Sandalsand Norge >>
The Vinddalen hike (12 km) is one of several hikes along the Lysefjord in Norway. This time it was a very wet hike up the Vinddalen valley to the Trekking Association’s cabin at Skåpet and steep downhill to Flørli on the fjord.
The Lysefjord in south-western Norway is a perfect example of a Norwegian fjord: Steep mountains, rough scenery, spectacular views, a lot of weather. It also serves as a superb hiking ground for numerous trips. This is one of them. A version of this article in Norwegian contains more information and pictures.
Denne fotturen er også omtalt i den norskspråklige delen av Sandalsand.
What to discover
This hike of 12 km starts inland at the parking lot at Espeland and follows a river up the valley of Vinddalen. I sincerely wish you avoid the very wet soil we had to walk on. Small streams became massive rapids in Vinddalen.
From the cabin at Skåpet there is a reasonably flat and easy walk before the trail descends steep down to Flørli at the Lysefjord.
In reality this is a quite easy hike in great scenery, well marked and with with bridges across the river.
Flørli is now abandoned but was built as a small settlement during the construction of a power plant. There are no roads leading to it, and apart from the paths over the mountains the only way to get there is by boat on the Lysefjord.
Flørli has in recent years become popular for its stairs. The 4444 wooden steps lead from sea level 740 metres up. This stairway (almost to heaven) is claimed to be the longest wooden stairway in the world, and also among the scariest.
Practicalities
You will have to bring your own car to Espedal, via Forsand. As you are going to cross the mountain you will need two cars. Apart from that you will have to check the ferry timetable to see when it passes Flørli.
We stayed the night in one of the houses in Flørli belonging to Stavanger Trekking Association.
This was my last in this series. There may be more to come. If you would like to see more from the Norwegian fjords, read this. The picturesque Nærøyfjord is on UNESCO’s World Heritage List.
All entries and videos in this series
(0) Introduction
(1) The fjord by boat
(2) Ulvaskog
(3) Preikestolen – The Pulpit Rock
(4) Songedalen
(5) Kjerag
(6) Vinddalen
