Norwegian Mountains - Route Descriptions - Store Smørskredtind, Nordre Smørskredtind, Smørskredtindane

Skiing route to Smørskredtinden
(Click for larger image)

I was invited to this trip by my friend Svein Myhre. He had skied Store Smørskredtind one week earlier, and had set his eyes on Nordre Smørskredtind for this Saturday. The snow in Tverrdalen lingers well into the summer, and those who look for a phenomenal spring ski-trip might just as well come here. I looked forward to seeing Svein again, as I hadn't seen him since our Herdalsnibba trip in October 2008. And I was particularly happy about the destination. Ever since visiting Store Smørskredtind in July 2008, it was just a question of when I would return for the northern peak. Indeed, it is slightly lower than Smørskredtinden, but it's still a mighty fine peak...

Three amigos
(Click for larger image)

It was a very hot day, possibly the hottest day of the year (the car display read 24 deg. C. when I drove home), and it was a bit surrealistic to go for a ski-trip. But oh, what a blessing. We headed out from Instesætra in Strandamoldskreddalen 11:06am, and carried the skis for 22 minutes (860m distance). Spring/summer is the time when I truly enjoy my vax-free skis, and today I would ski 1000+ vertical meters without having to bother with skins.

The mountainside looked very, very inviting. I looked forward to the descent even before beginning the actual ascent of the mountain. On the way up, Svein analyzed the snow (he has become quite a snow expert) and it was evident that quite a lot of snow had fallen during the last week. This snow was highly unstable, and if the mountainside had been any steeper, we would have had to deal with minor slush avalanches.

Nordre Smørskredtind ahead
(Click for larger image)

I hadn't bothered to bring any food. I had a small bag of nuts (emergency food) which I reckoned would do just fine. I also had 1 litre of water that was diminishing in a pace that concerned me. I ran out of steam at 1440m, and we decided to take a break on a fine viewpoint along the edge of the ridge. We looked over to Store Smørskredtind and agreed that the normal route to that peak would be dangerous now, because of the recent snowfall. I hadn't bothered with sunscreen either, as I normally "survive" an outing on a day such as this, without getting a sunburn. The downside is that I now look like a raccoon, and get strange looks at the local store...

We then gathered the necessary strength to finish the ascent. We reached the summit 2:42pm, 3,5 hours after heading out. What a view! What an incredible, incredible view. Mountains as far as the eye could see.

View from Nordre Smørskredtind
(Click for larger image)

After a fine stay on the summit, it was time for the highlight of the day - the descent. The snow conditions were far from ideal, but I'm less picky than Svein, and (impatiently) headed down first. I skied for 15 seconds before I "stood upside down" with my head buried in the slush snow. There was something in the snow that made the skis run very unreliably.

Further down, conditions were much better, and skiing was fun, fun, fun - to quote a famous beach band. We took the necessary time to take pictures, and I was just about to ski down a section when I noticed that Svein was actively pointing in my direction. I assumed he wanted me to pass him on the left-hand side, but as he kept on pointing, I turned around. A small avalanche (above slush grade!) was coming down from Leirvasshornet. But the distance was up to 100m away, so there was no reason to move.

Should be enjoyed in slow motion to the music by Secret Garden..
(Click for larger image)

A ski-descent doesn't really last long enough to justify the effort of going up, but no one is complaining. Summer skiing is the "pot of gold" and I'm so happy that I can enjoy this for a few hours every year.

We were back at the car 4:53pm, and I figured I should start to plan buying food for the weekend. A cold beer later on in the evening would not only be downright nice, but also well deserved. As stores/shops would close in one hour, I called the store in Stranda and asked if they were open. "No", they said. It's Pentecost, and all stores close at 4pm. I got an instant deja vu, but couldn't explain it at the time. There would be no beer, and I would have to buy my groceries at my local gas station. I *hate* public holidays.

When I got back home, I tried to figure out what this deja vu was about. After a quick search on my website, I found a trip-report from Kvitegga (together with Svein(!) and another friend), May 10 2008 (Pentecost). It read (excerpt):

"At Stranda, we decided to shop for beer and food for the weekend. To our surprise, all stores (throughout Norway, presumably) closed 16:00PM this Saturday. And they wouldn't open until Tuesday. Doh! Well, we could always shop for bread and dinner at gas stations, but gas stations don't sell beer. But my good friend Per in Ålesund had plenty beer to spare, and saved the day."

I didn't give Per a call this year. Two years in a row would have been embarrassing...