SummitClimbs Field Note: Heddersfjellet is a 1,461 m mountain in Tuddal, Hjartdal municipality, Telemark, and the highest mountain between Tuddal and Tinnsjå. On the mountain lies an Ice Age boulder known as Hulderhola or Hulderkyrkja (“the hulder’s cave” or “the hulder’s church”, after the forest spirit of Norwegian folklore). We visited the rock in June 2022 and got caught in thick fog, which led us to get lost on the mountain. The trip ended well and left us with many memories, and a healthy respect for how fast the weather can close in here.
Heddersfjellet at a Glance
- Height: 1,461 m
- Location: Tuddal, Hjartdal, Telemark
- Highlight: Hulderhola (Hulderkyrkja), an Ice Age boulder
- Our visit: June 2022, in thick fog
Tuddal: the Base
Tuddal is a village in Hjartdal by the lake Bjårvatnet (460 m), at the top of the Tuddalsdalen valley that starts at Sauland. County road 3430 runs from Sauland through Tuddalsdalen and Tuddal, then over the mountains by Gaustatoppen to Dal in Tinn, near Rjukan; the highest point on the road is 1,260 m. In the village stand Tuddal Church, a cruciform church from 1796, and the Tuddal bygdetun open-air museum, and Tuddal Høyfjellshotel has welcomed guests, with breaks, since it opened as a mountain sanatorium in 1895.
What We Learned in the Fog
- Fog comes fast: our June day turned to thick fog on the mountain, and we lost our way. Carry a paper map and compass and know how to use them.
- Plan for the boulder: if Hulderhola is your goal, check its position on the map before you set out, so you can find it if visibility drops.
- Check the forecast: look at the mountain forecast on yr.no, and turn back if the cloud comes down.
The SummitClimbs Take
Heddersfjellet is a quiet Telemark mountain with a folklore boulder on its flanks and the highest top between Tuddal and Tinnsjå. Go on a clear day, bring map and compass, and if the fog rolls in like it did for us, slow down and navigate carefully. Nearby, see our guides to Store Gaustakne and Gaustatoppen.
Mountain facts and the 2022 visit from our own trip; Tuddal facts from Norwegian Wikipedia (Tuddal). Always check current conditions before you go.
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