About the project

Storheia Arena

An experience destination and arena

Storheia Arena should be an experience destination and an arena for:

• public health, accessible to everyone at any level of function
• cultural and sports
• dissemination and learning
• sustainable and responsible management

Storheia Arena is about public health, well-being, pride and belonging. The mountain should be a meeting point for people of all ages. Events and content should stimulate to better public health, by facilitating transport and activities adapted to different functional levels and conditions. Storheia Arena is a tool to achieve increased liveliness, attractiveness and well-being in Vesterålen.

Storheia Arena is one of many actions that in total will contribute to that people want to live here and/or moving back, “lifting” the region and make it more visible.

Vi will make sure that the people of Hadsel and Vesterålen have a mountain for the people where people with disabilities can also take part in wonderful nature experiences. To achieve this, we have paved seven kilometers of road, from county road 82 to the top of Storheia, and we have already seen and heard of several who have reached the summit by using an electric wheelchair.

Vi have managed to get public and private sponsors on the team, so that the municipality’s expenditure for the road is relatively low NOK 500,000.

Vi will establish a wheelchair charging station so we are sure they have enough power to slow down on their way down.

Vi will set up railings at strategic locations so that those who need it can support themselves when needed.

Vi will create nice rest and “lookout points” along the trail which in itself will be the goal of the trip for those people who are unable to reach the top. At these “lookout points” we will create gap hooks, benches or other recreational opportunities. These places should also have a nice view, and there should be a “postcard-friendly” environment to photograph.

Vi know that we cannot satisfy all requirements related to universal design, but we must go as far as we can to make as many people as possible able to use all or part of Storheia. We want more people to have the opportunity to stand at the top of the mountain and watch the speedboat sail into the Hadselfjord. In order for us to succeed in the content of this work, the municipality’s council for people with disabilities is strongly involved.