We arrived at the Ryten parking lot in the early evening. This is a private parking/camping area where you can either park for the hike or stay overnight, costing around 10 โฌ/night. Unfortunately, we don’t remember the day parking fee, but it’s probably in the same range.
We arrived in the early evening intending to hike that night and stay overnight. The parking area had an outdoor dishwashing area where you could also fill up your water supplies, and there was one toilet, which wasn’t the best, but it sufficed for the night. The owner was very friendly, and there were a lot of people there, with the area almost full. You could also camp here, but we were fond of our car bed, so we slept in the car.
We packed our gear and set off for the hike, bringing food and warm clothing since, even though the weather was good when we started, it can change quickly, so it’s good to be prepared.
The Ryten hike is about 3.6 km one way, so a total of 7.2 km, with an elevation gain of 543 meters if you only go to Ryten. There is also an option to visit Kvalvika Beach on the same route, adding some extra length and elevation to the hike. Our plan was to first climb Ryten and then hike to Kvalvika Beach, but when we reached the top of Ryten, it started raining heavily and the wind picked up, so we had to descend quickly and missed out on Kvalvika Beach. Maybe next time.
The Ryten hiking trail is easy, clear, and well-maintained. The trail starts at the edge of the parking area, passing through sheep pastures before beginning the ascent to the summit. You won’t see the summit for a long time, and this hike is one of those where you keep guessing that the peak must be just over the next ridge. And you often make several such guesses along the way. ๐
Sometimes the trail is a path, sometimes boardwalks, and occasionally flat terrain, so the hike includes some lighter sections and isn’t just continuous uphill. About halfway, or a little after, there’s a chance to head to Kvalvika Beach, but we continued straight towards the Ryten summit. As you climb higher, the views of Kvalvika Beach begin to unfold gradually, with stunning rugged mountains and the turquoise sea, truly beautiful.
Near the top, a bit before the summit, there’s the famous photo rock with a beautiful view towards Kvalvika Beach. It’s a flat rock where some sit and others dangle for Instagram shots, and of course, we had to do the same. We continued a bit further before reaching the summit of Ryten.
The scenery is again breathtaking, with the endless sea and even somewhat Scottish-like rolling grassy landscapes with rugged mountain edges (we haven’t been to Scotland, but the images we’ve seen evoked this comparison ๐).
One of the highlights of reaching the summit is having a snack break while enjoying the views. We relaxed with our snacks, admiring the scenery until the weather started to change, and it began to rain. At first, it didn’t bother us as we had warm clothes to put on, but eventually, the cold and the increasing rain made us descend quickly.
So, Kvalvika Beach was left for the next trip, but the views from Ryten were so beautiful that we’d gladly visit again.
