Vardeåsen
Vardeåsen is a small hill (only 236m above sea level) located a few kilometers north of the town of Askim in the municipality of Indre Østfold in southern Norway. The area is crossed by a network of paths leading through the forest and 12.5 meter high tower was erected on the top of the hill. On the last floor of the tower there is an observation deck with quite a nice view. However, it should be remembered that on south of Oslo it is rather flat, so there is nothing to hang your eyes on for a long time.
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In the area there is also a local lodge called Skansenhytta and, if you believe the map, a few kilometers further north, a similar place called Nordhytta. When I got there on Saturday morning, there were already few cars on the parking lot. Right on the start I had two paths to choose from. I chose the one that leads directly to the Skansenhytta and then to the Vardeåsen Peak. The route turned out to be surprisingly short. There was still a lot of snow in the forest, but thanks to the popularity of this place, the trail itself was fairly well-worn. Color markings on the trees also helped to orientate. I quickly got to the Skansenhytty. It was a complex of a few buildings, nicely integrated into the forest landscape. From there, I headed for the trail leading to the lookout tower. Also this section was not long and the only climb up was just a few meters before the summit. The view from the viewing platform did not make a special impression on me. Probably because, apart from a few distant hills, it was completely flat. I decided to wander a little longer and followed the trail to the north. The path took me almost to the very edge of Glomma, Norway’s longest river, but I didn’t even notice it, as I didn’t come out of the forest for a moment. I also had to pass the aforementioned Nordhytta, and after making a few kilometers, I made a loop and again reached the Skansenhytta. From there it was just a stone’s throw to the car and back home.
