Snøtind

  • Snøtind
  • 1027 m
  • Primary factor 874 m
  • Location: N62:51.890, E007:30.696 (GPS on the summit)
  • Location: North of Molde, Norway.
  • Difficulty: YDS class 2.
  • Climbed February 18, 2007

Information:

How to get there: Drive north on E-39 from Molde, then take the left branching Hwy. signed for Kristiansund. As you descend a hill, overlooking the valley from where the route starts, look for a sign saying Ånstad. Make a left here (or at the next intersection further down the road), cross the river in the valley and continue a short stretch to the farm where the forest road comes down. There is a small parking opportunity on the left side of the road, be careful not to block farm traffic. This is the trailhead, location N62:51.609, E007:35.010, elevation 94 meter.
Route description: From the small parking, cross the road and enter the farm right across. Make a right along (in front of) a farm building and locate the forest road behind the far end. Follow the forest road uphill until it makes a distinct right curve and you see the entrance to the basin straight ahead.
Ski into the basin and aim for the left side of the knoll that is ahead. This area forms a pretty large and very nice bowl where good skiing can be found almost everywhere. Cross the small creek and head up the slopes above you on the left. Aim for the horizon ridge a bit left of the small, but distinct rocky summit that sort of completes the ridge up on your left side. From this ridge, descend gently to the saddle that separates you from Gongrøra. Ski up the very gentle slope to the Gongrøra summit. This is an independent summit and your free bonus top on this trip.
Continue your descent from Gongrøra to the saddle that separates you from Snøtind. It is best to stay a bit left, then first traverse down to the shoulder below. Ski left of this shoulder knoll, then traverse back into the saddle. This descent is also very nice and gentle.
What remains, is a moderately steep slope leading up to the Snøtind summit. This slope can be skied, but if the lower part is full of rocks, one may also consider doing this final hill on foot. Head towards your right and locate the natural ridgeline that takes you directly to the summit. At the higher part, the cliffs on the side may be corniced, stay away from any drops and proceed up the middle. The slope is a bit more than 30 degrees along the steeper part. Shortly, you arrive at the large summit cairn with a mailbox holding a summit register.
Comments: I did this climb with my friend Arnt. We had stayed at Comfort hotel in Molde after climbing Talstadhesten the day before. The weather was better than the day before, actually somewhat better than the forecast. We had patches of blue sky and some (fairly short) periods of sunshine. We started out at 1000, made Gongrøra at 1215, then the summit at 1315. The initial slope of Snøtind looked pretty rocky so we left our skis in the saddle between Gongrøra and Snøtind and proceeded on foot. The summit register revealed that a previous visit had taken place only 8 days earlier. We spent about 15 minutes before heading back down. The skiing back down was quite nice and we reached the car at 1445.

Resources: