Skopphornet

  • Skopphornet
  • 1226 m.
  • Primary factor 668 m.
  • Sunnmøre, Norway
  • Location: North N62.35481, E006.48972 (GPS at the summit)
  • Difficulty: (YDS) class 2.
  • Climbed October 13. 2012.

Information:

How to get there:
This mountain is very visible south of Ålesund. You first need to go to the small place Hundeidvik. A ferry serves this place from E-39 at Festøya, however, it runs infrequently. There is better access from the village of Sykkylven, also with ferry from Ålesund to Ørsneset. In Hundeidvik, drive 200 meter south from the ferry, then locate a good dirt road that goes left and heads uphill. There are a couple of wooden signs (Megardsstøylen). A bit further uphill, the road continues as a toll road. The toll was NOK 20 in 2012, however no signs informing about it. Continue uphill until a small parking area and a wooden lunch table. This is a good place to park. The road carries on to the left, but is rougher from this point. This location is N62.35921, E006.44908, elevation 187 meter.
Route description:
There is a good trail going uphill from this parking area. The trail runs a bit below and to the right of the forest road. They merge higher up and a good sized trail serves the farm cabins called Megardsstøylen, located near some small lakes. There is a trail going all the way up to the summit, but it is small and easy to overlook. In order to find it, angle left and more steeply uphill below the cliff that now is easy to identify up on the left side. Stay fairly close and contour left in order to approach the top of this hump, but from right to left, as soon as you see a small trail going uphill, just follow it. The route runs up the south side of Skopphornet, near the left edge. The terrain gets less steep as you advance higher, thus seeing several false horizons before arriving at the summit plateau. The cairn is located in a pretty flat area on a local high point. There is also am almost equally high point near the steep cliffs further south near the edge of the summit plateau.
Comments:
I did this climb with Børre Torsvik from Ålesund. I slept at the trailhead and we had agreed to meet around 1000 the next morning. Børre arrived around 0915 and I got busy getting ready. We left around 0945 and had a good hike up to the Megardsstøylen cabins. We angeled uphill, but failed to pick up the trail, thus crossing a local area of talus/boulders. (The trail avoids this almost completely.) Higher up, we came across the trail and followed it to the summit. Somebody had recently hiked here and left good tracks in the snow. We had snow from about 1000 meter and higher. Arriving at the summit by 1215, in beautiful weather, we rested and looked around, Børre could name quite a few of the peaks. The view directly down at the city of Ålesund is also quite nice from this location. We left the summit at 1250 and reached the car by 1510. Thanks to Børre for good company! I was subsequently invited to stay with Børre and his wife Anna for the next two nights - excellent dinners and great hospitality. The view of Skopphornet from their house was also pretty excellent! We agreed that we should explore Næremstindan on Sunday. This was a mountain that Børre had not visited before.

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