Hardangervidda & Nøtingshovda
Hardangervidda. The largest plateau in Europe (6500km², with average height 1100m above sea level). It is characterized by a cool, alpine climate. One of the largest Norwegian glaciers – Hardangerjøkulen is located on the Plateau. In addition, the extensive net of trails, holiday cottages and tourist lodges makes it an ideal place for outdoor enthusiasts.
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I realized that this year my foot has never stand on the Plateau. In the previous one, I took two one-day trips in different locations (here and here). Now, summer is over and soon the weather conditions will not be so favorable for mountain hiking. So I decided it was time to go to Hardangervidda.
A great place to choose a route is Rjukan, from where several routes begin. As I already explored the route leading from the town center, I chose another option – the trail starting from the Rjukan Fjellstue lodge. This is where you can go on a several-kilometer-long walk in the footsteps of Norwegian commandos who sneaked into the Vemork factory during World War II and blew up the installation for the production of heavy water.
On a frosty Saturday morning, I reached the lodge. Parking on site is paid, but I left the car on the side of the road, in a small bay just before the entrance. The temperature sensor in the car indicated that it was only 2 degrees outside. I changed my shoes, packed my backpack and was on my way. Initially, the wide gravel road coincides with the Sabotørstien trail, but this one turns north at some point. I stayed on the road for another kilometer until I encountered a sign directing me to the plateau.
It took a while to get uphill. The narrow forest path significantly limited the views, but once I found myself in the open space, somewhere at an altitude of 1000m above sea level, there was a lot to look at.
I was planning to go to Store Sandvatn Lake, around it from the north, and follow another parallel path back south. According to preliminary assumptions, the route was to be over 20 km long. However, somewhere along the way, I decided that it was probably too much and that I did not want to go on such a long walk. Or maybe I was just tired. I thought about modifying my plan here. Somewhere in front of me there was a mountain with a distinct stone mound at the top. If I could get upstairs, I would be able to go home with a clear conscience. The plan was accepted, but I still had to find a suitable path to the summit. The app on the phone did not show any routes leading to the top, only its name: Nøtingshovda.
In the end, I chose probably not the best route, but somehow I got to the top. There I could relax a bit and enjoy the views. Store Sandvatn Lake looked amazing from this perspective. My original plan to around it would have cost me a lot more effort than climbing the mountain where I was standing.
I descended elsewhere and it took a while to reach the earlier path. Then I followed the already familiar route: straight to the edge of the trees border and the edge of the plateau, then down a narrow path through the forest to the gravel road. From there, an easy walk to the car at Rjukan Fjellstove. The entire hike took me 6 hours 25 minutes. I walked over 16 km and I was pretty tired, but my conscience was so bad that I gave up on going around the lake. Maybe in the future I will be able to get back on this tour and fulfill my original plan, who knows?
