Driving the Atlantic road is a joy in itself, you turn into a child sat on a little rollercoaster for the first time, full of excitement and as the view slowly reveals itself as you drive up the bridge and down the steep slope.

 

Norway is no stranger when it comes to trekking options, there are so many fjords, you just choose one and you start walking up to it and sure there will be trekking trail, if you want to stick to the known trails, there are a few interesting ones like the Trek to the Pulpit Rock. Norway has so much beauty you wont go wrong which ever you choose.

Access to the trail head

If you are driving from the city of Molde (E39/Rv662), head west approx 4.5 Km on E39 until you see a sign for “Eide/Elnesvagen”.

Turn left on the above sign and continue for approx 13Km and follow the road to Elnesvagen, after passing Elnesvagen, turn right onto Rv663 (Farstad), follow this road for 15 Km, Locate the gravel road on the right and you reach a house on the right, stay on the gravel road up for about 600 meters and you will reach the trail head.

There is a metal gate and a rusty tractor and some space for 2 to 3 cars, you can park your car here and start walking up the trail.

Melen/Sjurvarden Trail

Here is a GPS track log of the trek

suvarjeden-melen trek log

From the trail head metal gate follow the tractor road into a forest path to your right, keep walking for approx 500 meters and you will reach the Melen/Sjurvarden sign.

The real fun begins now, you walk along the trail uphill into the forest, all you can hear is just nature and its chimes.

As we were climbing the trail, we almost though of returning as it started to rain, the clouds were clearing up at the same time and we were in a dilemma.

We just said to ourselves, the rains would stop and continued our way up the trail and after a while the trees cleared and gave us a view that just can’t be explained in simple words.

Up until this trail, the route for Melen and Sjurvarden is the same, and this is where it forks out and you can decide which trail you want to take.

Melen

The open space was quite windy and we came up to this fallen wooden sign, not in the picture at least, as we collected some more rocks to help stand the sign in place.

Locate the low rock fence to the right behind the sign, follow this fence all the way to the top marked by a summit cairn, this is an easy terrain.

Sjurvarden

From this sign, fork left and head up the hill in front of you

After a bit of walking uphill and on rough rocky terrain, you will pass the remarkable Olavsbu stone hut, made by Olav Hansen.

The stone hut is an amazing little respite if you are tired and want a small rest stop and a bit of a relief from the wind.

The hut is maintained by the volunteers of the Norwegian trekking association and has a small wood stove, kettle and some basic items if you get caught out by the mountain weather, happens a lot in the mountains and you get engulfed in fog and you can’t see a thing.

On a good clear day the views from the hut are breathtaking

Once you have enjoyed the views, descend slightly from here and then climb up the last hill to Sjurvarden, the summit cairn is a continuation of the cliff and is simply amazing, the views from here of the Atlantic road are fantastic, its worth the trek for such fabulous views.

The trail had barely anybody on it, we met just 3 people on the trail max at different sections and there were a handful on the summit, if you want a complete peace and quiet and be with nature, then this is a trail not to be missed.

Trek Essentials

• A good pair of shoes are recommended, the trail is slippery and wet in most of the places
• Carry some chocolate bars, snacks and water, you get tired quick.
• Start early, so you can enjoy the time on the trail and on the top, it’s very difficult when it becomes dark and the forest tracks will be very dark.
• Inform your place of stay about your plans, so they know you are out in the wild, useful for when emergencies arise.
• The trail is not busy and sometimes it will just be you on your own, so stay careful and safe all the time.