Lille Raipas trig point (Alta)

Finnmark in Troms, Norway

Summary: The Lille Raipas trig point is part of the UNESCO-listed Struve Geodetic Arc. The trig point is accessed via a short walk and offers sweeping views.

Elevation: 285m
Trailhead: Parking area and trailhead on Stranddalen (Alta, Norway)
Location: 69°56'19.0"N 23°21'37.0"E
Condition: F - Found and in good condition
History: Part of Struve Geodetic Arc established 1816-1855
Walking Distance to Trig: 5.1km (return)
Duration: 1-2 hours
Bushwalking trail: Exploring the historic Little Raipas trig point

The Lille Raipas trig point in Alta (Norway) is one of 265 survey triangulations that stretch from Hammerfest in Norway to the Black Sea, across ten countries and over 2,820 km. Called the Struve Geodetic Arc, this was the first large-scale scientific survey to be undertaken in Europe.

The chain was established by the German-born Russian scientist Friedrich Georg Wilhelm von Struve between 1816 to 1855 and used to establish the exact size and shape of the earth.

Map of the Struve Geodetic Arc. Source: Illustration by Historicair (CC-BY-SA) via Wikimedia Commons

In 2005 the survey chain (which includes the Lille Raipas trig point) was inscribed on the World Heritage List. The UNESCO listing covers ten countries – the secondmost number of countries of any UNESCO World Heritage listings (after the Ancient and Primeval Beech Forests of the Carpathians and Other Regions of Europe).