Skårasalen

  • Skårasalen
  • 1542 m
  • Primary factor 1385 m
  • Location: N 62:09.935, E 6:29.146 (GPS at the summit)
  • Sunnmøre, Norway
  • Climbed May 1, 2003.

Information:

How to get there: From the village Ørsta (on E-39), drive south-east along Hwy. 655 in the direction of Sæbø. After about 10 km the road turns north-west and climbs to a low saddle before descending into Bondalen. Kvistaddalen is the second main valley going right (south-east). Locate the small road going right about 9 km down into Bondalen. This road turns right off the main road a bit after you pass (and look into) Kvistaddalen.
The road is closed in winter, but may open at least part of the way sometime in late April or early May. There is a small toll to be paid just after the last farm (self-service). The road serves some summer farm buildings located at approximately 500 meter elevation. There is good parking where the road ends.
Route description: Proceed up the valley along the road until it ends, there is a trail that continues along the left side of the farm field. The summer trail turns left from this trail, there is a sign where this happens. The route continues up (fairly steeply) on the south side of Blåhornet (1120m). In the spring there are huge avalanche paths in this area, obviously, earlier in the winter this is NOT a safe place to be. Higher up one easily locates a distinct valley that climbs a bit more gently north. This valley is runs east of Blåhornet and tops out on the main ridge in a col connecting to Lissje Skåradalen. From this col, there is a nice ski run down to Skår in Hjørundfjorden. The saddle has elevation 1210 m and coordinates N 62:10.172, E 006:28.178, this is a GPS reading in the saddle.
From here, the route to the summit heads east, subsequently more south as the ridge gradually narrows until one reaches the cairn. There are actually three large cairns on this summit. Further south of the highest point lies Kvistadkjeringane, a jagged ridge that cannot be skied and which requires proper climbing equipment all year round.
Comments: I did this climb with my son Pål Jørgen, age 14, and my friend Jan-Frode Myklebust. We started at 1130, a few hundred meters below the first summer-farm buildings at elevation 400m. We made the col on the main ridge (1210m) at 1250 and the summit at 1345. We left the skis in the col and hiked this last section on foot because of little snow and many rocks. After 15 minutes at the summit, we returned to the car at 1600. Unfortunately, we had no view since the summit was in a thick cloud. However, we did see enough to appreciate the vertical drop towards the Hjørundfjord more than 1500 meter below.

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