- Lars Peters
- October 16, 2018
- Ullensvang, Vestland
- Round trip
The trail start from the old Haukeli mountain road close to the entrance of the tunnel (Just before it if you come from the Telemark side, just after if you come from Røldal). The trail goes up Nupsdalen and has some steep parts at the start and end of the valley. Along the lakes its mostly flat, providing some nice revitalizing breaks in between the slopes.
As soon as you get out of the valley (past Nupsredet) you turn directly south. After a couple of hundred meters of the marked trail and make your own way up to slopes to the left. From here there is no marked trail. there are allot of loose rocks so be careful with the footing. I found that the large rock slabs that you’ll find here and there provide the easiest way up. There is usually quite some of snow on these north facing slopes. Make a good assessment if they’re safe to cross or if you have to go around. Don’t run up these if they are hardened, as a slide may be long with a abrupt rocky end. i had to go around all snow slopes on this run since they were as hard as ice (mid October).
Once on the top (a small pile of rocks) you can continue a bid to the edge of the cliff. From here you can see a rocky basin bellow. Late summer or if there is not too much snow in this basin you can go down this way. It is not recommended to run here as there are a lot of loose rocks & boulders. Make good risk assessment & go back the same way you came trough Nupsdalen if you’re not certain its safe/free of snow. Make sure to asses what would happen if rocks start to slide, big boulders above that might slide down if the loose rubble gives?
First you continue eastwards along the edge until you hit a large east-faced snow field. I found my way down between some boulders (little crevasse filled with small rocks) just south (left) from the huge snow field. Be very vigilant while going down on these loose rocks. As soon as you in the basin you follow the little river down on the rocks (it runs partly below the rocks but you can hear it).
There is a little steeper part just before the route gets to the grassy slopes. there is a lot of water going though this part and the rocks are both loose and slippery. take it easy on that part and make good assessments. As soon as you hit the grassy slopes you all good.
The trail is marked with red painted T’s of DNT on rocks on the first part of the route. a little after Nupsredet you leave the marked trail and make your own way up.
Nice marked trail up though the valley of Nupsdalen that great for running. The flatter parts along the small lakes make for some good natural pauses in between the steeper slopes. After Nupsredet (when you get out of the Nupsdalen valley) it becomes a moon landscape with snowy parts, boulders & large slabs of rock all the way to the top. The larger rock slabs & some of the ledges are run-able but you should be careful on the rocky parts.
- Alot of people go back the same way as they came though Nupsdalen. This would also give some downhill kilometers on a amazing trail. It should definitely be considered instead of carefully navigating down trough the rocky basin.
Open Grasslands, though the alpine valley of Nupsdalen. Pretty much a Moon landscape after Nupsredet all the way up to the top.
- Lots of places to spent the night allong the mountain road. Haukelister is the closest (and one of the largest) mountain cabin that can provide rooms.