Ørnaberget & Grytenuten

I was preparing to climb on Grytenuten, a mountain where was not any path to follow. Initially, I planned to start from the north and summit of Bukkanaba, and from there somehow get to the Grytenuten. However, when I looked more closely at the map, I saw that it would be much easier to go from the south and Ørnaberget mountain. I could not count on any paths that would lead me to a place between one mountain and the other, and my route could go through wetlands there, but I was hoping that I could manage it somehow.

Due to the strong sun that has been warming up for several days, I decided to go on this trip in the late afternoon. I left the house after 17.00 and soon I was on a parking lot I knew from various previous trips. This is where the trails to Thorsgruva, Dyrhaug, Ulserhaug, Moldebrekka and the already mentioned Ørnaberget begin. You can also walk to Bjoa or Vikebygd. Today, I was interested in the Ørnaberget (340 m a.s.l.).
The first two or three hundred meters are a flat, wide road with a mountain stream on the left and a slope, where sheep on the right often bask. As the road sinks into the forest, the slope increases. Another part is tedious climbing. There are a lot of trees on both sides of the road, obscuring the views and only somewhere on the left you can still hear the stream of water flowing down from somewhere from above. First, we come to the path leading to the right, leading to Dyrhaug. A small cabin is right next to it. We go further and soon we come across the path to Ørnaberget. We’re getting out of the way.
Now the trail leads slightly uphill between the rocks and low vegetation. The path is well-trodden by local residents. Time to time we pass by dwarf birches. In a few places the ground is a muddy backwaters, but in these places boards were laid to facilitate the journey. Soon we come to the next fork. One path leads to the top of Ørnaberget I, the other to Ørnaberget II. The last one is a side hill offering a view of Krakkanuten and the lake behind it. On Ørnaberget I there is a box with a notebook to record your name and a shapely bench and table where you can sit and eat something. More important is a view of the Vats Valley and two lakes. Mount of Eagels (Ørnaberget) also offers a view of the Ølsfjorden fjord in the east and more importantly from here I could look at the mountain range where Grytenuten was located. The lay of the land didn’t seem difficult and I thought I would find my way to my destination without any problems. After taking a few photos from the summit, I moved on.

I went down to a small valley, the bottom of which was a wetland bog. Fortunately, it wasn’t as wet as I thought and without wetting my shoes I went to the other side. Then, searching for milder sections of the slope, I started climbing. The hike, despite the lack of a path, was not bothersome and soon I was at the top of the first hill. From there, I could assess the terrain in front of me more accurately and using the ut.no application, determine in which direction I should go further. Some time later I set my foot on the top. Surprisingly, it was not the highest point in the area, there was not even have such a characteristic mound of stones. In the distance, probably Bjoafjorden was visible.
I stopped myself a moment and started coming back. Due to the lack of a path I determined which way to go, which made my return route a little different from the one I went to the top of. In the end, however, I reached the path leading to Ørnaberget, just below the summit and headed down. I reached a wide forest road and the rest of the route passed through the trees without any views worth capturing.
There is no path to Grytenuten, which makes the mountain a little lonely and not frequented by the locals. It also doesn’t offer spectacular views like the much lower Ørnaberget. However, the hike to Grytenuten is easy and not too long. And I think it’s worth going there, just to experience a bit more pristine areas for hiking, as the surrounding mountains are quite heavily descended by locals and the paths are trampled down.

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