Svartafjell

It was to be the last mountain trip this year. In a few days, I supposed to go to Poland for Christmas and take a break from Norway. Weather in recent weeks was not very pleasant, serving a rain and occasionally night frosts. However, a few days before my last weekend in Norway in 2016 rain stopped and I eagerly waited for time when I could go outdoor. The weather forecast proved to be ruthless. Both on Saturday and on Sunday announced rain. I decided to prepared for trip anyway. It may be only fleeting rain and somehow I will manage to get out and walk somewhere a bit.

My plan was to go to Svartafjell, the mountain above Ølen town. I was there couple of times, years ago, so I know the route. On Saturday morning, pouring rain stopped me when I was almost on parking place, where I supposed to start my trip. I had to go back home.

On Sunday, the weather was only a bit better. Drizzle rain was going to scare me, but I was determined to go no matter what. I drove to Ølen, left the car on parking lot at garden center and equipped with rain jacket I could go. First, I went along the farm and next to typical, Norwegian wooden houses. After that I turned to another road, which led uphill and I started to climb.

Waterproof jackets usually stop the water. The rain water from outside, but they also stop your sweat inside. I thought that I could go without jacket and the result was the same. Thick fleece jacket and thermoactive underwear worked like sauna. I still hoping that this is only temporary rain and I will release from jacket soon. But this was only my wish.

Some time later I had quite nice view at fiord and three oil rigs. I could also see the rainbow. I used the photo camera and continued climbing. I went through the forest and reached the view point. From there, I could once more take some pictures of Ølsjord. I went further, struggling with marshy ground. Fortunately I had gaiters on my legs that day.

The path turned to the high hills on the right and one moment later I climbed on steep slope. I was panting with the effort but I get there. Finally, I could enjoy the view of the Ølen town, fjord and three oil rigs. There was still raining.

I looked around and I saw the top on the south. There was stack of stones so this was my target for today. The path led to two other hills with similar stone stacks. I followed the trail.

I climbed on first and then on the second hill. The path ends there. Or maybe I lost. Svartafjell was still at sight, so I didn’t worry. I became to walk across country. The area around was covered by sheep’s excrement so I had to be more carefully for watching where I step. I cross in one moment some trail, marked by red sticks but it led to another direction, so I ignored it. On the next hill I found out the path that I could follow.

Finally, I reached the foot of the peak and I had to climb a bit. A few minutes later I was already at place. I noticed that someone attached the thermometer to the pile of stones. It pointed a few degrees above zero. I signed in the notebook and was surprised when I saw that there was somebody before me that day. It was still quite early, so I guess we had to pass somehow. From the top I could see the road on east. This was probably the road goes to Olaila Hytta. On the south I saw the peak of Hovda (the one located at Sandeid).

There was a path from the top but more interesting point was the next hill, marked with pile of stones. The trail led in different direction so one more time I ignored it. On the way, I encountered a herd of sheep, probably the same which left a lot of their signs in entire neighborhood. The hill where I headed did not impress me. Except of fancy stacked stones, there was nothing interesting. Nothing, except of another trail. Traditional red poles led me down by full of mud, slippery rocks and roots sticking out from the ground, path. But finally, I came to a wide road goes along farms close to the road 514. Going north I reached the farm which I passed at beginning of my journey, and soon I was at garden center, where I left the car.

The whole trip took me three hours. Unfortunately, due to some error in Endomondo application, I am not able to check of total number of kilometers or register the route. This is the second of this type of fault, so maybe it’s time to look around for alternative apps for tracking the routes.

What about a perfidy of the Norwegian weather I could see on Monday, the day after the expedition. As usual, I had to go to work and I couldn’t enjoy another trip. That day there was no single drop falling from the sky.

This entry was originally posted 2016-12-21 on https://kraina-trolli.pl.