Knutshøe is a 1,517-metre-high mountain in Jotunheimen National Park near the world-famous Besseggen trek. The views from the top of Knutshøe are breathtaking and from here you can admire the Besseggen mountain ridge, the charismatic Besshø mountain, the Gjende, Øvre Leirungen and Nedre Leirungen lakes, the Leirungsdalen valley and many other nearby attractions.
The ascent of Knutshøe is usually done as a circuit, climbing to the top from the east side and once you reach the top of Knutshøe you walk down the western slope and then back to the car park around the Øvre Leirungen lake.
The initial section of the climb on the east side is quite challenging (more challenging than Besseggen) and if you don’t feel confident about this part, you can go down and take the southern foot first in the Leirungsdalen valley to the Øvre Leirungen lake and climb up to the top of Knutshøe on the west side. This option is relatively inexpensive.
In total, the route to Knutshøe is about 13 kilometres long, takes about 6 hours and reaches an elevation gain of 457 metres.
A great starting point is the Vargebakkane viewpoint/parking area.