Øvredalen and Litlefjellet (07.06.2020)
Written by hbar (Harald Barsnes)
| Start point | Matre (7m) |
|---|---|
| Endpoint | Matre (5m) |
| Characteristic | Hillwalk |
| Duration | 3h 00min |
| Distance | 12.3km |
| Vertical meters | 799m |
| GPS |
|
| Ascents | Litlefjellet (354m) | 07.06.2020 |
|---|
Øvredalen and Litlefjellet
My plan for this Sunday afternoon was to take the bus to Matre and from there walk west along the old road called Sognevegen, finally arriving at the trailhead for Nipa. However, when I got to the start of Sognevegen I was welcomed by a sign indicating that the road was closed due to the risk of landslides. Given that this was my only possible route to Nipa, there was nothing to do but to leave Nipa for a future hike.
I still had more than 2.5 hours until the next (and final) bus back to Bergen though. After talking to some locals (that could inform me that Sognevegen had been closed just one week earlier - although it had always been prone to landslides), I settled on Øvredalen and a potential visit of Gråsida. Most likely a long shot, but there were really no other options to be found.
The gravel road up Øvredalen made sure that I relatively quickly arrived at the marked trailhead for Gråsida, and from there I could follow a marked trail southeast. I was now less than 2 km from the summit, but annoyingly I was moving away from it. The terrain with its steep mountain sides however made any shortcuts impossible. And I still had around 300 meters left to climb.
It soon became apparent that I would not have the time to both reach the summit and make it back down to the main road in time for the final bus of the evening. There was therefore no choice but to turn back before it was too late. As one would say according to The Norwegian Mountain Code (aka "Fjellvettreglene"): "Det er ingen skam å snu" (i.e. there is no shame in changing plans).
Upon getting back to the gravel road in Øvredalen, I still had a bit more time left though, and decided to include a quick visit to Litlefjellet (after having passed a marked trailhead on the ascent to Gråsida). At least I would then have something to show for my three hours in Matre (plus the 1.5 hours bus ride in way), and in any case it ought to be better than waiting at the bus stop.
At the marked trailhead for Litlefjellet, I again left the gravel road and followed a nice trail all the way to the summit. Sadly there were little to no views due to all the trees, but I could get a glimpse down to the fjord just southeast of the summit. Did not stay long before returning to the gravel road, and later the main road, only having to wait around ten minutes before the bus arrived.
In summary, a hike that clearly did not turn out as planned and where I ended up having to abandon two ascents, both for good reasons. On the positive side, I now know how to get to Gråsida from Matre, which I will have to give another go at a later time. And I did at least get to visit one new summit, if only a minor one with rather limited views.
| Start date | 07.06.2020 18:03 (UTC+01:00 DST) |
| End date | 07.06.2020 21:03 (UTC+01:00 DST) |
| Total Time | 3h 00min |
| Moving Time | 2h 42min |
| Stopped Time | 0h 17min |
| Overall Average | 4.1km/h |
| Moving Average | 4.6km/h |
| Distance | 12.3km |
| Vertical meters | 798m |
User comments
Kjipt, men klok beslutning
Written by Fjellsamleren 08.06.2020 11:13Ser du fremdeles var et stykke fra Gråsida før du snudde. Hadde vel sikkert også vært noen snøpartier lenger oppe som hadde sinket deg enda mer dersom du kom helt opp på platået? Veldig irriterende når tiden setter en stopper for planene, men vi får komme inn dit med bil en finværsdag. Nå har jo du rekognosert området også, så det burde være en grei match neste gang ;)
Re: Kjipt, men klok beslutning
Written by hbar 08.06.2020 12:07Jeg hadde nok ikke så mye valg nei. Usikker på hvor mye snø jeg hadde truffet på, men dette var selvsagt også en faktor i vurderingen. Uansett irriterende å bruke så pass mye tid på å nesten komme til toppen... Så jeg blir gjerne med tilbake en annen gang. :)
Har også sett på muligheten for en runde opp via Øvredalen og ned igjen til Storevatnet sør for Matre, med besøk av Gråsida, Sætrefjellet og Gleinefjellet. Eller kanskje i motsatt retning så man sparer 300 høydemeter. Men da uansett helst uten stengte veier og løping etter siste bussen for kvelden. ;)
Sv: Re: Kjipt, men klok beslut
Written by Fjellsamleren 08.06.2020 12:45Ser den altså! Dette var en typisk tur der man får lite/ingenting igjen for tiden man ofrer.
Jeg tok en titt på kartet og de tre toppene var umiddelbart min første tanke også. Haha. Vi tar dem en dag vi har god tid :)