Hiking path survey with Tone (2016-01-31)

5 years before the Norwegian Constitution was signed in 1814, Norway setup a chain of semaphore stations, using a 3x2 grid of black/white boards to transmit important military messages during a time when England was attacking Denmark-Norway. The station on Skjelsbuveten was the SE end of a chain leading all the way up to Oslo.

In order to commemorate the 2014 bicentennial jubilee this optical telegraph station was rebuilt using the original drawings and lifted in place with a helicopter. At the same time a couple of new hiking paths were marked with blue paint dots on trees, boulders and bare slabs, the hike we made today was in order to accurately map these new paths.

For orienteering purposes the entire area is quite nice, with very runnable bare slabs on top of the hills, interesting contour details on the hillsides and taller spruce and pine trees in the valleys. It is possible that "Blodslitet" will take place either here on Vesterøy or on the easternmost part of Hvaler, Kirkøy, in a few years time.