Blåtinden 604 m a.s.l.
The peak is located on Vestvågøya island, near Leknes. It's important not to confuse it, as there are quite a few peaks with the same name in Norway itself. As we mentioned, there was very little information about it in Polish guidebooks, but we decided to climb it anyway. We came here out of curiosity and quickly realized it was a great decision. The summit is located at an altitude of 604 m a.s.l., and the views from the top are truly impressive. The panorama encompasses the entire vast Vestvågøya island, the calm waters of the Norwegian Sea surrounding it, and the characteristic flattening around Leknes where the main E10 road runs. It looks particularly beautiful during a September sunset, when the light softly emphasizes the shapes of mountains and valleys. The peak is not very popular, so you can count on peace and quiet here. We were completely alone at the top. It's an ideal place if you're looking for a less frequented trail with truly spectacular panoramic views.
Trail to Blatinden
Trail length: 4,9 km
Duration: 2:05 h
Elevation gain: 418 m
Difficulty level: easy
Parking
The trail starts in Slydalen. The entrance to the road is paid (information on the sign at the entrance). You need to drive to the end of the gravel road. At the last cottage there is a place to leave the car and immediately there is an entrance to the trail - 68.217895, 13.799992.
Trail Description
The trail starts from the parking lot. We immediately enter through a gate onto sheep grazing land. The route largely leads through muddy terrain, so it's not a good trail after heavy rainfall. Even when the weather has been sunny for several days, the trail is quite wet. We start trekking on a designated path upwards. The trail is not marked, you have to follow the worn paths, which are easy to lose. The maps show us two routes to reach the main red trail. At the fork we also have a signpost. The route to the right (to Hagskaret) is wilder and steeper but shorter, leading through low birches. The route straight ahead (to Brattflogan and Rolvsfjord) is longer, with several boardwalks appearing on it, but it's just as muddy as the other one. We took the trail to the right into the path between the birches. However, choosing the trail straight ahead we will pass several laid boardwalks, until we again reach the fork that connects with the red trail. Here there is also a signpost, after which we head right to Blåtind and Hagskaret. Right next to it is a small shelter covered with grass. Inside there is only a fireplace surrounded by benches. Outside there is also a fireplace. You can stay here overnight. Behind the shelter we head up again, until we reach a clearing where the trail we wrote about earlier (the one leading through birches) meets the red trail, and the trail flattens for a moment. Then only ⅓ of the trail leading upwards remains. The last section of the route leads quite steeply over rocks. The climb is not very technically demanding, but you should watch out for loose stones. At the summit, with beautiful weather, all that remains is to enjoy the views. From the top you can see the nearby peaks, as well as the entire width of the island. Going down, you can return by a different route than we went up, as shown on the map above. We visited this peak in early September in the afternoon hours and met only two people on the trail. In our opinion, the trail was very charming and interesting, and the views were worth seeing. From this trail you can also go to the popular Justadtinden peak, but the hike there will take you much more time.
Summary
During our trekking we covered less than 6 km, which took us about 2 hours. We made the small loop mentioned earlier, occasionally getting slightly lost in the dense birch forest. Despite this, the trail turned out to be very pleasant, and along the way there were many places with beautiful views. This is one of those trails that are neither long nor particularly demanding, but give great satisfaction from hiking.
