Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal
Keipen, 431m (Skorpetua)
Keipen (left) seen from Blåtind
Introduction
| Keipen (Skorpetua) on Skorpa island is located 37Km southwest of Ålesund, and is an
uninhabited island. You can not
get there by car or public transport, only by private transportation in boat. The houses
on Skorpa,
on the south side of the island, are only habited in the summertime. Only wild
goats stay on the island, all year around.
Keipen is Herøy kommune's 4th highest mountain, preceeded by Sollia (660m), Rjåhornet (598m), Laupsnipa (558m),
all tops located on Gurskøya island. Keipen "beats" Storevarden on Nerlandsøya by 1m. A (vague) path runs
from Skorpa harbor to the top.
From Keipen, you have a good view towards the island Svinøya, located 11Km west of Skorpetangen (the southernmost
point on Skorpa). The lighthouse is no longer staffed, but remains an attraction. Access by boat is difficult
because of the rough sea around the island.
The remaining views are quite remarkable. From this 431m high coastal mountain,
your view ranges from Løvsøya (northeast) to Stadlandet (southwest). Through
binoculars, you will be able to see well-known mountains such as Gjegnen,
Ålfotbreen, Plogen, Hornelen, Blæja, Klakken, Felden, Snøhornet, Storetinden,
Hornindalsrokken, Kvasshornet, Kolåstinden, Romedalstinden, Sætretindane,
Molladalstindane, Liadalsnipa, Liahornet, Masdalshornet, Blåskjerdingen, and
many more.
Should you decide to visit Skorpa, contact
Herøy kommune to see if they are able
to foward you to someone who might know where to hire transport to the island. |
|
Skorpa was an important contact point for the
Shetland bus and for other allied military traffic
during the
Second World War. The island served as a station for
agents and resistance personnel both to meet and to
hide. Instructors, weapons, and sabotage material were
transported to the Norwegian resistance forces. For many
who departed to
Great Britain this was the last stop, just as it was
the first stop for many agents on the way into Norway.
In
1940 retreating
English soldiers were hidden here, before being
evacuated to
Shetland in fishing boats.
1941 was the first year that Norwegian boats covered
the route between Norway and Shetland.
Leif Larsen (popularly known as Shetland Larsen),
a famous Shetland Bus captain, was the first
captain on this route. On November 17,
1943 the
KNM Hitr, a converted U.S. submarine chaser, began
to cover the route, shortly joined by the
MS Bergholm.
Most allied activities on the northern coast lasted
only 7–8 months, but Skorpa operated throughout the war.
German soldiers made many house-to-house
inspections, but never found any illegal equipment such
as radios. A number of the residents were notably active
in the resistance, including Gerhard and Sina Skorpen,
who departed to England under the cover that they had
drowned. Gerhard afterwards became a crew member of
another converted U.S. submarine chaser, the
KNM Vigra, upon which Leif Larsen served as skipper.
At the close of the war they returned to Skorpa.
Copied from wikipedia |
|
Primary factor:
Keipen (Norge 1:50,000: 431m, Økonomisk Kartverk: 431,46m, UTM 32 V 318903 6915826)
has a primary factor of 431m
being the island high point.
My GPS averaged to 429m over 20 minutes, which might indicate that 431m was not measured at
the bottom of the cairn.
Trail descriptions:
Notes:
Class ratings are in reference to YDS. Click here for more information.
The trails described below are not necessarily the *easiest* trails to this mountain.
|
Skorpa harbor - Keipen (summer/autumn)
| Difficulty : | Class 2 (YDS) |
| Exposure : | No |
| Comments : | Easy terrain |
| Distance : | Approx. 2,2Km to the top |
| Time : | Approx. 1 hour to the top |
| Starting Elev.: | Approx. 0m |
| Vertical Gain : | Approx. 431m (total) |
|
|
Keipen seen from Nerlandshornet
Access
There is no public transport or roads to this island. You will need to organise private transportation.
The route
From Skorpa harbor, walk along the summerhouses and follow a vague path westbound until
you are on the ridge at 120m elevation. Continue northeast on path right of the main ridge,
then turn left and gain the main ridge. A rocky area above has some long steps, but nothing
difficult. Continue across a small hump and up to Keipen summit.
Trip report, Jun 28 2006
When I started querying my colleagues about Skorpa in spring, Vidar Kvalsund volunteered
to take me out by boat, come summer. June 28 2006 qualified for summer, and Vidar was a man
of his words. We met at the Nerlandsøya harbor and were on our way to Skorpa 16:45PM.
Vidar was raised on Nerlandsøya, but now living on Bergsøya. In addition to
being the captain on the ship, he had first-hand knowledge about the surrounding region.
Along on this trip was my dog "Troll". Not too pleased about the sea, he entered the
"tell me when this is over" mode. The trip didn't last long, and we anchored up in the bay 17:05PM.
It was a gorgeous and warm evening. The owners of one of the summerhouses were sunbathing
in the backyard. We took it nice and easy upwards, enjoying the evening and the views.
Troll more or less walked all the way up, and by 18:25PM, we were standing on Keipen summit.
I took an extra set of all pictures, just in case. Getting back to this island was not something I could accomplish
on my own. While Vidar explained the detailed views in the local region, I was able to contribute by
identifying the distant mountains. It was quite a view from up here. From Løvsøya to Stad.
And dozens and dozens of landmarks in-between. Seeing Svinøy fyr (lighthouse) was cool.
Getting onshore isn't trivial, due to the rugged sea around the island. I could also see two other
tops named Keipen; Keipen on Storfjellet in Haram and Keipen near Ålfotbreen.
After lunch, studying the local cliffs and the wild goats on the west side of the island
(Vidar had superb binoculars - 35x - awesome!) it was time to head back down. Troll walked all
the way, except for a helping hand on some long steps in the rocky part of the route.
Back at sea, Vidar drove into Skorpesundet so I could see the cabin used in World War II.
Seeing Skagetåa on Nerlandsøya from Skorpesundet was a sight I will remember for
a long time. Troll was in better mood on the way back, and kept a steady look-out towards the
harbor. 20:30PM, we were back at Nerlandsøya, and I was perfectly set-up for the 20:30PM
ferry from Hareid.
Many thanks to Vidar for the "lift" and the company!
Pictures from the Jun 28 2006 trip
From Herøybrua bridge and Nerlandsøya
To Skorpa
To Keipen
Wide-angle panorama from Keipen (not annotated)
50mm panorama from Keipen (annotated)
Zoom panoramas from Keipen (annotated)
Other pics from Keipen
Descent and return to Nerlandsøya
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Other pictures
westcoastpeaks.com
Other Møre & Romsdal mountains
Other Norwegian mountains
