Såtefjellet (23.05.2015)

Note that this track has been created a posteriori, i.e., from memory, not automatically recorded.

Trip Summary

Driving to Osterøy via the impressive toll bridge was easy and quick from Bergen. Our plan was to start near Stokko and to ascend first to a forest road that goes along the fjord at some 100 meters above sea-level and which we had seen on the map in advance. Instead, we parked -- accidentally -- where the road crosses Kjindalen and ascended from there. It seemed to us that others have done that before -- at least it looked like steps in the steep terrain. The valley we ascended through is very steep and it was quite slippery due to the recent rain. When it started to open up a little (Erdalen?) and when we also had the impression that we should have reached the height of the forest road, we continued to the northeast, parallel to the fjord, to find the forest road. It turned out that we had ascended too much and that the forest road was a bit further away than what we had expected. So we descended, again, in a diagonal fashion, mostly in steep terrain and across bolders that had been grown over with mosses (makes it difficult to stop all the holes between the bolders!). After some "fight with the elements", we connected to the forest road and followed it -- then again according to the original plan -- to the sharp turn, from where the path leads upwards, parallel to Djupedalen. We followed this nice and easy to follow path until we got to three small huts, right underneath Grønfjellet. From there, then without any path, we ascended -- basically straight up towards the northwest, then -- to Grønfjellet. From there, we started out hike back, first along Grønfjellet and then further to Såtefjellet. No clear paths lended themselves for our hike, so we mostly needed to evaluate opportunities ourselves -- crossing from Grønfjellet to Såtefjellet, for example, is not 100% simple (but can be done without any major problems, neither!). In order to get up to Såtefjellet, we descided to basically cross over via the highest possible saddle and then ascend basically straight up (in a southwesterly direction) first (very steep but well possible), before we then, already on the height, connected to the top of Såtefjellet (mostly southwards). From Såtefjellet, one has truly nice views over Sørfjorden and towards other nice tops nearby, including Hananipa on the other side of the fjord and Brøknipa, next to Såtefjellet on Osterøy. From Såtefjellet, we first hiked (mostly southwards) towards Kjeringhaugen (between Vindstallane and Stokkhella) -- after some stretches, sort of a path emerged -- the terrain proved to be very wet. In order to get down to Havrådalen, we made a turn and followed Eggene (mostly northwards), looking for a suitable opportunity to descend to Havrådalen (the terrain appeared very steep from above, so we wished to find a path, or so). This search took us a far north as to Repdalsskaret, where the power line crosses the mountain. There we decided to descend, even though the "paths", which we "found" probably where simply due to sheep and not other hikers. We managed to get down without injuries (it's certainly not ideally to descend there). From there it was mostly straight forward (or should I say backward?), following first a simple road southwards, then continuing along a path, which first goes along the mountain westwards, before it turns downwards towards Blom along a ridge. Even though not always perfectly visible, it is still well doable to follow this path all the way down to Blom. Once down at the street, again, a friendly person from Bruvik, who came along the street, picked us up and took us back to our car. All in all, this tour was (a) longer than expected, (b) not 100% comfortable (due to stretches without a path, including some substantially steep terrain, and (c) slightly to wet and cold (due to the not 100% nice weather). We both concluded that it was nice to do this hike, but that this route would not make it into our top-list of hikes near Bergen. :-)

Photos

Selected photos are available as Google+ photo album.

Useful Resources

Web page WestCoastPeaks.com provides useful information about Såtefjellet
and also Petter Bjørstad has a useful page about Såtefjellet.