Of all the things in Norway named after trolls, this is by far one of the weirdest

Norway is fascinated with Trolls. In Odda they have the Troll Tongue (Trolltunga). Nedstrand has the troll’s wife (Himakånå). Åndalsnes has the troll’s wall and ladder (Trollveggen and Trollstigen). And Egersund? They have… ehhh… can you really write that?

It’s called Trollpikken, or in English: The Troll Dick Rock.

Trollpikken made international headlines in 2017 after being broken off intentionally. The reason for this is still unknown, but thanks to some locals, crowdfunding and some skilled engineers it was erected again in no-time (pun intended!).

Unlike many of the other rock formations in Norway, such as Kjerag, Preikestolen and Trolltunga, the hike to Trollpikken is short and easy. Many hikers going there at the same time as us brought young kids and that appeared to be no problem.

The weather was far from ideal when we made the trip on a foggy day in February. Luckily that meant the place was not very crowded either and we got to take photos of all the… ehh… fog… in peace and quiet.

The hike takes about 45 minutes and directions are easy to follow thanks to clear markings along the trail. The terrain goes a bit up and down, but overall it is fairly level.

Once you have arrived and taken the mandatory photos there is not that much to do around here. On a sunny day one can relax, eat lunch and enjoy the sun, but on a foggy day like it was for us this wasn’t very tempting. The entire trip did therefore not take very long and we recommend to combine it with other nearby activities. In Jøssingfjord there is plenty to do, we’ll soon publish an article about some of the sights there.

Practical

• There is a large parking lot by Sletteidveien north of Egersund. From here there are clear signs and markings leading you to Trollpikken. The price for parking is 100 NOK and can be paid with Vipps.
• If you don’t have a car taxis have a fixed price from downtown Egersund to the parking lot. 200 NOK each way for a regular car. You have to ask for the fixed price though! More details about this here (in Norwegian).
• Last half of the trail may be a bit muddy, especially during and after a downpour, so bring shoes that can handle a bit of water and mud.
• If you want to step onto the rock formation itself there are two options. Most people go around the rock and approach from above. This option is a bit steep and tricky. Prepare for scratched knees. A better way is to use the small “cave” that is right behind/to the right.
• Google Maps does not seem to be too impressed by the name of the rock and has removed the entire place from the map. Check out UT.no’s guide to Trollpikken (in Norwegian) or our map below.