Trollpikken

Trollpikken is a special stone formation that became world famous when it was cut down one night in June 2017, and then re-erected shortly after.

The trip to Trollpikken is a short and family-friendly trip of 1.9 km through typical Magma terrain, first on a dirt road and then on a well-used path. Be prepared for both mud and slippery rocks. Good mountain shoes are recommended.

Geology and nature

Trollpikken is a phenomenon created by the ice during the last ice age, which ended around 10,000 years ago. Trollpikken is now located in a beautiful cultural landscape where the rock type in the area is anorthosite.

Anorthosite is a deep rock that was made from magma (molten rock) deep under a large mountain range around 1 billion years ago. Long before we knew that anorthosite is the same rock as on the surface of the moon, we called the area here lunar landscape, because the nature here had sparse vegetation and was not very fertile. The area is characterized by the fact that it has been shaped by the ice, and you will find several marks from the progress of the ice. One of the more obvious signs is the moving blocks that lie around the landscape. They were transported here by and with the ice. Trollpikken is also such a moving block, but it was only moved very briefly and never got off the ground properly. It got stuck and fell out, and remained in its position when the ice melted back. The wand is also made from the moonstone anorthosite.

Culture and history

The landscape where Trollpikken is located is largely a cultural landscape formed by traditional cultivation and animal breeding. You can see old land boundaries, fences and lakes along the path. If you choose to walk from Trollpikken down to Egersund, you get a unique insight into how animals and agriculture have shaped the landscape.

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