Have you ever been hunting for heads in Kvinesdal?

Since 2017, Flekkefjord artist Christian Sunde has placed various small artificial heads in nature in Norway. Hints about their whereabouts can be found on Sunde's own Instagram page. Several of the artificial heads (most are tiny, tiny) can be found in nature in Southern Norway: Also in Kvinesdal.

- It's a bit of fun to see if we can find more heads than the others can, says an enthusiastic Margrethe, who can be considered quite a professional head hunter. The hobby she has had for several years, she shares with Gladys.

But why did the ladies actually start headhunting?

Yes, exactly why, is the question I breathlessly ask, as I struggle to keep up with the pace of Gladys and Margrethe. We are on our way up one of the least steep hiking trails, to the new day hike hut "Fjordsyn", which was completed on top of Dyreknuten, in the spring of 2023. Here the view over the Fedafjord is spectacular, and is really worth a visit - just for the panoramic experience from the height .

- To find heads before everyone else. And finding heads where others haven't found them before is a lot of fun. It becomes a kind of competition. It's exciting, but I wasn't immediately hooked, says Gladys.

So if you are adventurous: Regardless of the time of year (just be careful where you put your feet on the slippery surface) you can have a different hiking experience with headhunting in Kvinesdal.

- I used to run a lot of marathons, but now this is something I like to do. It's always exciting to log into Christian Sunde's headhunting Instagram page and see if he has placed a few more heads out into nature, says Margrethe.

600 artificial heads found in nature

Since Gladys started the hobby two or three years ago, the 56-year-old from Feda has really found many artificial heads.

- I have probably managed to find around 600 heads up to now, she says, and says that it is mostly women who have artificial headhunting as a hobby.

Hodene is an analogue treasure hunt, using Christian Sunde's Instagram (#finnhodet) as a code breaker. A kind of form of geocaching: Only with slightly different means and finds. The headhunt involves intense searching, long walks and climbing in rough and (sometimes) quite inaccessible terrain.

- Look up there. Right at the top there, there is a head, Gladys points out, and points to a tiny head that is planted on the mountain, right behind the day trip hut. It is barely visible without binoculars. Even 5 meters away.

Both Gladys and Margrethe clearly get fit from headhunting, while at the same time they get great hiking and nature experiences with the purchase. Also, this type of treasure hunt sharpens several senses.

- We have been on all kinds of peaks, and into the mountains, and forced all possible obstacles in the hunt for heads, points out a sparkling energetic Margrethe.

Do you want more hiking experiences or mining hikes at Knaben?

Join an airy climbing experience through the Via Ferrata route on Knabekniben - the mountain that lies 786 meters above sea level. The trail has a medium degree of difficulty, but still provides a good adrenaline rush: And a really good sense of height. It is also possible to end before the airiest part arrives. If Via Ferrata climbing is not for you, a nice alternative could be a walk on the marked hiking trail up to the top of Knabekniben. It's a nice mountain hike, with great views as a reward. Mining tours are also an option at Knaben, where Western Europe's largest molybdenum sulphide mine was located in its time, before it was closed in 1973.