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Årsdalsryggen high point
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Introduction
Lake Store Fjellvatnet is located in the western part of the Stølsheimen mountain range. Årsdalsryggen ridge follows the east side of the lake, while a number of smaller summits (Gygrefjellet, Svadfjellet and Rundehaugen) is located on the west side of lake. Towards the south, one has a clear view towards Storevasseggi, the highest named mountain in Masfjorden kommune. In the north, Stølsheimen eventually drops off towards the Sognefjord.
The Hordaland/Sogn og Fjordane fylkesgrense (a county border) runs along the north-east side of the lake, and just below the Årsdalsryggen high point at 1100m lies the true high point in Masfjorden kommune, at approx. 1070m. The hike around the lake, including the summits is a nice, easy (although long), non-technical hike. Best starting point for the round-trip is Stordalen Fjellstove, located near the road that runs between Matre and Fuglesfjorden by the Sognefjord.
Årsdalsryggen, Rundehaugen and Geitenakken lies in Høyanger kommune, Sogn og Fjordane fylke. Svadfjellet and Gygrefjellet lies in Masfjorden kommune, Hordaland fylke.
Trail descriptions:
Trip report June 8-9 2002:
Norway was struck by a "heatwave" and I decided to escape to the mountains
this weekend. The project was to locate the true high point in Masfjorden
kommune, as I am collecting high points in Hordaland kommuner. I had already
visited Storevasseggi, the highest mountain in Masfjorden, but the creators
of the Hordalandstoppen list had redefined the high point.
I decided to bring the tent and have a good night's sleep in the cooler mountains. As I had been carrying around the tent on recent trips to Jotunheimen and Jostedalsbreen, I was rather customed to the weight. I was a little curious about the dog, which had been on a "holiday" for 1,5 months. A few hikes to Ulriken did not give me the answer, because of the heatwave. The hike started good, as Troll kept going all the way up to Gygrefjellet. But then he laid down on the snow and refused to move. Perhaps it was the cool snow that he didn't want to leave, because it was hot as hell even at 900m. I had anticipated the situation, and there was room for the dog in the backpack. The weight of the backpack now took on a new dimension, carrying a 5Kg tent, sleeping bag, clothes, mattress, food and a 8Kg dog. After crossing Gygrefjellet and Svadfjellet, I decided to set camp at the north end of lake Fjellvatnet, 4 hours after we started. I found an excellent spot close to a creek, just above lake 855. Fresh water just outside the tent was a good thing, because I never seemed to get enough of it. I must have refilled my 0,5L bottle at least 15 times on the way up the campsite. After setting camp, the backpack was empty, and I didn't mind carrying the dog to the Rundehaugen and Geitenakken summits. 2 hours later, we were back in camp, 8:30PM. Nothing much to do, of course, so I tried to get some sleep. This was Troll's first experience with a tent, and he was just lying there, looking at me. He had those "what are we doing here?" eyes. Then the "where's the chocolate?" eyes. Then the "Where's my HOUSE?" eyes. I finally managed to ignore him as he wandered around in the tent, trying to find a cooler spot than the one he just left. Around 11:00PM, it was cool enough to get some sleep, and we slept sound until 6:30AM the next morning. At 7:15 we sat course for Årsdalsryggen. Troll refused to walk, and took the ever-so-familiar back(pack)seat. Every step was planned according to the map, as I wanted to avoid loosing unnecessary altitude. It was about saving energy. The sun was already a killer. Going up towards the ridge, I had to change direction at the lake just below the summit cliffs. The river could not be passed, but the detour was moderate. After the summit visit, I spent some minutes looking for the true Masfjorden high point. When I was convinced I had nailed the point, the project was classified as a success, and we could head home. Several times on the way down, I tried to convince Troll that he should do his share of walking. He didn't agree until we arrived lake Gygrevatnet. It was warmer than ever, and I had put on winter clothes to avoid major sunburns already at the start of the hike (the only thing I forgot was the sunscreen). We finally arrived the car, 5 hours after leaving the tent. |
Pictures from the June 8-9 2002 hike:
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Some of the thumbnails may have been cropped to fit the format
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