Norwegian Mountains - Route Descriptions

Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal

Harøyburet from Hørvedalen, Sep 2 2007

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

The time had to come to visit Harøyburet, and it was on a rainy Sunday. The day before, I had been struggling in snow on Kammen, but today would be a day free from the snow, as Harøyburet only measures 156m above sea level.

I had expected a journey similar to those to Goaldet, Skulen & Mannen and Æafjellet - the other island tops in the ocean gap. The ferries don't run quite as often as you'd like, but at least they run.

My 11:50AM ferry from Brattvåg went directly to Fjørtofta and then to Harøya (12:40PM). I went into a state of shock when I saw the "hundreds" of cars waiting for the ferry. The queue stretched for 300 meters and I was wondering if an evacuation was in progress. I asked someone what was going on, and was told that the Norwegian group DDE had been playing the night before.

Panic came creeping. Or better yet - claustrophobia. I felt trapped on this island. Caged in (appropriate since Harøyburet may be translated to the Harøy cage). I certainly wasn't in position to get on the 15:20PM ferry. The next ferry left 17:25PM. Perhaps, if I just went up and down Harøyburet, and skipped my planned island sightseeing, I might get on that ferry. I had no clue how many other cars would be rolling in within the next couple of hours. Perhaps only 5, but 50 was just as a likely number. I was not in a good mood, as my return to the mainland was goverened by the ferrymen.

12:50PM, I was on my way to Harøyburet, after having spent 5 minutes talking to a local at the trailhead. Troll was all go for the hike, until he noticed that it involved uphill. Reluctant, he walked the lower part of the trail. He then came up with the idea that he could ride the backpack to the top. I've already mentioned my mood, and the negotiations were short. GET YOUR BLOODY ASS UP THAT HILL!!, and the dog was on his way, wagging his tail while whistling tunes from Sound of Music.

We reached the top (the word summit feels a bit odd, in this context) 13:06PM. It was a strong gale on top, and I could not leave my backpack unattended. It was actually quite a feat that I was able to produce a panoramic picture from the top. Normally, I would have descended via Litle Harøyburet, but these were not normal circumstances. We headed straight back down the mountain, and were back at the car 13:21PM. Without even changing boots, I returned to the ferry, and found my place in the line.

The time was now 13:25PM, The queue was approx. 200m, and I certainly didn't expect to be on the 15:20PM ferry. I had read my newspapers on the way to Harøya, and now I read them one more time, while the rain was pouring down. The dog was already in full circle position, making comfy sounds, while I tried to bring out some merry thoughts. "At least it wasn't raining, when we were on the mountain", I told the dog. I didn't get any response.

The merry thoughts disappeared quickly, and I wondered why anyone would get one of Norway's most popular groups to this small island, without arranging for extra transport? I was already planning my most evil trip report, ever. But 14:40PM, an empty (!) ferry came along. This was indeed extra transport, and I got on it. This shifted things around a bit, and I realised that I was actually in plus. Home sooner than planned! I had missed the sightseeing, true, but this wasn't bad at all. I even think I was smiling when I paid for my fare....