Location: North 62.24409, East 006.18965 (GPS on the summit)
Difficulty: YDS class 3
Climbed on July 3. 2017.
Information:
How to get there:
This mountain is located near the small town of Ørsta in Sunnmøre. In Ørsta, two
valleys extend inland, you want to travel up the one that runs more to the north.
Hwy. 655 branches off E-39 in a traffic circle, follow this road and make a left at the third opportunity.
Drive about 6 kilometer on a road that turns narrow and dirt, but is ok for normal cars. You will arrive
at Vallasætra, a cluster of cabins and a small parking area. This road is a self serve toll road.
Park here, at location N62.23191, E006.21063, elevation about 320 meter.
Route description:
Continue on the big path that serves several cabins, near the last cabin, turn left and
follow a tiny path towards the waterfall that plunges down the hillside from the hanging
Bukkedalen valley above. A bigger trail runs up the small moraine before you reach the small
pond at the base of the waterfall. Follow this trail as it climbs the hillside, more steeply
after the initial stretch. As this trail nears the top of the steeper slope, it traverses
right, towards the stream. This part is vague and not well marked. The trail next continues up and
into Bukkedalen quite near the stream.
Just before you reach the steeper uphill section leading to the small lakes higher up, turn left
and consider the slopes of Vassdalstinden. There are two broad gullies separated by a low, gentle
ridge (or spur). Ascend this middle part. If the gullies are filled by snow, perhaps it is easier
to ascend the snow. Higher up, traverse right as it is the rightmost gully that provides good
access to the summit. The routee follows this gully in its final part, one may also to some extent
scramble on the rocks along the right hand side. If the gully is filled by snow, it is best
to just ascend the snow. Ice axe and crampons will be needed. This snow is steep enough to
call for careful climbing, a slide could be very unpleasant indeed.
The gully tops out only a few meter from the summit. Scramble slightly left, good holds for
hand and foot, but (YDS) class 3 climbing. This section is only a couple of meter.
Comments:
I had spent the weekend celebrating the opening of a new, very nice
mountain hut, Skålabu, next to the famous Skåla tower.
This hut is located at 1848 meter, one of the highest huts in Norway.
The ascent is 1800 vertical meter across about 8 kilometer, considered the
longest sustained uphill in Norway.
I desended this Monday morning in about 2 hours. Looking out before breakfast,
we had 10 cm of new snow no traces of the many footsteps from the previous day and
a total white-out. Thus, I escorted two ladies back down, they were happy
to have company with a guy that knows this mountain very well.
I next drove to Ørsta and onwards to the trailhead.
Leaving at 1300, the weather was rainy, grey clouds and traces of fog
drifting about. The trail to Bukkedalen was wet, muddy and slippery.
In Bukkedalen, the visibility was limited, Vassdalstinden totally
hidden in fog. I ascended the rib between the broad gullies, then left my
poles and continued uphill with crampons and ice axe, in the left gully.
This gully ran out of snow and I traversed right and subsequently started an ascending
traverse in order to reach the right edge of the rightmost gully. The snow
was ok, but the fog played games with the terrain and at times, the route
looked spooky.
I got to the rocks at the right side of the gully, then tried to scramble
up alongside tghe snow. This was a bit tricky in a few spots, but got me
up to the top of the gully. From here, easy scrambling to the very
summit, arriving there at 1545, so 2:45 up.
Very limited visibility, I left the summit by 1600 and were back down by my
car at 1745. Just before hitting my car, someone called my name
from behind. It turned out to be our neighbors from Bergen, Øystein and
Kristin. They stayed in one of the cabins, I knew about this cabin, but not
precisely its location. After a brief chat, I got to my car and drove to my
friend Arnt Flatmo, staying with him for the night.