Via ferrata is an Italian word and is translated into English with “Iron road” and into German with “Klettersteig”. In Norwegian it can be translated as “climbing path” or “iron path”, but it is often referred to as “climbing path with wire” Via ferrata means that a mountain is equipped with fixed means of securing such as steel wire, hoops, ladders and bridges. This is then used to climb the mountain in the safest and most predictable way possible, without having to possess significant climbing skills or climbing knowledge. Normally good form and motor skills are usually enough to walk a via ferrata (Source: Wikipedia).
In Åkrafjorden you will find two Via Ferrata tours: Kyrkjeveggen and Jettegrytene (potholes). Kyrkjeveggen is perhaps Norway's toughest Via Ferrata trail. While Jettegrytene is a family friendly trail/route.
Read more about our Via Ferrata routes below. See information about safety on the trip here ›
Via Ferrata Kyrkjeveggen, located in Fjæra in Åkrafjorden, is perhaps Norway's toughest Via Ferrata route. The route is laid up for climbing on mountains where possible. In the most demanding areas, steps have been made making it possible to walk the trail. The climbing part from the ascent of 50 meters to the top shelf of 550 meters is about 900 meters long. Fjæratoppen is the highest peak at 713 meters above sea level. The last part of Fjæratoppen is a regular hiking trail. The toute is graded as grade D according to the international grading scale, with the grading going from A to F.
Via Ferrata Ingadalen is a family-friendly route that is graded as B/C for exposure and 2 in climbing. The route is just south of Åkrafjorden Nature and one can see the route from the front of the building. It takes about 15 minutes to walk to the start. Halfway up there is a path to step 2. The view is great and you can see Rullestad towards the east, and Fjæra and Åkrafjorden towards the west. Towards the north you see the mighty “Kyrkjeveggen”. When you have finished the climbing part that ends at about 240 m above sea level, you can follow the path back to the starting point. The whole trip takes about 2.5 to 3 hours at a child-friendly pace, but can be extended if you take the time to enjoy the views and surroundings.
Hyling is a Via Ferrata route located in the large rock wall north of Åkrafjorden Nature. To get to the entrance follow the same road as to Kyrkjeveggen, but continue on the forest road a little further. The path through the rocks is marked. From the entrance and up to Øysteinskår, there is a fairly steep Via Ferrata trail with bolted steps. When one climbs into Øysteinskår, one follows the bolted cable over the natural mountain shelves. The shelves go up and down slightly and range between 250 and 300 meters above sea level. When you reach the western end of Indre Fjæraholet there are bolted steps up to Gaupeskår. Where the Hylling trail meets Kyrkjeveggen, one can choose to follow Via Ferrata Kyrkjeveggen up to Topphylla, if one wants a painfully long walk. If not, one follows the marked path down to the shore. The round trip is about 4.5 km long, with 1700 meters of bolted trail. If you want to follow Kyrkjeveggen to the top, the whole round trip is about 8 km long, with 2.2 km of bolted trail.
