Hike to Alden - The Norwegian Horse

Visit the island Alden and hike up to the top also called «the Norwegian horse». The mountain rises straight out of the ocean, 481 m above sea level. This is one of the most significant sailingmarks on the western coast of Norway and it is visible from more than a 100 km away. From the top you can enjoy a spectacular 360 degree view!

Alden is an Island in Askvoll municipality and is shaped like a horse. The Island lies between the Island communities of Værlandet and Bulandet, and Atløy.

To get to Alden, you have to take the ferry from Askvoll or Fure in Fjaler to Værlandet. From Værlandet you must book a private shuttle boat to Alden. Contact Alaria AS v/ Audun Oddekalv on tel +47 48132779, or Gry Leite on tel +47 90551334 to book a shuttle boat. The trip from Værlandet - Alden costs about 200 - 250 NOK.

If you want a more speedy transport, you can join RIB Askvoll on a RIB trip to Alden. The boat trip takes about 20 minutes, and you will have three hours to explore the Island of Alden before being picked up again. The trip will only go in season from spring to autumn. For more information about the tour, contact askvoll@fjordguiding.no

You can easily get to Askvoll by express boat from Bergen or Nordfjord. See en-tur.no for timetables.

If you travel by your own boat please look at the sea maps for directions. There are several accommodation alternatives in Askvoll, and in Værlandet, and Bulandet. Værlandet and Bulandet are great Islands that should not be missed and a perfect starting point to reach Alden.

In winter, Alden is covered in snow, and it is therefore not recommended to hike Alden during the snow period. The snow period is difficult to predict, but it is usually from November / December to February / March.

From the pier, you will walk up to the farm which signs towards the top. The trail is easy to find. The trail is steep in the beginning. The trail is quite narrow but very visible all the way to the top. At approximately 300m above sea level, you will reach the plateau, and the terrain gets more flat. Further east and up to «Instestova» it is easy to walk. From this point, you will have a spectacular 360-degree view!

To get an even better view you should walk to the westernmost peak «Ystenova» which will give you a breathless view. If you look west you will see the islands Værlandet and Bulandet, and perhaps some of the oil platforms in the North Sea. In the east, you will see outer Sognefjord and Sunnfjord, and you can see the majestic mountains Lihesten, Kvamshesten, and Blegja. In the north, you can see the westernmost glaciers in Norway, «Gjengalunden» and «Ålfotbreen».

The hike is quite steep at the very beginning of the trail, however, further on the hike is graded as moderate for people who are used to walking in terrain. The duration of the hike is estimated to be 3 hrs. The trail is good and if you need a break you can have a seat and enjoy the amazing view. In the summer we recommend that you stay overnight on the island to enjoy the sunset and sunrise, nothing can compete with that view!