Sauafjellet

  • Sauafjellet
  • 539 m
  • Primary factor 186 m
  • Samnanger, Norway
  • Location: North 60.35350 East 005.61381 (GPS on the summit)
  • Difficulty: YDS class 2
  • Climbed September 9, 2012.

Information:

How to get there:
From Bergen, drive E-16 to Trengereid, make the first right in the traffic circle and continue on Hwy. 7 towards Nordheimsund. As you start going downhill, drive through 2 tunnels and pay attention to the road that forks right very soon after the 2nd. tunnel. This road has signs for Os. Take this road and continue exactly 4.8 kilometer. You will see the trailhead as well as possible parking off the road on its right hand side. Park here, this is the trailhead, location: N60.36055 E005.63251, elevation about 35 meter.
Route description:
Head up the nice old path as it zig-zags up the hill before going more gently to lake Store Brekkevatn. Just as the trail levels out, at location N60.35845 E005.61755, elevation about 320 meter, turn left and leave the trail. There are cliffs above you. Hike up towards the cliff on grass slopes as high as you get, possibly moving a bit left. Locate a very ugly looking gully. Scramble carefully (this is not difficult!) into and up this gully. It seems to dead-end, however, very nicely continues towards the right and provides an easy access to the terrain above. All difficulties are now behind you. Ascend on easy ground towards your left to gain the main ridge. Continue up the ridge along grass and wide ledges that criss-cross all over. Go over a false summit, then continue to the highest point. It may be best to stay a bit on the right hand side of the ridge, then turn left and ascend more or less directly towards the summit. There are some faint trails in a few places that seem to lead uphill. The summit has a nicely built, pretty large cairn.

Note: This mountain may also be climbed starting from the parking at the end of Hausdalen. The "military road" crossed this way. Most of the route from Hausdalen follows a good forest road. This is a longer hike. I do not know how difficult the terrain may be if one ascends Sauafjellet from the south-west, which would be natural when approaching from this side.
Comments:
I left my car at 1345, but took the time to read the historical information about the old "military road" that was posted at the trailhead. Subsequently, I ascended the nice old path and looked at the final section to the mountain itself. It looked steepish with cliffs. I decided to give it a try and left the trail, ascending easy slopes towards the cliffs above. Easily spotted, I decided to explore a very distinct gully that led upwards. It certainly looked like a dead end, but turned out to provide a very nice way to the terrain above the cliffs. The rest of the hike was quite easy and enjoyable as I made the summit at 1445, - one hour.
The view is nice, in the fjord to Samnanger as well as out the Samnanger fjord. The better known Sveningen is located to the south, while the Sydpolen summit on Gullfjellet with the distinct Purkedalsgjelet is directly across.
I descended more directly down towards the trail, however, this got me into unpleasant terrain and it took a bit of time to get down safely here. Thus, I recommend my route of ascent. I was back at my car by 1550, a one hour descent due to a far from optimal way down.

Resources: