Best views ever?

SOTA summit: Sotekollen  

Activation Date: May 23, 2023

Unique: 260th

Call sign used: LA/M0SNA/P

Portable operation: Yes

Radios: Elecraft KX2

Antennas: LNR 40/20/10 Trail friendly end fed

Band/Modes used: 20m SSB (voice)

Operating highlights:

• Spectacular views of a Norwegian fjord
• Amongst “best” views I’ve seen out of 260 unique peaks

Pack weight: Approximately 20 lbs

Drive: Car

Hike:  ~3 miles R/T with 1,600 ft ascent. 

Hike and AZ profile:

• Trail is a mixture of easy to follow and boggy/rock area
• AZ is flat, a little boggy in places
• GaiaPro track -> here

Recommend: Absolutely

Solo operation: Yes

Cell Coverage: Good cell coverage 

Photos: Copyright Paul Gacek 2023

The hotel is remarkably empty and she asks what time I want dinner. Its already been a full day, one activation earlier and a long and winding drive north from Bergen. Canned sardines seem unappetizing and with a little mental scheduling I say 7pm.

It’s already 2:15 when I set foot on the trail. It’s steep, maybe 1,600ft in 1.5 miles. The ground is muddy and like any trail through a forest, roots are exposed that add to the need for dexterity.

The shy figure descends past me, back toward me obviously not wanting to be seen.

The trail ascends, twists and I settle into a rhythm that has left behind the huffing, puffing and occasional “burning” muscle to which I wish I had eaten the banana that sat in the trunk along with my unwanted sardines.

The grass is healthy green and moss has grown up trunks ad along branches. All signs of a wet wet environment that is typical of a fjord that is an offshoot of the North Atlantic. Everyone seems to claim the prize for the wettest place in Norway but in this case this remarkably remote place of Brekke might actually be the winner.

I’d picked the hotel as it is literally on the waters edge and have already seen the expanse of water and granite slabs holding the ocean back and 30 minutes later I see my first almost breathtaking view up possibly 700 ft.

It’s a little bit of a fast and furious activation. Canned sardines seem so unappealing and I really do want to be at my car at some reasonable time. I’ve always been a fast up hill hiker but two knee surgeries later and a knee that is not “clinically silent” as my surgeon described it, has me typically descending with poles and slowly.

I guess Norway’s proximity shouldn’t surprise me with the consistent and relatively “loud” Polish stations I’ve heard so far which are always a thrill for this half Pole and I try one of the ten Polish words I know, dziekuje, but I think my thank you is lost in the ether.

I nab more European stations from Spain eastward and when my calls are no longer answered despite spots, I pack up by rote, adjust my pack and sigh a little as I turn my back on this spectacular vista.

Cycle 25 seems to be misbehaving at this point and we seem to have lots more Sun activity that is “trashing” radio communications mine included.

It was really a random find and reality exceeded my rather minimal expectations. I think the sedum roof was the draw and made me think of trolls, Loki and other things Norwegian. The promise of a room overlooking the fjord sealed the deal and State-side it would have cost about a million times more.

Pushing it on the trail had me back sooner and unbeknownst to me expanded my dinner options from just meat balls to that plus salmon. Meat balls always makes me think of the Swedish Chef from the Muppets and so I opted for the salmon and with no regrets, oven roasted and it tasted simply perfect.

At one point, I’d convinced myself to bring a reasonably sophisticated Canon DSLR, matching manly tripod and a MacBookPro that might rival nVidia when processing Large Language Models. However, limited space and sense prevailed and I brought an ancient Canon camera and diminutive tripod plus a variety of filters.

My heart has been more into the hiking and views but I pulled the gear our in the vane hope that an 11pm sunset might yield something.

I’m a sucker of mountains and water. The views on this hike will stick with me for a very long time. The camera just can’t capture the expansiveness, the cold North Atlantic gusts nor the nuances of the greens and browns that made up the landscape. Much of the hike was perched on the edge of mountain dramatic drop offs. All safe but adding to the sense of wonder.

Such a memorable hike and I doubt I’ll ever return but hope you too can experience this.

Sheer magic, sheer bliss.

Life is beyond good.