Discover Ustaoset

Ustaoset combines groomed cross-country ski trails with the Skarverennet race, marked trails, and a history dating back to the Middle Ages. If you’re looking for a hotel for a trip to Ustaoset, you can plan around the season and your interests: winter sports, events, hiking, or cultural history. The station is on the Bergen Railway; check the timetable before you travel.

Ski trails and routes

The Ustaoset ski trail area marks and grooms a network of trails totaling 90 kilometers. Routes and destinations include Prestholt, Raggemyra, Åkerstølen, Uggen, Verpestølen, Steinkulp, Tuva, Ustetind, Rennedalen, and Kulthaug. The network connects to the ski trail networks in Haugastøl and Geilo, making longer loops possible. These connections may change over time.

The Rennedalen trail starts in Ustaoset, follows the river to the turnoff for Tuva, and is 8.5 kilometers long. The Ustaoset–Hesteberget–Prestholt–Eimeheia–Ustaoset loop is 16 kilometers; the Ustaoset–Kaklelie–Lorthøl–Åkerstøltjørne route, also called Ruken nedre løype, is 13.5 kilometers long. The Ustaoset–Tuva–Ustetind–Ustaoset ski loop is 15 kilometers. All these trails are groomed for both classic and skating styles. Their different lengths give you a concrete basis for comparing routes when planning your trip; however, snow conditions and grooming vary by season.

The trail via Verpestølen, Hornbustølen, and Uggen is 11.5 kilometers, including the loop on the ice. Use of the ice section depends on a safety check and seasonal conditions. The shortest winter access to Tuva Turisthytte starts in Ustaoset, goes via Verpestølen, and is seven kilometers long. Snow conditions and grooming may vary here too.

Skarverennet and the Easter race

The Skarverennet course runs every year in the second half of April, covering 37 kilometers from Finse through the high mountains to Ustaoset. The exact dates and route may vary. The race trails are groomed for both skating and classic styles and are intended for recreational and competitive skiers alike. A shorter, 25-kilometer route between Haugastøl and Ustaoset was introduced as early as 1996; the annual arrangements may change. Ustaoset Vel also organizes a traditional Easter ski race, whose program may vary as well.

Getting there by train and bus

Ustaoset station is on the Bergen Railway. Trains run from there toward Bergen, Flåm, and Oslo S; check the timetable before you travel. A bus stop is 200 meters from the station. In summer, buses run from there toward Haugastøl and Hardanger. Since bus services are seasonal, it’s a good idea to check the connections when planning your journey.

Summer trails and history

Marked summer routes lead via Tuva Turisthytte to the Hardangervidda. Ustetind lies just south of Ustaoset and can be climbed directly from there. The marked Kulthaugrunden hiking route is another option: it passes through the cabin settlement, close to the animal trapping pits, and returns to the center along paths and trails via Huskerud, Hovdestølen, and Kulthaugvegen. Check local information on trail maintenance before taking this route.

Near Hovdestølen, behind the former Ustaoset fjellstue and the old motel, are 22 well-preserved stone-lined animal trapping pits from the Middle Ages. They can be visited as part of the Kulthaugrunden route, though the history of the cabin settlement extends beyond them: the settlement was established at the beginning of the 20th century around a traditional summer-farm settlement. These traces from different eras give your stay a further local connection alongside the cross-country ski and hiking trails.

Discover more destinations: Hol, Hovet, Geilo, Haugastøl, Eggjareir, Dagali.

Go to the main travel overview: Hol.