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Lauparen is a dominating mountain on Sunnmøre. The summit is divided between Ørskog, Vestnes and Stordal kommuner. Lauparen is the highest mountain in Ørskog, the 2nd highest in Vestnes (after Sandfjellet) and the 6th highest in Stordal kommune.
The normal ascent route runs from Vaksvikfjellet via Grytalisætra (which is the summer trailhead). After a long walk into Trongbotnen, the climb up the steep ridge can begin. The path is easy to follow and there are no exposed parts. A handrail has been put up near the top. Be careful with loose rocks. This is a popular mountain, and on a sunny week-end's day, there are probably hikers below you.
Lauparen connects to Sunnmørslauparlægda (1253m) to the west and Brudefølget (1345m) to the east. A ridge traverse require climbing. It possible to scramble Lauparen via the north ridge (Breidskallen), but this is considered a hard and exposed route.
Via Brudefølget, the high mountain ridge extends eastbound towards Sandfjellet (1470m), the highest mountain in Vestnes kommune. The high ridge continues towards Innfjorden via Storbua, Trollvasstindan, Litlevasstinden, Nonstinden, Middagstinden and Skjervan. The lowest point on this route is point 633m by Lake Kleivvatnet. Another high ridge extends to the south/southwest (Stordal) via Grytavasstinden, Storbotnhornet, Sandegga and Sandfjellet. This is a significant mountain region on Sunnmøre.
Lauparen (Norge 1:50,000: 1434m, Økonomisk Kartverk: -, UTM 32 V 402784 6925711) has a primary factor of 801m towards the higher parent mountain Sandfjellet (1470m) The defining saddle (UTM 32 V 406794 6926613) is found west of Lake Kleivvatnet. Ref. the 1:50,000 map (20m contours), the saddle is defined by a fixed point; 633m.
Notes:
My GPS measured 1441 (on the ground) as average height over 15 minutes. The error margin was reported to be 1m.
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.
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Grytalisætra - Lauparen (summer/autumn)
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Access
From Ålesund, follow highway E136->E39 towards Åndalsnes. From the E136/E39/Olsvika roundabout near Breivka, follow E39 approx. 28,1Km to the "Geiranger/Stordal" junction in Sjøholt. Turn right onto highway 650 (Geiranger/Stordal) and follow this road 7,3Km. Turn left towards "Vaksvikfjellet" and drive 5,4Km up the road. Turn right onto a gravel road towards Grytalisætra (signed). Follow this road to its end, 1,4Km ahead. This is a toll road. Pay fee (NOK 20,- for passenger cars per July 2006) at a self-serviced toll booth just after you leave the Vaksvikfjellet road.
The route
From Grytalisætra, follow a trail (signed "Lauparen") eastbound into Trongbotnen. Continue on a vague path (but cairned) up to the Grytavasstinden - Lauparen saddle, turn north and follow the path up to Lauparen summit (marked by a proper cairn). Near the top, a handrail is available to make a section a bit easier. Use it if you will. There is loose gravel on the mountain. Be careful if you have hikers below you. The route from Trongbotnen is strenuous, but never exposed.
A gorgeous Saturday was coming up, and it was time to visit Lauparen. I called Torill Berg, just having come back after her Store Skagastølstind climb. She had been to Lauparen some years ago, but wanted to come along. The plan was to bring along my dog, but my INVALUABLE neighbour suggested that he could look after him.
Torill and I drove together from Skodje. We were ready to hike from Grytasætra 09:50AM. It was 21 degrees (C) when we left, and the pace had to be adjusted accordingly. The long walk into Trongbotnen isn't necessarily fun, and I was glad that Torill came along. It was fun to listen to her Hurrungane adventure, and we arrived Trongbotnen "in no time".
Following was a steep, but otherwise uneventful ascent up to the summit. I refused Torill to use the handrail near the top, and we arrived the summit 12:20PM in FINE STYLE. Things were of course too good to be true, and 10 minutes before we arrived the top, an "ocean of steam" swept across the nearby mountains, Lauparen included. The usual 360 deg. panorama was out now of the question. We decided to spend some time up there, and the camera was ready to be used on very SHORT notice.
12:55PM, we decided to leave. We headed over towards the eastern top. The ridge has several fun features, and one is known as "Militærlua (Military hat). One rock looks like a hat, when seen on the way to Lauparen, but I don't know for sure if that's the one. A pinnacle has a "face" when seen from the east. I enjoyed that one very much. I just went over there for the pictures, but then I discovered that it was possible to walk below the ridge on the south side. I managed to get pretty far, and wasn't too far away from the eastern top (the one with a cairn) before exposed terrain made me turn around. On the way down, the "ocean of steam" vanished. Of course...
Several hikers were on their way up the mountain as we descended. We chatted with a group of four for a while. Unless some late afternoon hikers went up to Lauparen, 20 hikers summited Lauparen this Saturday. The walk down the valley made the word "endless" come to mind, but by 15:30PM, the hike was over. The temperature was now even higher, and it was delightful to roll down the car windows and let the wind rush through the hair, while heading back towards Ålesund.
To Lauparen
Wide-angle panoramas
50mm panorama
Zoom views from Lauparen
Other pics from the summit
Visiting the east ridge
Descent
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