Norwegian Mountains - Route Descriptions - Gjølbotntinden, Blåtinden, Nebba

Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal

Gjølbotntinden, Blåtinden, Nebba, Sep 14 2006

For Information, maps, trailhead and route descriptions, click HERE.

Trip report, Sep 14 2006

The route, as seen from Hoemstinden

I hadn't expected to visit Gjølbotntinden already in 2006, but then I received an email from a guy in Vestnes kommune. He asked if I knew the height of Blåtinden - a point on Gjølbotntinden's east ridge. I didn't (no height on the map) but I could always find out. So on this gorgeous afternoon, I left work one hour early and drove to Løviksætra. I didn't know I could drive this high, but thanks to him, I learned about yet another convenient trailhead.

I left Løviksætra 15:50PM, with my dog "Troll" in the backpack. Off-trail, and in high grass with bumpy terrain, he would be very unhappy. I looked up the mountainside, and figured it didn't matter where I went. All slopes were equally steep and rocky. I chose to hike up Blåtinden's southeast flank. By staying far east, and in steep terrain, I found numerous grassy pitches. More importantly, this flank was in the shade. The sun was burning hot, and it was a great relief to walk in shade.

I let Troll out of the backpack when I reached the Blåtinden viewpoint cairn, and together we walked up to the high point, which we reached 17:15PM. I wondered why this point had earned a name. Not to mention the suffix "tind". The drop between Blåtinden and Gjølbotntinden was hardly noticeable. I could certainly see things from the locals' point of view, but still..

After measuring the elevation thoroughly, we proceeded towards Gjølbotntinden. Troll once again entered the backpack. Bumpy terrain ahead. After a 5 minute walk from Blåtinden, I was standing next to the trig. point 17:30PM. The views were VERY NICE and the weather was outstanding. I couldn't believe that yet another high pressure had come this late in the autumn. And it would last 4 days.

My right foot wanted to hike Sprovstinden, while my left foot wanted to descend. I had already visited Sprovstinden in 2006, and I would be doing A LOT of hiking within the next 3 days. Better save some energy. My left foot won the battle, and I descended the steep and rocky southeast ridge.

On the way down, I didn't feel that my GPS measurements were sufficient. I had only one good point to compare to, and thus, I decided to include Nebba on the way back to the trailhead. I walked to the north side of Kjøpstadvatnet, and after a quick ascent, I stood on the high point 18:45PM, getting a second known point to compare with. 19:05PM, we were back at the car (the dog now in walking condition) after a most excellent evening hike.