Vassvarden

The climb: ferry quay, farm lanes and shielings

The trailhead sits by the road at Hella/Sanden, a short walk from the ferry quay. (The start was moved roughly 500 metres west along the main road in 2018, so look for the sign beside the road rather than setting off from the quay itself; a small car park by the road is the usual place to leave the car.) A new signposts lead you onto an old cart track – kjerrevegen – that zig-zags up the hillside toward the farm of Vesterheim. About half way, a short detour out onto the smooth rock outcrops gives your first proper look down the fjord and at the ferry traffic crossing it.↗↗↗

Above Vesterheim you pass just below the old schoolhouse, then pick up the path up to the farm of Rud, whose meadows and tidy stone-built farmsteads are a highlight of the lower stretch. From the fields over Rud the trail threads up through lush mixed forest to the abandoned shieling of Skare at 515 metres – a fine turn-around in itself for a shorter walk, with views across the Sognefjord. Continue past the former Rudstølen and under the Fardal–Ørskog power line for a steeper push up to Daurmålhaug at 732 metres, where the birch forest finally gives out.↗↗↗

Beyond the treeline the character of the walk changes completely: open, easygoing mountain ground with small stone cairns and occasional sticks marking the way along the western side of Storholten. The last 300 vertical metres are arguably the most pleasant part of the day – the trail is good, the gradients kind, and the fjord scenery keeps improving with every step.↗↗

What you see from the top

The panorama is the reason people come. To the south and across the broad Sognefjord you look toward Borlaug, Feios, Vangsnes and Vik; turning west, the view sweeps past Kvamsøy and Balestrand, on to Dragsvik, the Sværafjorden and the narrow entrance channel to the Fjærlandsfjorden. On a clear day you can see deep into the inland mountains.↗↗

Looking the other way, up toward Fjærland, the white tongues of the Jostedalsbreen ice cap – Bøyabreen and, on a clear day, Suphellabreen – sit above the head of the fjord arm. The mountains on the far side rise sheer from the water, and hikers often remark on the vertiginous drop that mirrors them below the surface.↗↗

Visitor reviews describe Vassvarden as 'a great hike with a wonderful view from the top' – and also, fairly, as a demanding trail that rewards good fitness.↗

For strong legs: the Hestfjell–Stav–Troeggi traverse

Vassvarden is also one stop on what Leikanger tourism itself calls one of the finest tours in the municipality. From Storholten you can carry on north-east over Syringaholten to Troeggi (around 1,456 m) and on to Stav (1,458 m) and Hestfjell (1,360 m) – a high, exposed ridgeline walk above the Fjærlandsfjord with great mountaineering character, then loop back down the valley toward Grindsdalen or the farms above Hella. This is roughly a 20-kilometre day taking most hikers eight hours or more, with sustained climbing, snow patches late into the season and stretches with no marked path.↗↗

Planning your visit

Season: clear summer and early-autumn days are the time to come – the whole point of the hike is the view, and low cloud or rain can hide the fjord entirely. The high route beyond Vassvarden may hold snow well into June.↗

Difficulty: the ascent is steep and sustained from sea level to 1,024 m, and the official grading is a red / demanding tour. Allow 2–2.5 hours up and a similar amount down, and treat the descent as seriously as the climb – the knee-jarring zig-zags back to the farms are real work.↗↗↗

Get there: the Vangsnes–Hella car ferry across the Sognefjord drops you almost at the trailhead, which makes the hike easy to combine with a stay in Balestrand, on the Vik side, or in Leikanger itself. Parking is limited on the small roadside lay-by at Sanden.↗

Etiquette and kit: the route runs across working farmland and old shieling sites, with gates and cattle grids to close behind you and grazing sheep on the higher ground; stay on the marked path and avoid trampling the meadows. Bring solid hiking boots, weather layers, water and snacks – the trail is unsigned in places above the treeline and you will want to be able to re-locate the small cairns if the mist comes in.↗↗↗

Want a shorter outing with the same fjord feeling? The walk up to the Skare shieling at 515 m stands on its own, and the gentler local favourites – Bjørgahaug over the village, Skagasete and Fadnastølen in Njøsadalen – offer lovely views without the serious climb.↗↗