Fjæratoppen
Fjæratoppen is rising on 715 m asl peak above the small settlement of Fjæra in western Norway, right at the end of Åkrafjord. The southern slope of the mountain, adjacent to the settlement, is almost a vertical wall. Every time I pass that place (Fjæra is right on the E134 road that crosses the country from west to east), this mountain charmed me. From the south, Fjæra is adjacent to another, quite substantial peak. It is Ramnanuten, from the top of which you can admire the great Langfoss waterfall. Until recently, I did not know if entering Fjæratoppen was possible at all, at least from the E134 road. However, I discovered a trail leading to it and already knew that it would be my goal for the near future.
The near future became a reality at the beginning of May, at a time when most of the peaks with 700-800 meters high and higher are still covered with snow. This fact was not seen when I reached the foot of the mountain on a sunny Sunday morning.
I finally moved on. The trail starts just off the E134 road opposite Rullestadvatnet Lake. The first stage of the hike is a steep, narrow path through the forest. How steep it was I found out on the way back, when the tiredness and pain in my left knee were really felt. For now, I kept going uphill until I came out on a more rocky and less sloping terrain.
Now, it not only was easier to walk, but also during the trip I could enjoy the beautiful views. There was the Rullestadvatnet lake behind my back and a steep mountain slope on the opposite side with a characteristic waterfall. I saw the waters of Åkrafjord disappearing behind another steep slopes rising from the turquoise depths. I even saw the settlement of Fjæra below, from where I started my journey.
I got to a crossing of the trails. One of them led to the edge of the cliff, to the place where the climbing route led from below. In Fjæra, one couple run a guesthouse and also act as climbing guides on this amazing wall. So I chose the other direction, but due to the increasing snow-covered areas at this altitude, I had major difficulty finding the path. I managed to reach some 200-300 meters from the trail crossing when I finally decided to turn back.
On the way back, I was surprised to see traces of someone on one of the snow fields. They hadn’t been at this place before so I assumed that in the meantime some climber or climbers had to go up and they were just descending the traditional route. They supposed to be somewhere in front of me now. Indeed, sometime later I saw two figures laden with large backpacks in front of me.
It took me some time to descend. The last stretch, the steep forest path turned out to be a real challenge for the condition of my knees, but in the end I came down safe and in good condition.
