kilometers, it will take us from the Lindesnes lighthouse through Norway, Sweden and also a small stretch through Finland northwards to the North Cape. We have about 150 days for this route before Katharina has to be back in Germany in the middle of October.

Track our Norge på langs tour live on the map

While we were on the move, we sent our location every day. See where our Norge på langs tour took us:

NPL at a glance

Total distance	2,716.9 km
Difference in altitude	57,837 m ↑ and 57,565 m ↓
Duration (total)	150 days
Hiking days	131
km/hiking day	20.7 km
Countries	Norway, Sweden, Finland
Border crossings	8