Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal

Øspetinden from Daugstadsetra, Dec 25 2006

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


Plan A

In retrospect, this was a bad planning day. 08:20AM, I was waiting for the 08:40AM ferry at Solavågen. The plan was to visit Svinetinden (1092m) and I was looking very much forward to it. It seemed to be an outstanding day. The Hjørundfjorden peaks were all black, and the sky was blue. A beautiful sight it was.

There was never any 08:40AM ferry, but fortunately, one of the ferry crew members was out early. He told me the first ferry left 09:40PM, and I CURSED myself for missing important details. Such as the link to the Christmas schedule on the MRF website.

Plan B

Instead of waiting one hour, I could drive as far as Tresfjorden. Lots of nice peaks there, but the combination of a rainy night and a starry morning, means very slippery roads. Eventually, I decided I would visit Storknubben by Tresfjord, and left Solavågen.

Arriving Tresfjorden, Storknubben looked steeper than I remembered it to be. Was this a top I wanted to scramble (on crampons) with a dog in the backpack? I stopped the car at Hoem, gave the idea a couple of minutes of consideration. Then I drove on.

Plan C

I decided to drive up to Daugstadsetra, and give Øspetinden a try. I had no information about this top, but remembered having read that it was a nice ski-top. But from which side? And, a nice ski-top in Møre og Romsdal is quite something else than a nice ski-top in Hordaland. Hardangerjøkulen is a nice ski-top, and Øspetinden was a steep pyramid-shaped peak.

Fortunately, I could drive all the way on the snow-free road to Daugstadsetra. I'm pretty sure this is quite unusual for the day after Christmas. The dog ("Troll") didn't seem like he was in shape. I decided I should carry him for awhile. I left Daugstadsetra 10:13AM, as the sun hit Sprovstinden on Ørskogfjellet.

To Øspetinden

I didn't bring the snowshoes, but carried an axe and crampons. With the bright weather, I hoped that the snow would be firm. The trail to Stavvatnet was easy to follow, but oh so wet and boggy. I had chosen plastic boots for this hike, and did not regret this decision. Because of the wet trail, and an "infinte" number of crossing streams, I decided to keep Troll in the backpack.

11:25AM, I was looking down on Stavvatnet. It seemed only logical that I should leave the trail and head up Klauvhammaren. There seemed to be only one logical way up, and soon I was on the ridge, eager to get Øspetinden's east ridge in view.

The snow began when I traversed from Klauvhammaren to Øspetinden's west ridge. And the snow was only partially firm. One second, it would carry, the next it wouldn't. This is an extremely tiresome way to hike, and my strengths vanished by the minute. Since Plan A would be a fjord-to-summit approach, and only a short drive from home, I didn't bring anything to eat or drink. Halfway up to Øspetinden, I needed both.

I put on gaiters and crampons. They should have been mutually exclusive, but not on this ridge. The final 30 vertical vertical meters were the steepest. I used the axe to chop off some ice, in order to get a good step onto the summit ridge. The summit ridge was narrow, but broad enough. On the middle of the summit ridge, Troll screamed from the backpack and then vomited. I decided I would carry him all the way back to the trailhead.

We reached Øspetinden 13:30PM. It was a cold and windy place, but it was a relief to have made it. If this top had been 100m higher, I'm not 100% sure I could have made it. I was so damned tired. Time was still on my side, having more than 2 hours of daylight left. After a round of pictures, I began the descent from Øspetinden.

Back to Daugstadsetra

Back on the trail, thirst was satisfied. But only temporarily, and I kept stopping at every crossing stream back to Daugstadsetra. My shoulders were aching from the heavy backpack, and the fun part of the hike was long gone. My only focus was to get back to the car and stop for food in Sjøholt. 15:40PM, we reached Daugstadsetra. Troll had walked the final 200 meters, mostly because he was fed up with the backpack, it seemed. He seemed to be in somewhat better shape, and got busy exploring Daugstadsetra, while I unpacked.

I was soaking wet from sweating, and got a bit cold now that I had stopped. Normally, I bring a change of clothes, but since ... (and all that) .. I hadn't. I freaked out when the car didn't start at first, but it started on second attempt, after I had yelled YOU'D BETTER START THAT BLOODY ENGINE, OR I'LL LEAVE YOU UP HERE!! My good friends (the dog and the car) are both getting old and rusty. I think I will send them both to the Medic after Christmas.

Pictures from the Dec 25 2006 trip

Wasting time on Solavågen

1. Sykkylven mountains (145KB) 2. Hjørundfjord mountains (122KB) 3. View towards Sykkylven (134KB) 4. Staven and Hornindalsrokken (99KB) 5. Klovekinn (116KB)

From Daugstadsetra to Stavvatnet

6. Daugstadsetra (176KB) 7. Hoemstinden (192KB) 8. Contours in the horizon (109KB) 9. Sprovstinden (184KB) 10. Large bird above Daugstadsetra (180KB) 11. Storknubben (238KB) 12. Øspetinden comes into view (191KB) 13. The Trolltinden - Svartevasstinden ridge (251KB) 14. The Øspetinden - Storknubben massif (218KB) 15. My ascent route (277KB) 16. Leaving the trail before Stavvatnet (216KB)

To Øspetinden

Note! A few pictures refer to Øspetinden's west ridge. It should be east ridge.

17. Troll on Klauvhammaren (216KB) 18. Øspetinden east ridge ahead (523KB) 19. View towards Daugstadsetra (420KB) 20. The final section (137KB) 21. Just below the summit ridge (125KB) 22. The summit ridge (247KB)

360 deg. wide-angle view from Øspetinden

23. 360 deg. wide-angle view from Øspetinden (1567KB)

More wide-angle, more foreground

24. Wide-angle view from Øspetinden (573KB) 25. Wide-angle view from Øspetinden (685KB)

50mm views from Øspetinden

26. 50mm view from Øspetinden (1991KB) 27. 50mm view from Øspetinden (1051KB)

Additional pics from the top

28. Nonstinden seen from Øspetinden (296KB) 29. Middagstinden seen from Øspetinden (267KB) 30. Vengetindane and Trolltindane (411KB)

Descent

31. The summit ridge (307KB) 32. View towards Måndalen (511KB) 33. Evening light on Sessknubben and Storknubben (135KB) 34. Sunset. Back at Daugstadsetra (94KB) 35. Daugstadsetra (197KB) 36. The moon and Storknubben (115KB) 37. Sunset seen from Sjøholt (148KB)

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