Sherpatrappa — the Sherpa steps
Stone stairway up Storsteinen — the hard way to the view
Recommended
About
Sherpa-built stone steps climb from Tromsdalen to the Storsteinen ledge. Same view the cable car sells, minus the ticket and plus the sweat. It's a staircase, not a technical hike, and it is relentless. On a clear summer evening this is one of the best things you can do in Tromsø: climb in the endless light, then ride the cable car down. One-way tickets exist for exactly this plan. Treat it as a summer route. In winter the stairway is snowed over and icy, and the slope holds avalanche risk. Locals go up with skis or spikes and knowledge you don't have. Take the cable car.
- 🕒 How long
- 1.5–2.5 hours round trip from the bridge
- 👤 Suits
- Fit walkers who'd rather earn the view than buy it
- 🗓️ Season
- Snow-free months only, roughly June to October depending on the year.
This is personal opinion, not a sponsored listing.
Practical
🥾 The hike
- ▶
- Starts: Foot of the steps, Tromsdalen
- 🏁
- Ends: Storsteinen, by the upper cable-car station (421 m)
- 📏
- About 0.8 km one way (Measured from the OSM geometry of the Sherpatrappa step sections, one way)
- ⏱️
- 30–60 minutes up
- 💪
- ●●●●●difficulty 3/5
Sherpa-built stone steps, steep and solid, arriving next to the upper cable-car station — one-way tickets down exist for exactly this plan. Snow-free months only; in winter take the cable car.
Time estimate, difficulty and notes are our editorial rating, not an official grade. Check conditions before you go.
- 📍
- Tromsdalen
- 🕐
- Not listed — check the official website before you go.
The map pin marks the foot of the steps (OSM way 506136962, Nominatim-verified 2026-07-22). A public mountain path — free, unstaffed, at your own risk; conditions are not asserted here.
While you're here
- Fjellheisen cable car~530 m