Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal
Bølia, July 17 2008
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Light
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It was getting a bit late on this summer evening on Nordmøre. I had just hiked Hjelmen and was now on my way to Bøfjorden to hike Bølia. "Eg hadde i grunnen berre tida og vegen", as they would say in new Norwegian. In other words, I'd better hurry if I wanted to be down before dark.
From Hjelmen, earlier in the afternoon, I had been looking at Bølia and seen something that resembled a forest road. In my pursuit of a trailhead for Bølia, I drove to the farm which I had memorized. I rang the doorbell, out came a woman, and I asked if I could hike Bølia from here. Having a stranger at her doorstep, 8pm, asking for the route to Bølia, was surely something she didn't expect. In this quiet little spot in Norway.
I tried to help out; "I was on Hjelmen, decided to hike Bølia and noticed a forest road somewhere just about here..". "Yes..", she pointed towards the forest. "Great", I said. "Where can one park around here?". I already knew the answer. They always say the same; "You can park right here". It has to be my innocent face and trustworthy appearance...
I left the farm 8:02pm, crossed a field and located the forest road. It was quite steep, and I quickly ran out of steam. I followed this road up to 320m elev., where it began to descend. I figured I should not descend along with it, and headed into the forest, looking for a path. I found one after a while, and was more or less able to follow it to the top. Boy, this was a long hill.
I reached the top of Bølia 9:10pm, and it still wasn't raining... much. Moreover, I actually had some views, and I claimed my 2nd bonus for the day (the 1st was no rain on Hjelmen, contrary to what the forecast predicted). I spent 10 minutes at the top before I headed back down, and I was back at the car 10pm.
Bøsundet
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It was time to set up the tent, but where? I drove up and down the road along Åsskardfjorden a couple of times, but the best places were already taken by teenagers out to party. I ended up near Settemsøran, and found myself a spot near a sports field. As I rigged the tent, a car stopped and this guy kept staring at me. For a minute, at least. I continued with the tent and minded my own business. My campsite was in the bush, and on gravel. What was the problem? I was just about to go over and find out when he decided to leave. So, without further disturbance, I could enjoy my late dinner and a cold beer. I slept like a baby and woke up to the sound of heavy rain.
Next: Strengen
