Planning a sota-holiday in Southern Norway

Hi at All,
I’m thinking of planning a holiday and a sota-tour in low Scandinavia.
Could any one suggest me some nice places for my sota-holiday?
I’m looking for a place rich of well marked trekkings and obviously with some referenced summits?
Some years ago I had been in Preikestolen, I think it is an interesting area.
I also considering the telemark area near Notodden.
Thanks in advance for any suggestion
73 de iw2obx Roberto

Hi,
Both those areas are nice, with many summits. If you are going for nice scenery I would absolutely recommend Rogaland (where Preikestolen is), which also has a lot more un-activated summits available. Telemark is also beautiful though, but with a very different scenery, and it can get very warm there in summer.

For track information you can check this post: Mapping resources for tourists where you can read about the services I use when hiking, and feel free to contact me if you have any specific trips in mind. It would be very nice to do a joint activation if you come here to Rogaland, I live about an hour from Preikestolen :wink:

73 de LB4FH / Kjetil

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Hi Kjetil,
Thanks for the reply.
I’m looking for some points of interest, I am still undecided whether to drive along the coast or to travel the internal area for a few days,in any case I will arrive near Stavanger.
I’d really like to meet you for a trekking and activation together.
73

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How nice.
There are many nice places to visit in the center of Norway as well, so you can’t really go wrong.
Please send me a direct message if you decide to go close to here :slight_smile:

73

I confirm that I will be near Stavanger in August.
I’m looking for some 2 points summits, I’d like to reach an easy 4 points summit.
I will contact you in private for some advices
Many thanks Kjetil

73

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Brilliant, I will be home in August, but at work during days. I’m sure we can figure out a list of some nice places worth visiting for you :slight_smile:

73

Hi at All,
In two days I will in LA/RL region, could somebody tell me about traffic/cheasers in FM VHF/UHF bands?
In case there will not be more time or good wx during my hiking on the summits, I will opt for a fast activation with handheld FM.
however I will try to be as accurate as possible on sotawatch
many thanks/mange takk
73
de iw2obx

Hi, not sure about LA/RL, but in Oslo area which is much more densely inhabited VHF/UHF activity is very low. I got answers on SOTA top just couple of times and now even not bother me taking handheld, there is one ham here who activates mostly on VHF, but I guess he is first finding contacts on the repeaters and asks to QSY to simplex frequency. There are very few active SOTA chasers in LA and I think none in LA/RL area. Summing these I guess VHF/UHF activation is unlikely to be successful.

73 de LB8CG.

Hi,
There are some chasers near Stavanger, and also some further in the east of the county, but generally I get very few contacts on VHF/UHF here. These do not chase SOTA actively, but are helpful with direct QSO’s if they hear you. Noone I know of use SOTAWatch in the area, so Facebook would be preferred (Redirecting... is the local HAM radio group).

If you notify in advance there will be more chance, and I’ll surely be able to bring a handheld to work to listen if you activate during day time. If in range, I’m sure Vlad, LB8IG would try to chase you. It would also be great to do a joint activation one day if you want to, I’m located in Sandnes, and get off work at 15 every day.

Locals generally use 145.500, 145.550 and 433.500 for direct FM calls here, but it would be very surprising if you managed to complete a summit on VHF/UHF in RL.

Many thanks Mikhail and Kjetil for the answers.
I will try to activate in FM if one or more of these variables don’t allow to use HF ( time, wx or YL).
To increase my chances I register on FB and I will try to announce my activation on group.
I’ll be pleased for an activation together! I will stay this week in Jorpeland and the next week in Stavanger…
Let’s stay in touch!
Takk!
73 de DL/IW2OBX/P

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Have a safe journey up here :slight_smile:

You may also try the LA SOTA Facebook group, there are many there that want to chase you within Norway.

Thanks, very useful these groups!
After two succesful activations, DM/NS-163 04 August and OZ/OZ-001 05 August, along journey from Lecco in Italy to Hirtshal in Denmark, yesterday during the transfer by car from Kristiansand to Jorpeland we stopped to Feda, just parked the rain stopped, we tryed to hike Refstiheia LA/VA-095 from churck parking but at half way to the top, we came back cause we were running out of time. I saw that there is a short path from north site. I will try when come back to kristiansand.
This morning I activated Lauvasen LA/RL-044 wonderful places with well marked path, about 10km round trip.



15 qsos
2 in 40mt cw
2 in 40mt ssb
6 in 30mt cw
5 in 20mt cw
Thanks all cheasers

73 LA/IW2OBX/P Roberto

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My vacations began on 4th of August. I drove from Lecco to Bockenem in Germany with Eleonora and Zac. This was the first stop over of the tour.

DM/NS-163 Hammersteinshöhe

In the late afternoon we had planned a walk on this hill close to the town.
We reached a cement trigger point with some orientation difficulties. The app View Ranger was very helpful to find the right path.
I started to call cq in 40 cw, the prop was down but I was able to put in a log 4 valuable cheasers.

OZ/OZ-001 (Yding Skovhøj)

During the second trip day we had a break along the way to Hirtshals. In addiction to being the Denmark highest summit, Yding Skovhøj is also a interesting archeological site.
The prop in 40 cw didn’t offer much, 3 cheasers and I answered an one call for validate the activation.

LA/VA-095 Refstiheia ABORTED

Refstiheia is very close to Feda town, it was a perfect break point from Kristiansand to Jørpeland.
We chose the path starting near the church, it was a wrong choice because it was too long for our time schedule. The right choise would have been from the north side.

LA/RL-044 Lauvåsen

It was the first hike of the tour.
I drove to Holta along Holtaheia street. I had to pass through one gate to reach a parking. I didn’t know if I was allowed to open it, but fortunately I met other local hikers.

LA/RL-042 Preikestolen

In the list of must to do, we left in early morning to avoid the rush time of tourist.
After a ritual pics on the cliff we climb up on the top.


20 mt band made me to put in log only 2 qsos so I decided to pass in 30 cw.
The down hill was exhausting due to a flow of people that climb up.

LA/RL-037 Vestre Reinaknuten

It was our favorite excursion, we could feel the wild norwegian nature. Breathtaking surroundings!!

LA/RL-060 Barkafjellet

We walked with rain, wind, fog and mud. No doubt it was my most damp activation ever.
I putted a minimum qsos for validate the activation.
With this a finished my activation near Jørpeland.

The second week we changed location, we stayed in an apartament near Tjensvoll.

LA/RL-113 Sørafjellet wrong summit, my fault and LA/RL-011 Bjørndalsfjellet right activations

We started from parking in Gramstad town. Following a gpx track, which I had saved as rl-113 and rl-011, we reached Mt Dalsnuten, even if I was convinced that it was LA/RL-113 but Sørafjellet was 3km away. I’m sorry for the cheasers @hb9czr @ea2lu, @hb9bhw, @hb9mkv and a s2s with @hb9bin but the activation isn’t valid.

After coming back to the car, we continued to Bjørndalsfjellet.
On the top a very strong wind blew, I was struggling to hear the QSOs, it was necessary to lie down and put my ear near the radio. Very annoying position!!

LA/RL-024 Vestbøvarden

An easy hill reachable crossing fenced field with unconfortable wood stairway.

LA/RL-023 Hodnafjellet ABORTED

we gave up to hike due to a massive deployment of aggressive cows that barred the path, we tryed to outflank but the feaver to finish in a cul de sac, it made us to give up.

LA/RL-022 Mastravarden

Another summit with Angus cows. The farmer adviced to visit Klosterøy area. We found a wonderful landscape and monastery.


When we came back I stopped in a place near the summit and I run up without Eleonora and Zac attemping a quick activation.
After 20 minute I run down with activation completed.

LA/RL-063 Vedafjellet

In late afternoon a nice hike with Kjetil LB4FH, we worked with only one station in 40 ssb.
We didn’t stay too much time on the summit due to a boring wind.

LA/RL-110 Stralaus ABORTED


LA/VA-085 Simonskyrkja

A break during travel to Kristiansand, the last day in Norway
I wanted to try again LA/VA-095 failed on the first day in Norway but looking on Sotamapping I choosed this one.
I reached the top from the north side path, the last step is a monolite and to facilitate the climb there is a fixed rope.

OZ/OZ-007 Knøsen
A short walk, about 15 min from the parking.
I worked in 30mt, too traffic on other band due to a contest

Many thanks to all cheasers that made my activations possible and to Kjetil LB4FH and Tor LA9XGA for advice.

Mange takk!
73 de iw2obx Roberto

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Nice to read about your holiday, and thanks for a nice CO-activation :slight_smile:

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