Seven years ago, I lived in Bergen for a short but unforgettable chapter of my life. Even after leaving, the city stayed with me. The salty air, the mountains surrounding the city, the outdoor culture, and yes, even the unpredictable weather, made Bergen a place I always wanted to come back to.
At the beginning of May, I finally did it.
This time, I returned together with my long-term brand partner Salewa with a challenge in mind: completing Bergen’s famous Seven Mountains through speed hiking, the activity I originally fell in love with while living here years ago.
Speed hiking sits somewhere between hiking and trail running. Fast enough to feel athletic and challenging, but still slow enough to properly take in the surroundings. That balance is what I love most about it. You cover ground quickly, but you still stay connected to the landscape around you. And honestly, there may not be a better city in the world for it than Bergen.
Instead of doing all seven mountains in one push, I spread them out across five days. I wanted this trip to feel less like a challenge to complete and more like a chance to reconnect with a place that shaped a big part of my love for the outdoors.
Day 1: Lyderhorn
I started with Lyderhorn, the mountain standing on Bergen’s western side facing the sea.
It felt like the perfect place to begin. The trail immediately brought back memories: wet forest paths, cold air coming in from the coast, and that quietness you find only a few minutes after leaving the city behind.
And of course, Bergen weather did what Bergen weather does best.
Within a single hike we had sunshine, fog, wind, rain, and even a bit of snow near the top. One moment the fjord was completely visible below us, the next everything disappeared into clouds.
But that’s part of what makes Bergen special. You don’t really plan around the weather here, you just move with it.
Day 2: Fløyen and Rundemanen
The second day was a double summit: Fløyen and Rundemanen.
Fløyen is probably Bergen’s most well-known mountain, but returning there after so many years felt surprisingly emotional. Some parts of the trail instantly brought back memories from when I lived here, small moments I hadn’t thought about in years.
After Fløyen, we continued toward Rundemanen where the city slowly started to disappear behind us and the terrain became more open and quiet.
That transition is one of my favourite things about speed hiking. Within a couple of hours you move through completely different environments: from busy streets to forests, from crowds to silence, from city life to feeling fully out in nature.
Day 3: Ulriken
Day three was all about Ulriken, the tallest of Bergen’s seven mountains and probably my personal favourite.
We started later in the afternoon, which gave the whole hike a different atmosphere. One thing I’ve always loved about Bergen is how naturally outdoor movement is part of everyday life here. Even after work, the trails were full of people heading uphill, running, hiking, or simply spending time outside.
You can really feel that outdoor culture in this city.
And once again, the weather completely changed during the climb. We started in almost summer-like conditions and reached the top surrounded by snow and freezing wind. Classic Bergen.
Still, seeing the sun break through just before sunset made the climb totally worth it.
Day 4: Sandviksfjellet
Compared to Ulriken, Sandviksfjellet felt quieter and a bit more hidden away.
The weather turned moodier again, and by this point we almost expected snow to appear at some stage of the hike. Somehow we ended up speed hiking through snow on three different days during this trip, in May.
There’s something I really enjoy about moving through changing conditions like this though: Speed hiking makes you very aware of your surroundings because everything constantly shifts: the temperature, the visibility, the light, the terrain.
In Bergen especially, the weather forces you to stay present. A single day can feel like multiple different seasons packed into a few hours.
Day 5: Løvstakken and Damsgårdsfjellet
The final day combined Løvstakken and Damsgårdsfjellet.
Løvstakken gave us one last panoramic view over Bergen, while Damsgårdsfjellet felt like a calmer ending to the week. Finishing there somehow felt fitting, slightly outside the busiest routes, a little quieter, and reflective in a good way.
And for the first time all week, we actually finished a hike without rain or snow. A small miracle in Bergen.
Coming back after seven years felt strange in the best possible way. Some things had changed, and so had I. But the mountains were still there, the weather was still unpredictable, and Bergen still feels like one of the best places in the world to move through nature.
