| Byrkjefjell from
Wallemtunet Byrkjefjell |
| Estimated net time | 2½-3 hours | ||
| Difficulty |
No difficulties. Ascending the cliff band a
little below the summit might seem difficult, but if you ascend where a
large cairn is located you will find it easy; there is no need to use
your hands other than for balance. Except the first 450 metres on gravel road, the route is on a path. Some sections in the lower third of the route can be very wet and boggy. |
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| Drinking water | No reliable access to running water except potentially from the stream by trail head. | ||
| GSM coverage | Coverage throughout the route (September 2010). | ||
| Parking | Room for a few cars by trail head, where the mountain road exits from road 7. But you have to make sure you don't block for traffic, which might be an issue during week-ends. | ||
| Start height | 437 metres | ||
| Vertical metres | 640 metres for the roundtrip. | ||
| Trip distance | 7.3 km | ||
| GPS-file | X | ||
| Map |
 |
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| Route photo |
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From Bergen drive east on road E16. When you get to the E16/7 round-about by Trengereid follow signs for road 7. Drive approximately 5.0 km along road 7, to where the road from Os joins road 7. Continue another 4.4 km on road 7, to Bjørkheim, where you find some shops and a petrol station. From here drive 18.4 km on road 7, passing the exit to road 48 after 4.6 km. Turn left onto a gravel road where signed for "Wallemtunet". Find parking at the far end of the small area where the gravel road starts.
Walk 130 metres along the gravel road and turn right across a bridge. Continue another 320 metres along the gravel road, ignoring any exits to the cabins. You will see a slightly vague path forking off left, crossing a marsh. After 100 metres you get to a small stream, which you cross. Then turn right onto a path heading uphill. Follow this path 100 metres and fork right. This path now takes you east, and you might feel you're going in the wrong direction. But after 400 metres the path turns left (north), and brings you all the way up to the cairn at the south end of Byrkjefjell. From here head a little right, aiming for the cliff band located towards north. When you get closer you will see a proper cairn a little right of the cliff band's centre, and ascending here offers no problems. Continue along the vague path and you will soon see the summit cairn.
Descend by reversing your ascent route.
Back down to Hagavik for another week of work at our factory here. After work I drove straight to Kvamskogen in order to hike Byrkjefjell.
At trail head I met a guy and asked him for the best route. He knew the area very well and gave me a good route description. Unfortunately I didn't trust my own memory from what he had said when the path I was following was heading in almost the opposite direction as my target. I therefore went back down to the cabins and searched for other routes. I did two attempts at paths I found, but they both soon faded away into the forest. Therefore I decided to have a second go at my original route, and this time I proceeded further than on the first occasion. The path soon changed direction and I could relax in terms of wondering whether I was on the right track or not.
This path took me all the way up to the cairn south of Byrkjefjell, and from here it was easy hiking, except for a small scrambling section requiring some use of hands, all the way to the summit.
At the summit I had company with some sheep wanting to sniff and lick my camera case, and because of the strong wind I was worried the sheep would snatch the case out of my hand and let it drift off in the strong wind. But some clear words made the sheep back off a few metres and I was able to take some photos without being disturbed. The wind didn't tempt me to stay long at the summit, so I soon found my way back to the car.
