Norwegian Mountains - Route Descriptions

Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal

Hovdeåsen from Hovden, Aug 13 2007

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

Window shopping

yr.no said that there would be a good weather window in Sykkylven between 07:00AM and noon this Monday. This was my third week of vacation, and the weather forecast indicated rain most of the week. But, as mentioned, a small window offered a hiking opportunity this Monday. I got up 06:00AM to the sound of rain and the lowest cloud base I've seen since moving to Ålesund.

I booted the computer and spent quality time trying to figure out the primary factors of the Sykkylven mountains, and it was too early to enjoy a beer. Around noon, it cleared up and I saw patches of blue sky. I grabbed the backpack, the dog, my camera and some hiking clothes and got into the car. I was heading towards Sykkylven, but without a clear destination. I had a vague ambition about Ramstadvarden, but I would have to see what the weather was like.

The ferry ..

.. is a good place to get an overview. Festøykollen and Sandvikshornet were cloud-free, but that was just about it. I had already been to those mountains. Oh yes, and there was Hovdeåsen. I hadn't been up there and decided to give this top a visit. I expected there would be a path from Hovden (hence the name), and there was. I drove until road end and immediately noticed the Hovdeåsen trailsign. There was a house there. An elder woman was looking at me behind a curtain. I pointed my finger to the ground. I could see her nod. Parking permit had been aquired.

Heavy breathing

My dog Troll (soon 14 yrs) and I left the trailhead 14:07PM. I expected him to perform the usual trailhead sniffing, then sit down and give me the I'm spent look. But to my big surprise, he displayed a vague interest in walking. With careful steps, he headed up the path, frequently looking back at me, just to say I'm just doing this to be nice!. I kept my part of the deal, staying well behind, signaling that there was no rush.

It was quite a warm day, and this old, stubborn dog was breathing heavily. Every so often, he would start drinking from a mud pit. YIKES! DON'T DO THAT, I kept yelling, without making a strong impression. These days, the dog has basically two modes: a) he encounters a tiny obstacle, and waits for me to help him up. I don't, of course, he gets tired of waiting and handles the obstacle on his own. b) A she-bitch in heat has recently walked the path, and I have to watch out for rockfall. No she-bitch had been up here recently, and my patience was tested in full.

A cottage?

We reached the top 14:31PM and I was a bit surprised about finding a cottage on top. There was also an information board explaining the story about the cottage, and the old Norwegian coastal defense system. As this top wasn't named Veten, I didn't expect this top to be part of the defense system. But sure enough, the book Den Norske Leidangen mentions Hundsviten on Hovdeåsen.

Now what?

The weather was clearly settling. The temperature kept rising, and top after top popped out from the clouds. I figured I could give Ramstadvarden a shot since I was already on this side of the fjord. I couldn't seen Ramstadvarden from Hovdeåsen, but decided to take my chance.

We left Hovdeåsen 14:53PM, were back at the trailhead 15:04PM and headed for Ramstadvarden Nothing but fog could be seen from Ramstadvarden, and I got myself a proper rainshower on the way down. I cancelled my vacation and reported back on duty the very next day...