The rock carvings at Søbstad

Rock carvings are veins of life carved into stone. The field at Søbstad contains 17 signs/symbols. The carving site was discovered 30 years ago. Here, the glacial river at the end of the Ice Age, approximately 10,000 years ago, formed potholes. As the ice cap melted and the land rose, the undulating cliffs emerged. People noticed these polished formations. Some natural monuments created by nature itself have become sacred places. The carvings may have been made here precisely because the rock was sacred.

If the carvings were made at low tide, the whales, wet and glistening in the sunlight, would have played between the waves etched into the rock and the waves from the sea. The people were gatherers, fishermen, and hunters. The images they carved into the rock are also called hunting carvings. Many hunting carvings depict the large mammals on land: moose, deer, or reindeer. Along the coast from Romsdal to Troms, we frequently find the large maritime mammal, the whale. The animals in the hunting carvings were likely hunted, but they also express far more complex ideas. The animals have been ambiguous symbols. In addition to hunting and food, they also relate to society and belief.

Rock carvings are protected cultural monuments under the Cultural Heritage Act. It is not allowed to do anything that could damage or deface the cultural monuments or the surrounding area. Here are some rules:

You must not try to clarify the figures by scratching, marking with chalk, measuring, or taking impressions.

You must not subject carvings or the rock to physical pressure. For example, leaning on it or climbing/walking on it.

You must not use fire, such as grilling or making bonfires.

Anything that could affect the condition of the carvings, the rock with carvings, or the surrounding area is prohibited.

The trip to the rock carvings is short and fairly flat. It suits everyone, both fit and unfit. The time it takes to walk here is not much, but we recommend that you take some time to see and experience the area. From the parking lot, walk back the way you came for about 90 m, turn left at the barn, and follow the farm road/path all the way out to the cairns. By the cairns, there is a nice rocky surface to take a break on, opportunities for fishing, or just sit and look out over Sundsfjorden and Bådalsfjorden. On the way back, take the path to the right, and you will arrive at the rock carvings.

Drive FV64 to Bådalen. Here, take the road towards Flatset, onto Flatsetveien. Park at the marked public parking by the sea.

The bus stops in Bådalen. Check fram.no for schedules.