Location: North 61.97805, East 006.06917 (GPS at the summit)
Difficulty: (YDS) class 2.
Climbed October 11. 2012.
Information:
How to get there:
This mountain is north of the small community of Nordfjordeid. If you arrive from the south
along E-39, make a right in the traffic circle where E-39 merges with E-15, and drive in the direction
of Ålesund. At the next traffic circle (about 500 meter), continue on E-39, but measure from here.
Drive 3.4 kilometer, then make a sharp left onto a smaller road, there is a red barn right there.
If you get as far as the intersection where E-15 to Stryn forks right, you have driven too far.
At kilometer 3.8, keep right and drive directly through a local farm. Then, at kilometer 5.2, turn left
and enter the trailhead area. Park near the trailhead information sign. This location is
N61.92779, E006.06600, elevation about 180 meter.
Route description:
Head north on an old forest road. Soon, it ends and a small trail continues. Follow this trail as it
crosses a small ridge, then merges with a very old forest road. Continue up this forest road until
you reach Hjelle mountain farm buildings
(summer use only). The access road becomes less clear after
crossing the old, nice bridge below the grass hill, but
sevceral tracks lead uphill. Pick up a small trail at the very top of
the Hjelle farm buildings. This trail heads northwest below the hillside that you will have up on the right.
As you get to a large, open meadow, aim for the first hill, point 521 on the map, that is right of the main
valley. Ascend the slope and enter a very distinct mini-valley. This route will take you directly to
the creek that drains from
the south end of lake Langevatnet. From here, climb left and head towards the main summit. There are several
gullys/ravines that cross your direction of travel, find good ways down and back up on the far side.
At the end, climb the final slopes, staying left will provide a more gentle slope.
There are two summit points, both with a cairn, the northernmost summit has the larger cairn. Comments:
I left at 0820 after having slept in the car, arriving from Bergen late the previous evening.
The sun came up and everything looked good, just as a very nice autumn day in Norway's mountains
should be. I got to the mountain farm houses Hjelleseter in about 30 minutes and looked down at
the clouds covering all the fjords and valleys.
I followed a trail until a big meadow, then continued across in pretty open and nice terrain
Soon, I followed the characteristic mini-valley that would have its col very near the end of the
long and narrow lake called Langevatnet. From here, a thin layer of snow covered the ground.
I hiked generally towards the summit, but the terrain went across my line of travel, so quite a bit
of up and down. I arrived at the summit at 1120, the snow was now about 10 centimeter, not a problem.
A pretty big cairn on the north summit, a smaller cairn on a summit that looked equally heigh. I visited
both of them. I took a hopefully nice panorama shot, then started back around 1130.
The return hike
was uneventful, but very nice with the near perfect weather. I met a man at Hjelleseter, he was out
on a short hike, he told me. The bridge below the Hjelle seter is very nice, built from
big pieces of natural rock. It had an inscription saying 1904. I was back at the trailhead by 1420,
so about 6 hours in total.