[27-3] Tenting to a "new" summit and along old trails [27-4]
[27-5] Berkåk - Iglfjellet - Soknedal/Støren/Hølonda [27-6]
[27-7] Iglfjellet sticks out freely against the bigger, stronger neighboring peaks to the west. [27-8] With specks of snow far into summer, and rugged, torn terrain, it resembles a real high mountain and has more to offer than a fine view towards Trollheimen. [27-9] But the experience also includes a hike along ancient trails and tracks. [27-10] One alternative to staring at Berkåk is Garli or Halland, while the tour can finish in Soknedal or in Hovin and Hølonda. [27-11]
[27-12] There are busses and trains to Berkåk. [27-13] From Berkåk station/intersection, follow the road past the sports facility and up in Mjuklia, where you follow a forest road up to the west side of Vålåberget. [27-14] Onwards along the steep mountainside past Bjørneberget to Jønnsjøen. [27-15] From the outlet, follow the stream north and then the Ila river northeastwards to Hovsetra and Hostvatnet (590 m). [27-16] From here to the eastern course of Ljosåa, a stream can be followed to a small lake about 1 km directly east of the Iglfjell summit. [27-17] The summit (1218 m) is not particularly pronounced, but has a good cairn with a visitor's register. [27-18] Here there's a good view in all directions. [27-19] The descent follows the steep gully directly north to the large flat marsh at Pikåhåmmåren and Fjellvollhøgda. [27-20] From small tarns here, in an east-northeasterly direction along the streem to Gjøssåtjønna and onward through birch woods and old summer dairy farmland to øvre and Nedre Brekksetra. [27-21] From here on a modern summer dairy farm road down to Solemsetra, Sveumsetra and Aspeggsetra. [27-22] Fine campsites at Butjønnan and Holsjøen. [27-23]
[27-24] From the beautiful summer dairy hamlet there's a road connection to Soknedal, about [27-25] 9 km. [27-26] To Støren, you follow the road some 3 km to Bordalsetra, then turn off to Estenstadsetra, and then further on a cattle track to Skjervollen, over Skjerlifjellet, past Nerøyvollen and the steep road down to Soknes and Støren. [27-27] A fine tour onward to Hølonda (or possibly [27-28] Hovin) from Aspeggsetra can go along several old cattle paths and tracks, or the usual trail over Skotterudkjølen. [27-29]
[27-30] Regional and express busses and trains serve Soknedal, Støren and Hovin. [27-31] From Hølonda there are local busses to Trondheim. [27-32]
[27-33] Winter: [27-34] The Iglfjell area is also fine for ski touring. [27-35] On the second day of a corresponding winter camping trip, hardy skiers can go in terrain northwards via Svorksjøen, over Elsethøgda and Alvåsen, via Lisbetsetra, over Rundhaugen, and down to the fjord. [27-36] From Aspeggsetra to the fjord, the distance is about 40 km. [27-37] So it requires good ski conditions. [27-38] A one-day tour choice in late winter on good conditions over Iglfjellet is described in TT's book "Ut i marka" (and the 1995 TT Yearbook), from Berkåk over Iglfjellet via Gynnelvatnet to Støren, about 40 km (or Soknedal, about 30 km). [27-39]
[27-40] Maps: 1:50,000 Rennebu, Hølonda and Støren. [27-41]
[27-42] Per Christiansen [27-43]
[27-44] Iglfjellet [27-45]
[27-46] Iglfjellet lies visible from many aspects, including several places in the lands around Trondheim and, for instance, from Heimdal. [27-47] Nonetheless, it's a relatively unknown mountain for many, in any event, for people not of the closest villages. [27-48] From Hølonda, Meldal, Soknedal, and northwards from Rennebu, however, firm tracks are skied in to the summit, and increased cabin building, particularly on the Meldal side, has resulted in greater summertime traffic - but hardly as much as it once was; this mountain area has namely been intensively used for summer dairy farming from all the surround villages as well as from Hovin and Lundamo. [27-49] Looking for old meadows and paths, such as by using old quadrangle map sheets, is a fascinating additional activity on tours here. [27-50]
[27-51] Thoroughfare from Soknedal to Hølonda [27-52]
[27-53] The old-time traveler usually tramped up in terrain before the Ila river gathered speed down toward Soknedal. [27-54] Today we can take the direct road in from Halland to Herremsetra and Ilbogen og travel about the same way. [27-55] One of the oldest Trøndelag maps, probably drawn by Isaac van Geelkerck in 1651 (the so-called Norway no. [27-56] 14) shows a "road", or rather travel route here and further northwards, east of Holsjøen and up to Krogstad/Hølonda church. [27-57] Probably we are on the right track after that way if we go northwestwards from Ilbogen, via Nybergsetra, past Gynnelvatnet and Vardtjønna, to Brekksetra. [27-58] Further, both terrain and old paths can show the way, as well as occurrences of the rare plant, masterwort, most known from monastery gardens, over Estenstadsetra, Solemvollen, (the northernmost) Brekksetra, Hovinsvollan, over Lauvåsen to Krogstad.