Nordfjellet 559m asl
After returning from the Easter break, I found Norway bathed in sunshine.Spring came unexpectedly, together with it my desires to go outdoor.Finding the perfect spot for the first trip this year turned out to be quite a challenge.Most of the available routes were still under a thick layer of snow, even though the snow in the lowlands of south-eastern Norway was just a memory.Webcams showed that on the roadsides, even beyond Drammen, you can come across the white remainings of winter.But finally I managed to find a place that seemed to have long forgotten about winter.This is the western part of Norway, a land of fjords and spectacular views.Rainfall is more common there than snowfall.And since the sun was forecast for the coming weekend (at least on Saturday), I couldn’t pass up such an opportunity.Traveling from east to west is a bit strenuous and takes about 6-7 hours.That’s why I combined hiking in the mountains with visiting friends living on western coast.
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I left on Friday right after work.Initially, I planned to stop and spend the night in the open air somewhere along the way, near the Haukeli mountains, but the white reality brought me down to earth.High drifts of snow and lower temperatures distracted me from my original plans.I drove on and stopped only near the seaside town of Skånevik.About 12-13 km further, I found the exit to the beach, where I laid down my sleeping bag and survived until the morning.
In the morning I crossed the fjord by ferry and reached the small town of Valen.There, on the hospital parking lot, I left the car and headed towards the mountains.My goal was the low peak of Nordfjellet, after reaching which I could be tempted to continue my journey and climb the next mountain.The sun was shining brightly and it was getting warmer.Soon I completely forgot how cold it was when I waited for the ferry in Skånevik.The route to Nordfjellet is not so long.Initially, you go through the forest, gradually increasing the height.Once I got out into the open space, I could enjoy the views.Not much left to go to the top.Soon I was there and I could think about what to do next.
I took pictures, flew a drone and looked at another peak.It was close, maybe I could get there in forty minutes.I was only worried about the large patches of snow covering the slope.I did not like walking in the snowdrifts, and I guessed that the views offered by this mountain would not be much better than those on Nordfjell.I decided it was time to go back.I started walking down.
On the way back, however, I thought about possibility of another trip that day. But that meant I had to hurry, since I still had plans to visit friends. After reaching the hospital parking lot, I got in the car and headed back to Utåker for the ferry to Skånevik.
