Raudlifjellet (Sælefjellet)

  • Raudlifjellet (Sælefjellet)
  • 396 m
  • Primary factor 318 m
  • Bergen, Norway
  • Location: North 60:16.268 East 005:28.368 (GPS on the summit)
  • Difficulty: YDS class 1
  • Climbed November 28, 2010.

Information:

How to get there: Drive E-39 south from Bergen towards Stavanger (or closer Os). After Nestun, you cross over Vallaheiane then descend to the lake Kalandsvatnet. Shortly after leaving Kalandsvatnet, you need to pay attention. First, note that you cross the city border leaving Bergen and entering Os (road sign). Then you pass a gas station. You want to turn left at the very first opportunity where there is a small bridge across the river. This bridge takes you across to Tømmernes, just a few houses. Drive a bit left, the road then turns right and you have a red house on your left side. Here, there is a road fork, drive right (not up the valley), and find parking. In 2010, some recent road construction had taken place. There may be some future development here.
This location is N60:15.036 E005:26.746, elevation about 68 meter.
Route description: Head south, just off the (currently) elevated road, pick up a trail that runs towards a pretty clear saddle up among the trees. This place is called Storeleitet on the (fine scale local) map. The location you want to find is N60:14.908 E005:26.881, elvation about 100 meter. This is a big trail fork with several trails. The route turns sharply left here. There is a tiny wooden sign saying "Sælefjellet", this is the local name of the mountain.
Follow this trail as it finds its way uphill, with a few downs to cross local mini-valleys. The trail is sometimes quite big then quite small. Higher up, you traverse below a local hill (point 308), then enter a somewhat wider and nice clearing that extends gently uphill. Pay attention here as the trail forks right (poorly marked). This location is N60:15.363 E005:27.532, elevation about 292 meter. The trail is now marked with mostly white, but also some red and blue tape. Continue uphill and arrive at a nice view point with location N60:15.476 E005:27.731, elevation 357 meter. There is a cairn (pile of rocks) here as well as a mail box with a trail register.
From here, the trail is easy to follow crossing small meadows and descending a bit left in one place. The trail is more or less following the highest crest and this ridge becomes better defined as we traverse the last part of the trail before arrival at the highest point, where there is another summit register in a mail box.
Comments: This "mountain" is really a hill. There are pine trees growing at the summit I left the car at 1125 and tried to follow the small road that sort of went up the valley. I subsequently soon lost the trail as I climbed the Tømmernesåsen ridge. A few small trails here and there, but no consistent trail could be followed for any longer time. The terrain was easy, however, and I soon climbed right and ran into the trail near point 389.
I arrived at the summit register by 1220, signed it (a man had been here earlier today and also yesterday), then left around 1230. There were really too many trees to get any view from here. I decided to follow the main trail back down, in order to document a proper trail. I was back at the car by 1330, a very nice hike on a good, quite distinct hill. The vegetation higher up is characterized by small meadows and pine trees, very nice indeed.

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