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Nordøyane (The northern islands) is a group of islands located northwest of the place Brattvåg in Haram kommune. The island group span Løvsøya (Lepsøya), Haramsøya, Skuløya (Flemsøya), Fjørtofta and Harøya. Mannen (347m) on Haramsøya is the third highest top on these island, preceeded by Skulen (493m) and Goaldet (490m).
A road that crosses over the Haramsøya mountain plateau makes access very easy (and a bit boring). You can actually drive almost to the top of Mannen (The man), after paying a toll fee (currently NOK 20,- per June 2006). Steep cliffs surround the mountain, which gives you off-trail alternatives, should you be looking for those. There may also be paths up to the mountain, if you ask around. This page describes the route from Ulla (north side), but also mentions where the road begins on the south side.
In order to get to Haramsøya, you have to take a ferry from Skjeltane between Søvik and Brattvåg. Depending on the ferry, you may have to stop by Løvsøya/Lepsøya before it continues towards Haramsøya. Passenger vessels can also help you go "island hopping" using your bike. Visit fjord1.no for schedules and options.
Mannen (M711: 347m, Ø.K.: 347,45, 32 V 362402 6952345) has a primary factor of 347m, being the island high point.
My GPS reported 352m (on the ground) as average over a 10-minute period. On the GPS map, the actual summit is 44m SW of the map summit point. The summit is also *slightly* outside the 340m contour.
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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Ulla - Mannen (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. 13,3Km. Turn left onto highway RV661 (Skodje/Brattvåg/Vatne). After 1,5Km, pay toll at an unmanned toll booth (coins + credit cards + AutoPass). Approx. 9,7Km after you left E39, you reach the RV659 (Brattvåg)/661(Vatne) junction. Turn left here.
You have two options; a) either drive to Skjeltene via Brattvåg (23,3Km) or b) via Søvik (24,1Km). Take the Skjeltene - Haramsøya ferry (which may run via Løvsøya).
On Haramøya, drive up to the road junction, turn right and drive 6.1Km. You have the bridge to Skuløya/Flemsøya approx. 750m ahead of you. You will see a gravel road to your left, and a traffic sign (toll info) a little up the road. Park here.
The route
Follow the road across the plateau until you reach another road, coming down to your right just after you've passed a pond. Turn right onto this road and follow up to the first fence. Turn right and follow the fence all the way to the summit, marked by a standing rock and a mailbox holding the summit logbook.
Access from Holda
From the ferry, drive up to the road junction, turn left and drive 4,5Km. Turn right onto the mountain road next to this house. Follow the road upwards and turn left onto the side-road that leads up to the summit.
I had just visited Skulen, and Mannen was the only independent (height >= 300m, primary factor >= 100m) mountain in Haram kommune that I hadn't been to. It was obvious that since I first had taken the long trip to the islands, I had to visit Mannen too.
My dog "Troll" had done a good job, walking up and down Skulen. Would he walk up to Mannen too? I decided to hike from Ulla, on the way back home from Skuløya/Flemsøya. We left the car 15:50PM, and Troll was very hesitant about the gravel road. I started to walk and hoped he would follow. And so he did, although not overwhelmingly happy. He had just found himself the "good position" in the car, and it all came to a sudden end 10 minutes later.
The walk up the mountain plateau was all about keeping my mouth and eyes clothes. The road was a mosquito breeding farm from sea level and up to 300m elevation. I found the walk incredible boring. A long, annoying walk on an unpleasant gravel road. It felt slightly better when we reached the mountain plateau and gained some views. The only upside was that the weather was only getting better. At least compared to the wet and rainy trip across the fjord earlier in the day.
We reached the top of Mannen 16:50PM, and it was not a minute too soon. I seriously considered taking a steep shortcut down the mountain and follow the main road back to the car. But I remembered that the mountainside was steep, and decided not end up losing time on the island. After 10 minutes on top, we turned around and were back at the car 17:45PM.
This message is to all in Haram kommune; visiting the 20 tops on my list (in my first 5 months living in Ålesund) has been a GREAT pleasure.
To Mannen
Wide-angle panorama from Mannen
Other pictures from Mannen
On the south side of the mountain
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