THE 16 HIKES

Here are the first 8 of them
The last 8 are here

1 Gjerde - Haugafjellstølen

There is convenient carparking at Gjerde, either at Jostedal Hotel, or at the Krundalen crossroads. Walk 300 metres along the road towards Krundalen as far as the Haugafjell-stølen signpost on the right. From there follow the well-marked path up to Vårstølen summer farm (seter) where the view to Jostedalen and the Myrhorn and Vangsen mountains appears. From Vårstølen at 300 metres the path climbs very steeply in sometimes exposed turns to reach a height of about 750 metres where the ground flattens out to approach the mountain ridge just south of Haugafjellstølen. Just before you reach the seter you drop into a little hollow and pass to the left of a small lake on the north side of which stand the seter buildings. Haugavarden, 1369m above sea level, lies to the west, and Nigardsdalen to the north, leading to the Nigardsbreen glacier. There is a rather poor path which takes you some way towards Haugavarden, while the rest of the way is over bare rock or scree. An alternative route to Haugafjellstølen goes from Nigardsbreen Guest House, but the route from Gjerde is better and safer.

Walking time from Gjerde to Haugafjellstølen is 1-2 hours and the difference in level is 550m.

2 Bergset - Bergsetdalen - Bergsetbreen

The starting point for this walk is the car park at Bergset, the leading farm in Krundalen. The route is well suited for families with small children. From the car park the route leads through the farmhouses and follows a farm track a short way before becoming a very good and well-marked path along the level Bergset valley. The path first goes through fairly dense forest and then opens up more and more towards the dominant Bergset-breen glacier, uppermost in the valley. The path crosses several small rivers and streams, usually by good bridges, and sometimes crosses boggy ground where logs have been laid to walk on. The vegetation is lush to begin with, but as you approach the glacier there are fewer and fewer trees and plants. Finally the path becomes gravel and rock, but it remains clear and easy to follow. During the summer a warning sign is put up not far from the foot of the Bergsetbreen glacier. It is extremely dangerous to go past it. It is Baklibreen on the north side of the main valley that one must be most careful about. Because the Jostedalsbreen glacier is experiencing a period of growth, its arms are also growing and the danger of icefalls is even greater than usual.

Walking time from the car park to the foot of the glacier is one hour and the route is specially suitable for families with small children. The climb from Bergset to the foot of the glacier is less than 50m, so one can say that the path is almost level.

3 Krossen - Molden

Molden is often called the finest viewpoint in all Luster. You start from the Mollandsmarki road just where it levels out after rising steeply from the R55 junction. You turn off to the left just past the cattle grid and follow the forest track for some 300m. Then you bear right along a good path marked with red spots. After about one kilometre you take a new forest track for about 600m. You are then on the path at the point where the track turns sharply to the right. From here the path rises steeply and after a little climb you reach Svarthiller with its fine view over the fjord towards Ornes on the other side. Leaving Svarthiller the path turns through ninety degrees ands winds its way past steep crags. The ground then levels out and the going is reasonably good to the cairn on the top of Molden, 1116 m above sea level. The best view is surely to the east, over the inmost parts of Lustrafjorden with Nes and Høyheimsvik in the foreground.

The rise from the car park at Krossen to the peak is about 600m and one should normally allow two hours for the walk.

4 Rupheim - Skogo - Skoganipa

The mountain area north of Hafslovatnet lake offers many lovely walks, both in summer and, not least, in winter. We have chosen to describe one of the finest of these - the walk to Skoganipa, 1255m above sea level. The starting point is the toll road at Rupheim where one can park at the roadside. Remember that milk lorries use the road, so you must leave them room to pass. The road continues as a private track as far as the summer farms (seters) of Fossen and Skogo. From Skogo you can go round the south side of Skognipa and then turn northwest to go on to the top itself. Alternatively, you can continue on the west side of Skognipa to the Hongi seter and so reach the top of Skognipa from the north. This is a seter walk to suit the whole family. The paths are very good and the climbs are moderate. From Skognipa you can either return by the same route or possibly continue to Grønndalseggi, 984m above sea level, and come down to the road at Bersetno.

The climb from the Rupheim road up to Skogo is around 300m and from there to the top of Skoganipa is a further 300m. One normally expects to take two to three hours to Skogo, one hour to Hongi and then an hour more to the top, making a total of four to five hours from Rupheim to Skoganipa.

5 Tungestølen - Austerdalsbreen

"The finest ice-scenery in Europe", said the English mountaineer Cecil Slingsby about the three wild ice-falls called Lokebreen, Odinbreen and Torsbreen which tumble down from the Jostedalsbreen glacier at the face of Austerdals-breen. Here you can get just a taste of the wild glacier landscape without having to walk over the glacier itself. The starting point for the walk is Tungestølen, the mountain hut farthest up the Veitastrond valley. The path begins just over the bridge and is well marked and easy to find. It continues along the west side of the Austerdal river, right up to the glacier. It is level going all the way, with some short, sharp climbs from time to time. As is always the case with glaciers, one must be extremely cautious and not go too close to the glacier. Ice-falls and "calving" can occur without warning. Keep your distance! There is little or no vegetation near the foot of the glacier. Moraine ridges, gravel, rock, and here and there green grass, dominate the landscape. The mountain history books tell us that two of the great Jostedalsbreen pioneers, Kristian Bing and William Slingsby, discovered this very glacier arm. It was Kristian Bing who built the cairn on the ridge between Lokebreen and Torsbreen which later came to be called the Hvitesteinsvarden (White-stone Cairn) because he placed a white quartz rockon the top of it.

The foot of the glacier is about 150m above the Tungestølen bridge starting point and the walk normally takes about two hours.

6 Engjadalen - Heggdalsvatnet

The starting point is the car park in Engjadalen, just past Åberge. The first stretch follows a track on the west side of the river along the valley. After a short walk you come to a marked path which leads to the Tourist Association (DNT) cabin at Navarsete. The path continues along the west side of the river until it crosses the river just before Heggdalen, an attractive summer farm (seter) farthest up the green and fertile Engjadalen valley. From Heggdalen the climb is fairly steep up to Heggdalsvatnet lake where the path occasionally goes right to the edge of the river cutting. It is as well to warn you to avoid this stretch, especially when it's raining

or there is slippery ice. You can leave the path with advantage and find a way a few metres further from the cliff. The last stretch takes you close under some high crags before you reach the outlet from Heggdals-vatnet. Ahead and across the lake you see the mountains Stongfjellet and Fivlenosi and the pass to Vigdalen. It is possible to take another route back to the road. The Seljesete track crosses the river just below the wooden weir at the foot of the lake and goes in a westerly direction just north of Vorfjellet. Down gently sloping ground you cross a couple of marshy areas and soon catch sight of the buildings at Seljesete. From this seter there is a track going south to Brunene and beyond, down to the car park in Engjedalen.

The climb from the car park to Heggdals- vatnet is a good 500m and a normal time

for the walk would be one to two hours. The way back via Seljesete takes a similar time.

7 Mollandsmarki

You should allow four hours for this fine but easy walk which goes through beautiful country, both wild and man-made. On the way you will have views over Lustrafjorden and Urnes, Hafslo and Hafslovatnet. The round trip route is well marked with red spots.

The walk begins at Krossen in Mollands- marki. Follow the marked track southward. To the left you look over Batatjøni tarn, a fine bird habitat. At Mollandsstølen summer farm (seter) you keep right, across the open pasture. The path rises a little here. The road to the left leads to the main Molland farm. The path follows the upper side of the stone wall that marks the boundary between cultivated and uncultivated land. It goes through Råumstølen seter on the upper

side of the Siestølen seter's outbuildings, and then along the lower boundary of the Resaland farm where you come out on to the road.

Follow the road a little way, then turn off to the right on to a track just after you have passed the Vetleskog farm. The track passes Kjosstølen seter and then goes down the Kjoskleivane chines ("chines" are small natural canyons which a river has cut back into chalk cliffs) to the road at the Kjos farm. Follow the road until you come to the main road at Hillestad.

From Hillestad you go up through the Solbakken housing estate. A track swings off to the left through rough grazing where you find the idyllic Lidretjørnet tarn on your right. From Hillestadstølen seter take the roadback to Krossen.

8 Turtagrø - Tindeklubbhytta

We start from Turtagrø at the Turtagrø Hotel carpark. The path crosses the Helgedalen river by a good bridge and continues through low brush to the first turn up towards Skagadalen. To the left you can see both Fannaråken and Steindalsnosi up Helgedalen. After the first hard climb the path follows the river upward and passes a small dam and headworks which form the intake for the Fortun hydro-electric power station. A little further on you come to the second steep climb which ends at the lower Skardstølsvatnet lake and the Norwegian Peak Club hut which is not open to non-members.

At the head of the valley Skagastølstind rises 2405m above sea level with a range of other fine peaks for climbers around it. For those who want to reach the peaks without rock-climbing, Nordlege Skagastølstind may be a good one to aim at. The path continues a little east of the Peak Club hut, up the skar between Nordlege and Kolnosi. From there it goes straight to the top. The path is on stony scree all the way and the summit is rather exposed.

The rise from Turtagrø to Skardsstøls-vatnet is approximately 500m and one should allow two to three hours at normal walking speed.