Location: North 60.53944, East 005.76682 (GPS on the summit)
Vaksdal, Norway
Difficulty: YDS class 2
Climbed May 21., 2017.
Information:
How to get there:
Drive E-16 from Bergen, via Trengereid and Vaksdal to Stanghelle. Continue through
two tunnels then turn off the Hwy. on the left side before you enter the next tunnel.
Continue parallel with the Hwy., then cross over it just where E-16 enters the next tunnel.
Immediately after this turn right and drive down a small hill to a nice
tralhead parking. This location is N60.56373 E005.76298, elevation about 30 meter.
Route description:
Walk back up the small hill, then turn right and follow this local road passing a few
buildings. Continue along this road, now a forest road. The road will enter a small forest,
then gradually turn left and starts climbing. When you reach a road fork, the take the
right fork that climbs with a curve to the place where it ends.
There are trail signs just before the fork, you may also just leave the road here (go right),
this short trail will also get you up to the place where the road ends.
A nice trail continues uphill. It has been improved by the placement of flat stones to form
steps. Higher up, flat rocks have also been placed on logs across a meadow.
Soon, you arrive at a signed trailfork. Continue straight to the farm houses called
Hellesætra. Here there is a new signed trailfork.
This hike is nice as a circle trip where you take different paths to and from the summit.
I would recommend doing it the way I picked, up the ridge Tjørnhaugane, then later
return back down to Vatnastølen and subsequently returning to Hellesætra.
Thus, turn right and ascend this nice ridge. The terrain levels off higher up and
eventually runs pretty horizontally. Note that in this area there are several "channels"
that runs perpendicularly to your direction of travel. These channels are 5-10 meter wide
with vertical rock sides, perhaps 4-6 meter high. Essentially impossible to cross except
where broken. The best advice is to keep a close eye on the trail markings. The route
runs by some smaller ponds, the arrives at a new trail fork with signs. From here, the
off-trail hiking directly towards the summit is pretty straightforward.
From the summit, continue north-east to recover the trail, then follow the trail down
to the lakes and Vatnastølen.
From Vatnastølen, a nice trail runs
near the creek back down to Hellesætra.
Comments:
I left my car around 1045 and had a nice hike
along a very well prepared trail
up to Hellesætra. Here, I turned right and ascended the ridge. After gaining
the plateau, I met a single lady hiking in the opposite direction. We had a nice
chat before continuing in opposite drections. I soon ran into
more complex terrain
with "rock-channels" that could not be crossed, running perpendicular to
my direction of travel. The best approach is to follow the marked trail
carefully. At the trail junction, I decided to just proceed directly towards the
summit. This worked well and I arrived at
the pretty flat summit at 1245.
A short rest was called for. Some pictures shold be taken and my GPS should record the
location. I left at 1300 and headed directly down a large snow slope in order to recóver
the trail to Vatnastølen. I did indeed find this trail, but subsequently lost it
and did not want to spend any time to find it again. Thus,
I descended directly
downslope near a small creek and quickly arrived at Vatnastølen. From here, a nice
trail connected back to Hellesætra.
The remaining hike was easy and I was back
at my car by 1330, just minutes before a few raindrops started to fall.