Hiking in Stølsheimen 2019

Departed at Dale station at 06.53am and took the bus to Modalen at 07.50am.
The road to the Modalen was really something to look at, narrow and winding and fine scenery along the fjord.
Was in the Modalen approx. at 9am.

Then took another bus to Nedre Helland.

Here I started to walk up the construction road Skjerjaveien at 10.00 and up to the skjerjavatnet. It is approx. 8km and 800 altitude meters.
It was very hot and troublesome to walk up there. Used approx. 3 hours before I got off the road.

I think this trip up the road took the air out of me, and I didn't get to myself properly after that.
I crossed the Skjerjavasstangen . It was steep and heavy to walk.Should have taken the construction road away to where the path crosses the road instead of crossing the pliers.

It was difficult to find a path down to the road where the path crossed over it.
Badly labeled.

Followed the trail in hilly terrain and was very tired. At the end it was very rocky and the trail went steeply down into a canyon, where I walked on a snow field.
I arrived at Vardadalsbu at 20.10. Had used approx. 10 hours.

It was slow, but I was very tired after going up the road. It took me down.

My wife had followed me on the map and wondered why I spent so long time. It was stipulated with 5 hours on this trip.

There was a couple in the cabin with 2 dogs. They were in the additional cabin.
Made me food and left me early.

Here I have started to cross the Skjerjsvastangen. Should have followed the construction road away to where the path crossed the road. Had trouble finding a path down to the road. It was steep.

Skjerjsvas tangen

Has come to Vardadalsbu. I was very tired and had spent 10 hours on the trip.

My wife was a bit skeptical when I spent so long on the trip

Vardadalsbu

Thursday, 12.07.2019 Day 2. From Vardadalsbu to Norddalshytta.

I started approx. 08:30 to go to Norddalshytta.
Walked up Vardadalen.
The weather was fine and it was hot.
The people in the cabin had warned me that it was much uphill and very rocky. And that's right. I walked in stone rubble for the first 2.5 hours.

At 10.45, I saw in the distance that it was becoming more green, and not so much stone.
It was easier to walk.
There were some paths that sloped on the edge of some ravines.Hold tongue straight in mouth down there.

At about 2pm, I met a young couple. One German and one from America. They were going the same way as me.
After a while they passed me.

Then I met a couple who were going to Vardadalsbu to get gluten-free food.
She thought I should sit down and eat when I looked very tired, and I did as she said.

At 15.50 I saw the cabin up on a hill and was up at 16.30.
Had spent 8 hours on the trip. It was a very long time. Was not as tired as yesterday, but was not in good shape.

There was a nice family of 5 in the cabin + the foreign couple.
I took one of the rooms that could be reserved, but no one arrived at 7pm.
Took oatmeal for dinner. It was a little too bad for dinner.

Vardadalsbu

Here Vardadalsbu. Is really nice with a water on each side. Here you can take a bath right outside the cabin.

Vestrebotnen	The Vestrebotnen was fine. Here I found a place on the other side of the river where I ate and rested.

Friday, 13.07 2019 Day 3.

From Norddalshytta to Solrenningen.

I started walking at 7am in lovely warm weather. I would go up a pass and then go back on top of a mountain that was above the cabin.

At the top here I had cell phone coverage so I got to call my wife.There seemed to be better terrain, but it was only a short distance.
The red marking was now very bad. It was almost erased. Had to constantly look around and move me to discover it.

Hit a party where there was snow and the markings were gone. I walked down the snow fields and actually saw stones with red markings sticking out of the snow. Get down quite a bit on the snow fields without having to walk in the rubble.
Come down into the Norddalen with plenty of water.

At 13.30 I arrived at the mountain which I had to cross on the way to the Solrenningen. Over the Blåfjellet. 150m up.
At the top I could look down at the roof of the cabin Solrenningen. It was very steep down and the path went back and forth down the mountain side.

Come down to the Vøvringadalen and Vøvringevatnet. The cabin was in the birch forest.

Arrived at 3.30 pm. It was 8.5 hours. That was bad.
The family of five arrived at the Solrenningen. They went probably 2-3 hours faster than me. But they were much younger too.
The cabin was quite full in the evening.

Blåfjell

Here is a picture of Blåfjell. Here I had to cross over to get to the Solrenningen. 150 meters up. It was quite steep in some places, and a little poorly marked. Both me and one who walked before me got too far to the right.

Solrenningen

Here is the Solrenningen. Very nice with stools outside the cabin. This was very nice in Stølsheimen. Many other mountain areas have no places to sit outside.

Saturday 14.07. 2019 Day 4.

From the Solrenningen to Åsedalen

Had decided to go in the Vøveringadalen valley instead over the Kvannrødfjellet. Was too tired to walk over Kvannrødfjellet.
Started at 07.15

Wooden tables were laid all over the marsh. It was very easy to walk. Where there was no knock, stones and stairs of stones were laid in the slopes.

I wanted to test myself. Would first go to Stenlandstølen. Here was the crossroads Åsedalen - Stølsdammen. If I was tired, I would give up the trip and go to Stølsdammen.

It was so easy to walk that one would manage 4 or 5 km/h.
Came to Stenlandsstølen after an hour and 45 minutes, and was quite tired after walking this light trail so I decided that I should go to the road at Stølsdammen.

I met a mountain Bergenser who passed me. He was to pick up the car on the upper side of Stølsdammen and drive down to the Modalen.
I don't think he wanted to wait for me. He said: have a good walk instead: see you at Stølsdammen.

I arrived at the pond at 09.50. So when a guy came running, I hiked with him. He was supposed to drive me to the bus stop first, but then he drove me all the way down to the Modalen. A really decent guy.

I ate at the hotel there and then took the bus to Dale.
Had got me a train ticket from Voss at 16.44.

When I got to Dale it turned out that the train from Voss did not leave Bergen so I didn't get to Voss in time.
Talked to a man sitting next to me and asked if there was any other way to get to Voss.
He said he was going to Voss and I could sit with him. This was a little weird.
We drove to Voss and I had an hour on me when I got there.

This had been a tiring trip. I spent an incredibly long time between the cabins. Was actually tired all the time. I can really walk a long time so forward to the cabins.

It may seem like I didn't enjoy the trip. but I did. Even though I was tired I think I enjoyed the trip. It was very demanding but the fact that I spent a long time may also have something to do with my age. I tested myself at a distance of 24km on Nesodden with hilly terrain this spring and I spent 5 hours and 20 minutes here, so I'm not in that bad shape.

The first long construction road made me tired, but it was enough that I ate too little which was decisive. I only ate oatmeal for dinner and bread between the cabins. It was too bad. Went down 4 kg on the trip. Had very poor appetite.

It was also very hilly and a lot of rocky ground to walk in. I have probably become a little scared to walk fast in rocky terrain after falling and banging my head a couple of times in recent years.

In fact, I think the terrain further towards Voss is easier to walk, so maybe next year I'll start from Stølsdammen and continue the trip?

I also had incredible luck that I met the guy who drove me down to the Modalen and just as much luck that I got to ride with one from Dale to Voss.

Really decent guys.

Looking up towards Blåfjell

Here I look up at the mountain I descended yesterday. Blåfjell. It's a bit hazy there.

Stenlandstølen

Have come to Stenlandstølen and are very tired. Decides to go to Stølsdammen. I end the tour.