Travel from Hyllestad to Lihesten
The hiking trails up to Lihesten are located by Lifjorden in Hyllestad municipality. Hyllestad is both the municipality name and the name of the center of the municipality. The trip starts from the municipal center Hyllestad, towards Lifjorden, about 10 kilometers. When you arrive at Lifjorden, you have several options for parking, depending on which tour you wish to take. Here you can go up to Risnesnipa from Hovlandstien, or Gygrekjeften from Lekva.
Hike to Risnesnipa from Hovlandtrail
If you wish to hike up to Risnesnipa from the Hovlandstien, drive a little past where the hiking trail starts to park in the bend on the left under a tree. Here you will find a red cabin down by the sea. Go back a little until you see a sign marked Risnesnipa. The trail is great with varied terrain. You will walk through the forest in the first part, before you come up to a more open terrain with a magnificent view of the Lifjorden. The path can be quite steep in the first part, but once you have climbed the ridge of Lihesten, the trip goes uphill to the top. Here we recommend spending plenty of time up the mountain. Both to enjoy the view, a good packed lunch, and drink plenty of water.
Fjelltur til Gygrekjeften
Just before you drive down to Lifjorden, there is a sign to the car park at Lekva. The path goes through some outfield fences and winds steeply up through the lush forest. You can see a lot of the county flower, foxglove, on the way up if you go here in summer. At the top of the hill, you come to a crossroads. Here there are warnings about the steep path that awaits the Nipestien, the shortcut to the top. To take this road up, you turn off to the right, and you meet the rock face at 500 m. Here it goes steeply up the mountainside, but the Nipestie is laid out in the best place. There are some steep climbs, so ropes are hung out here. The first climb is about 4 km, and there is also some rope to help with the steep parts. In one place, there is even a noose in the rope, so that you can climb up and, with the help of rope further up, manage to hoist yourself up. You have to be a little careful when the rope ends, so that you choose the right way up so that it doesn't get too steep. A total of 100 meters in height with splitting, so you are up on the Lihest Plateau. You have to assess for yourself whether the rope hanging there seems to be in order and has not been damaged. Up on the plateau, it is well marked with cairns and red color up to the top, Gygrekjeften. This is where the sorceress, gygra, will stay.
3L-stølane på toppen av Lihesten
At the top of both Risnesnipa and Gygrekjeften you can enter the mountain towards the 3L stølane. They get their name from the three farms they belong to, all of which start with the letter L: Lekva, Lundeland, and Lireid. Despite many exposed mountains, there is nutritious grass in between and inviting small lakes to swim in. From the plateau, you go down the Lundelandsstien. This path was a dirt road, it is built up and goes in nice turns on the steep side. The path follows down the rock wall and eastwards until it meets the path from Lekva.
