Strøna

  • Strøna
  • 906 m
  • Primary factor 863 m
  • Lofoten, Norway
  • Location: North 68.42264, East 014.76915 (GPS)
  • Climbed September 9. 2020
  • Difficulty: YDS class 3

Information:

How to get there:
Locate the tunnel on Hwy. E-10 that crosses under the fjord Sløverfjorden. This is about 30 kilometer (north) from the city Svolvær. There is a road fork on the west side, go north on Hwy. 82, then left where Hwy. 82 just serves a ferry. You are now o´n Hwy. 7638. Continue to the small village Strønstad. Locate a small road that forks left, there is a rack of mail boxes as well as some garbage bins there. The location is N68.43507, E014.73395. Ask about parking if you see people on the first farm, I was told to park off a small road very near the trailhead at location N68.43320, E014.73755. From this spot you will see a sign saying Strøna pointing to the trail that leaves the small farm road at this point.
Route:
The trail starts where the Strøna sign points to the beginning of the trail. The trail has been improved with board walks across several meadows in the beginning. It heads gently uphill to reach the east side of lake Dalsvatnet. The trail is well marked. Pay attention (follow the markers) as the trail forks and leaves the lake near the south end. Follow the trail as it climbs gently to reach a small basin at elevation 220 meter. Big boulders are scattered here. You will pass close on the right side of one boulder, then go between two more. At this point you will see a giant boulder further ahead. Follow the trail (faint) that forks a bit left here. Thus, you should arrive about 30 meter to the left side of the giant boulder. Look carefully here and locate a cairn that shows the beginning of the trail ascending the steeper terrain ahead in order to gain the ridge line above.
The trail now becomes quite distinct again and easy to follow as it gains the col above, elevation about 450 meter. Continue along the ridge (left) and follow the highest ridge (ignore some minor trails cutting right), until the ridge becomes difficult. From about here, the trail is marked with small cairns and red paint the rest of the way to the summit. First, descend slightly as you move a bit into the south-east flank of the mountain. Continue to ascend until you top out on a false summit above 800 meter of elevation. Descend slightly, the route now moves out on the left (that is the west) side of the peak. You will arrive at a rock slope with a thick rope with knots. Ascend here, shortly after, an easy scrambly section has been equipped with a chain. Above this, the trail continues with a few easy zig-zags to reach a nice summit plateau with a cairn as well as a pole with the name and elevation as well as a mailbox with some registry information.
Comments:
I drove from Leknes pretty early and had no difficulties finding the trailhead. Shortly before parking, I stopped and asked a friendly local man living in the house right there, about parking. He said I could drive around the next building and park off the road (left side) shortly before the sign where the trail begins.
I left at 1040, the trail was nice as I hiked in to the lake and then passing a pretty large group of cows before entering the small bowl/valley immediately below the ridge. Big boulders scattered around here, a very big one straight ahead. The trail sort of ended and I looked fairly carefully in order to spot it. No luck, I proceeded straight uphill and ran into the trail before long.
The remaining climb was nice. I (wrongly) believed that I was getting to the summit when entering the flat top plateau (false summit), then seeing the real summit.

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