Camping at Håheller — and the story behind the place

We arrived at Håheller and landed on a rocky shore. After walking around to find the best camp spot, we found a secluded place, slightly elevated, right by the water — about five meters above the fjord.

We set up camp and cooked dinner: my specialty — “Rasmus Special.” Bacon, mushrooms, a creamy sauce, and fresh tagliatelle. Easy to make, filling, and exactly what you want after a day on the water.

After dinner, we went for a swim. It was April, so the fjord was cold — properly cold — but it was the good kind of cold. Sharp. Clean. Refreshing.

Later, we explored the Håheller area a bit. And it turns out this isn’t just a beautiful place to land a kayak.

Håheller is an old fjord farm with written history going back to 1580, and it was once one of the most prosperous properties in the area (source: Lysefjorden365). The farm relied on the fjord and the surrounding land — grazing areas, forest resources, and fruit orchards. Håheller was also known for fruit production, and cherries from the farm were among the first to reach the market in Stavanger.

The most striking feature is the large main house, unusually big for the area, placed broadside toward the sea. It’s believed to have been built around the 1790s and stands out with its size and symmetry. By the end of the 1800s, more than 25 people lived on the farm. For a time there was even a shop there, and later a post office — and Håheller was known as a place where people stayed overnight on their way in and out of Lysefjord.

Today the farm is abandoned and time has taken its toll, but it hasn’t been forgotten. In 2019, the pole barn was rebuilt as part of a local heritage project focused on traditional building craft (source: Lysefjorden365). And there’s also an old historic route connecting Håheller with neighboring farms and valleys — overgrown for decades, but recently being reopened by local enthusiasts.

Back at camp, we set up our chair kits — the kind where you slide your sleeping mat into a sleeve and suddenly you have a proper chair. It was the first time I’d tried them, and honestly… they were almost too comfortable.

We made a fire and just sat there.

When the sun went down around half past nine, we stayed outside anyway. The fjord was calm. The air was still. Above us was a sky full of stars.

We went to bed late.

Day 2: Wind, whitecaps, and surfing back to Songesand

The next morning, the wind had arrived.

It was around 6 m/s early on, rising toward 10–12 m/s according to the forecast — coming from the east. Normally that can be demanding in the inner fjord, but for us it meant something else: we were heading west, back toward Songesand, with the wind behind us.

So we weren’t in a hurry.

We made breakfast — pancakes and honey — packed up slowly and carefully, made sure nothing was left behind, loaded the kayaks, and got back on the water.

By the time we launched, it was around eleven — and the fjord had changed. Whitecaps everywhere. A completely different mood.

We were both in drysuits, and with the experience we had, the conditions felt well within our limits for that time of year. Not for everyone — but manageable for us.

We paddled a bit further out into the fjord to catch more wind. The plan was simple: surf all the way out.

And we did.

The distance that took us about three hours the day before took one hour on the way back. About 15 kilometers in one hour. Pure downwind surfing from start to finish.

When we reached Songesand, we landed, unloaded, packed everything up, and strapped the kayaks back onto the roof.

And that was the trip.

One thing I love about Lysefjord is how flexible it can be. If the easterly wind arrives earlier, you can flip the plan: take the ferry to Lysebotn, start there, and paddle out instead.

There are many possibilities in this fjord. And that’s part of what makes it so special by kayak.