Holtaheia is a popular hiking area above Bjørheimsbygd in Strand municipality. There are many marked trails that take you to peaks with fantastic views of Bjørheimsbygd or towards Stavanger.
How long is the hike to Topphøna?
The hike to the Memorial and Topphøna is a moderately demanding round trip of 4.3 km and a total of 311 metres in altitude. You should expect to spend around 2 hours on the entire hike, without breaks. It is a child-friendly hike suitable for the whole family.
How to get to Topphøna?
Follow Rv 13 from Tau or Årdal, and turn off at the sign for Holta. Follow the road and turn right when you reach the sign for Holtaheia. Drive through a gate (NB! Remember to close it afterwards), and follow the gravel road up to the paid car park.
When is the season for Topphøna?
The main season for the trip to the Memorial and Topphøna is from April to the end of November.
Tour description
The hike to the Memorial and Topphøna is a great round trip with fantastic views of almost all of Ryfylke.
You start from the car park in Holtaheia and follow the signs to the Memorial. After about 10 minutes, turn off the path and walk up to the top where the memorial stands.
The beautiful stone cross has been erected in memory of the 34 boys aged 13-16 and 2 teachers from the Lanfranc school in Croyden, as well as the crew of 3. Along the path there are several remains of the 1961 accident.
Then return to the path. After a little up and down, you come to a junction where you can choose a small detour up to a viewpoint, about 532 masl. Here you have a view of Topphøna. Return to the junction before continuing on to Topphøna, which has great views of Tysdalsvatnet lake, Reinaknuten, Bjørheimsbygd and Stavanger. On the path back to the car park, you can also take a detour to a viewpoint at about 458 masl.
The marked circular trail is partly on rock and partly in terrain.
The history of the memorial
It is Wednesday afternoon, 9 August 1961. The aeroplane "Papa Mike", a Vicker-Viking machine from Cunard-Eagle Airways, is on its way from London to Sola airport outside Stavanger. On board are a crew of 3, 2 teachers and 34 boys aged 13-16 from Lanfranc School in Croyden. They are going on a summer trip to Preikestolen Mountain Lodge.
For many of them, this is their first time in an aeroplane. The weather is bad, with low cloud cover and gusty winds. During the approach, the tower at the airport suddenly loses contact with the aircraft. "Papa Mike" goes off course and flies eastwards, at a low altitude - probably due to a technical failure. Everyone on board dies. There is wreckage from the aircraft all over the area.
When the memorial was unveiled in May 1962, several hundred people gathered. Many of them were survivors who wanted to visit the crash site "to see if the boys had left any of their great joy of life here".
Important info for the hike
- Wear good shoes and bring warm clothes
- Remember food and drink
- Packing list for hiking - and everything else you need to know about hiking in Western Norway