Estimated net time	2½-3 hours
Difficulty	No difficulties.
Drinking water	Access to drinking water from lake Hestevatnet and from the small river in Ryssdalen.
GSM coverage	Unknown.
Parking	Room for many cars at the north end of lake Synnalandsvatnet.
Start height	90 metres
Vertical metres	560 metres for the roundtrip
Trip distance	10.4 km
GPS-file	X
Map
Route photo

If arriving Brattvåg from south on road 659 continue for 2.5 km after having entered the 50km/h zone. Here you will pass the Coop and the "Ingebrikt Davik-huset" (on your right hand side). Turn left, continuing on the Storgata road for another 250 metres. Just before a small bridge, after having passed the Brattvåg primary school, turn left. Continue upwards for 1.1 km, and turn right after having passed the first speed bump. Drive another 200 metres until you reach the parking place by lake Synnalandsvatnet. Here you will find ample parking space. In the unlikely event that this parking place is full then more parking space can be found by the Brattvåg kindergarten; go back 200 metres to the last junction and turn right. After 250 metres the kindergarten can be found on the left hand side. Parking here during day-time Monday-Friday will require permission from the kindergarten.

From the parking place cross the Synnalandsvatnet dam and head up to the floodlit road running along the west side of Synnalandsvatnet. Where you meet this road turn right and 15 meters later turn left (west). After having passed the offices for Brattvåg Vassverk (water supplies) the road forks, with one leg heading uphill towards west and the other leg going northbound. Follow the northbound leg, and continue upwards for approximately 550 metres. Here the road makes a small drop in altitude before making a final small climb. On top of this small climb there is a path going off to the left, into the forest. Find this path and follow it upwards in a northern direction. The path is easy to follow, but can be wet in some (most) places, although Knut Gunnar Korsnes and others have done a tremendous job in digging ditches and putting in place stones. It will take you all the way to Synnalandshornet.

Synnalandshornet consists of three small "tops", with the lower and upper having a cairn, and the one in the middle has a trigonometric point (this is the point usually referred to as "Synnalandshornet" by the locals).

At the first top you will have a very good view down to Brattvåg and Synnalandsneset. From here the path makes a left turn up to the trigonometric point. This is where the book for registration can be found (worth 3 points in the Brattvåg IL point collecting competition). The actual high point of Synnalandshornet is another 100 metres further west, marked by another cairn.

From Synnalandshornet continue on the path towards south-west. About 850 metres from the trigonometric point you get to a small lake (~20m diameter). You can then see Heimste Synnalandsheia 150 metres to the south. If loosing the path here it doesn't really matter; just make sure you enter the small top from north, and then continue along its ridge in a western direction. Here the path is for most parts clearly visible. Continue on the path towards west. If you loose the path it is better to be on the south side as opposed to the north side of the hill. There are several paths going down to Hestevatnet, and any of them will do (and all of them are fairly wet).

By Hestevatnet you will meet the path that goes from Synnalandsvatnet towards Hildrehesten via Grønebakken, and you will see the registration point by Hestevatnet (worth 2 points in the Brattvåg IL point collecting competition). Walk along lake Hestevatnet in a western direction, staying on the path that follows the shore of the lake. 400 metres after having left the Hestevatnet registration box one will get to a small dam. Usually this dam can be crossed, but during periods of heavy rain you might have to cross the river further to the north; you will have to decide yourself what is the most suitable passing point. Continue along the lake, gradually turning south, until you get to the next river crossing (just before a cabin). This river is easily crossed on some stones put in place by hikers. After having crossed this river the path forks, with one path continuing along the lake and another leg continuing towards lake Lisje Hestevatnet and Grønebakken. Follow the path that stays close to the lake. This path can at places be vague, but some sticks with red marking on has been put in place.

One is now faced with having to make a climb up to the Ryssdalen valley. This is best done by aiming for the power line mast seen on top of the ridge. Head directly for the mast, and climb up the slightly steep grass slope to the left of the mast. From here walk in a south/south-eastern direction, gradually loosing height, on the left side of the birch forest ahead. This will take you on to the path going on the western side of lake Ryssdalstjønna. Some care should be shown in the boulder area along the lake.

Continue past the lake and walk on the east side of the next small unnamed lake. At the southern end of this lake there is yet another registration point for Brattvåg IL (worth 4 points). From here turn north-east on the dry path going up the southern ridge of Fremste Synnalandsheia. This path will only take you past the Fremste Synnalandsheia summit, so in order to get to the cairn at the summit you will have to get off this path and move slightly to the left. After having reached the summit continue north-east to get back on the path going back to Hestevatnet east side, from where you will meet the path going down Timbredalen to lake Synnalandsvatnet and the starting point of the hike.

3. May 2008

Eirik was having his confirmation this week-end so we had a number of guests who had come across from eastern Norway. On Saturday afternoon we decided to take them all on a small hike to Synnalandshornet, and potentially more.

We all walked up to Synnalandshornet, and from there we separated into two groups; one group heading straight south to Timbredalen and the other group ascending Heimste Synnalandsheia and down to Hestevatnet. The Heimste Synnalandsheia team was headed by the three youngest boys (Sigurd 12, Jonatan 8, and Njål 7), who all ran at impressive speed all the way from Synnalandshornet to the summit of Heimste Synnalandsheia.

Down at Hestevatnet brother-in-law Jon, who I had done Skulstadhornet together with two days earlier, suggested we walked around Hestevatnet and ascended Fremste Synnalandsheia. I didn't need much persuasion, but the rest of the team preferred to head back home.

Jon and me continued around Hestevatnet, through Ryssdalen valley, and north towards Fremste Synnalandsheia before heading back down to Fjellbu. A most enjoyable walk it was.

Photos 03.05.2008