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I caught the 10.30 am bus from Voss to Rong in Bordalen, in Hordaland Fylke and I got off the bus at the bottom of the road which led up to the cluster of buildings known as Jerald. It was a hot and sunny morning as I walked up the road to the farm buildings. Beyond the farm the road entered an attractive pine forest, in which I saw a red squirrel. This animal is becoming increasingly rare in Britain so I was thrilled to catch a glimpse of one. It is possible for cars to drive up this road for about Kr 30, if my memory serves me correct, and to park at the cabin settlement of Veskre. However, I was without a car on this trip so I had to walk up. This was not without its compensations though, since I had already seen the squirrel and I was able to enjoy the beautiful view of the steep snow flecked flanks of Eggjane, Skjemmehovudet and Hermannsnuten peaking through the pine forest.
Eventually the wooden cabins of Veskre were reached. This was a lovely place, with the rocky top of Veskreshorgi rising behind the cabins, some of which had grass growing on the roofs. The road became a track, which then became a path. Although this path was unmarked it was clear and easy to follow, as it led up past the charming lake of Hanselavatnet to the pass between Veskreshorgi and Tinden. From this unnamed pass there was a fine view of the Raundalen peaks Horndalsnuten, Skipadalsnuten, Seldalsnuten, Olsskavlen and Nordbotnnuten, and of the giant peak of Vassfjøra catching the last of the morning cloud. I left the path at the pass and climbed the stony, rocky and undulating slopes of Tinden, the top of which I reached 2¼ hours after leaving the bus. The view was amazing and encompassed many of the peaks around Hardangerfjorden, such as Oksen, Onen, Skorafjellet, Vassfjøra, the Raundalen mountains, the mountains of Kvamskogen, as well as the ice caps of Hardangerjøkulen and Fresvikbreen. With the sun shining through a clear blue sky the mountains seemed so near. After a 15 minute break to admire the view I retraced my steps to the pass, where I had lunch.
After lunch I proceeded to climb Grønahorgi, although I was unsure at first which way to go. The direct route through the cliffs and crags on Veskreshorgi looked feasible but I chose the longer, more circuitous route. This went skirted around the lower slopes of Veskreshorgi until the cliffs petered out, before climbing up on a rising traverse to avoid point 1092. From here it was an easy walk to the summit of Grønahorgi, although it looked further away than I expected, and consequently I didn’t reach the top until 4 pm. The view was as equally spectacular as that from Tinden but I was struck by the dominating appearance of Lønahorgi, above Voss, and of the rocky Høgahorgi and Skamdalshorgi rising above the lovely lake of Grønlivatnet. It was also possible to see the Folgefonn ice cap. I stayed 30 minutes, captivated by the view, but I finally had to leave and return to civilization. The descent was down a broad ridge, which undulated, and involved constant uphill and downhill climbs. It was a long, gradual descent, which eventually reached a path in the forest. This was followed down to the farms at Gjelland. Before becoming a road the path had become a track, and it was at this point that I was mobbed and chased by a herd of sheep. In Britain sheep are very timid and will run away if they are approached in any way, so I was very surprised to be accosted by these bold creatures. I jumped over a gate and managed to shake them off before reaching the main road through Bordalen.
I got to the road at 6.25 pm and then had the job of hitching a lift back to Voss in the evening sunshine. This would have been very pleasant, as there was an attractive mix of fields, woods and mountains. However, I was very tired and only longed to get back to the hostel at Voss to eat and relax. The road was quiet but after 35 minutes a kind woman gave me a lift to the hostel door.
