Norwegian Mountains, Sogn og Fjordane
Filefjell
Berdalseken on skis, Apr 10 2011
To the main Berdalseken page (maps, route descriptions, other trip reports, etc.)
Part of the Berdalseken round trip (© Petter
Bjørstad)
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The trip to Berdalseken was organized by Sogndal Turlag, with Anne Rudsengen being the trip coordinator and Rein-Arne Golf being the regional expert / pathfinder.
Two trip participants joined us in Sogndal, two more on the ferry to Fodnes, Rein-Arne came along in Lærdal and four were waiting at the Berdalseken trailhead on Filefjell. The party now counted 11 skiers, and we were on our way to the mountain by 10:20am. The weather wasn't all that bad, but it would certainly not be a sunny day....
A short gathering before we head out
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Naturally, the other 10 skiers chose practical skis and boots for the occasion. I ended up with heavy Telemark equipment, being under the impression that the descent from 1814m to 900m had to involve some terrain where the choice of Telemark skis would pay off. There was certainly nothing wrong with the terrain. The snow - on the other hand...
Anne introduced me as someone who doesn't enjoy being part of organized trips. As if my choice of skis didn't make me stand out, this introduction certainly did. My ambitions to blend in (if I ever had any) were now gone with the wind. But it's OK. She meant it well ;)
The trip up Slutedalen was a plod, and I was eagerly awaiting some vertical gain. Rein-Arne knows this area inside and out and had numerous stories to share - all highly appreciated by the group.
Into Slutedalen
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After skiing 7km, it was time for lunch. I enjoyed my two (broken) sandwiches and watched others dig into small smorgasbords. Hmm.. I have a few miles to go in terms of food...
While waiting to move on, I observed the group. There's always someone who is way ahead of the others, and there's always someone who is lagging behind. But this was not the case here. Everyone had been moving in the same pace and I found the group to be quite homogeneous. IMHO - a good thing...
I was the self-appointed photographer, and even if I didn't have the best light to play with, the contrast between the big country and the small group of skiers was quite something. If I did get just one picture portraying exactly this contrast, then I would be most happy.
To Berdalseken
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3 hours and 50 minutes after leaving the trailhead, the group arrived on Berdalseken. Even though it had been a fairly long trip (almost 10km), I think most of us felt that it had been an easy one. But it was nice to arrive on the summit and celebrate the most prominent top between Lærdal and Tyin.
On top of Berdalseken
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The views from this summit were simply amazing. And from the northwest to the northeast, Hurrungane and Jotuneheimen peaks formed an unbroken string of peaks.
Hurrungane seen from Berdalseken
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Provided that the weather remained stable, Rein-Arne had promised us a different route down the mountain. We had ascended Berdalseken via Slutedalen and would descend via Vetle Frostdalen. This was my moment! My choice of skis would give me an unforgettable ride down the mountain. Or so I thought...
Descending Berdalseken
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Let me get straight to the point; my skis didn't flow at all! True, I wasn't the only one suffering from the wet snow, but my wide skis glued me to the ground. One of the other skiers who passed me said that he was surprised that my skis didn't run faster. Oh, that hurt!
The snow was 50% wet and 50% wind-packed. On the wind-packed sections - I could skate, allowing me to keep up with the rest. Vetle Frostdalen was indeed beautiful, but I don't remember too many details - struggling to get down the mountain...
Descending Vetle Frostdalen
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We returned to the trailhead 3:45pm - close to 5,5 hours after heading out. The total skiing distance was approx. 18km and the vertical gain was 900 meters. I had never hiked or skied on Filefjell before, so this was a very welcome introduction to a new mountain region for me. I already look forward to visiting Suletinden...
Suletinden in the distance
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A special thanks goes to Rein-Arne who had so much interesting to tell about the local region. Everyone really enjoyed this.
