Back at Viddalsætra
Peaks visited:
| Peak | Height | PF | Location |
| Skjerdingstindane N | 1436m | 106m | Ørsta, Norway |
Friday (week 22): Last Friday, I hiked Kyrkjenibba (1400m) in Stryn after work (tapping the flex account some…). With this gorgeous weather and everlasting days, why not repeat a good Friday experience with an even higher mountain?
But it had to be somewhat close. I didn’t want to spend 3-4 hours of driving. And uncomplicated too. I could not afford having to turn around or search around for an easier route. The highest of the Skjerdingstindane tops (the north top) came up as the perfect candidate. The drive to Viddal would take just a little more than an hour, and there would be no difficulties along the way.
So, after work, I drove to Viddal and then up to Viddalsætra – approx. 360m. I had been up here once before, when I hiked Risenosa. I picked a bad route up to the high ridge back then. I planned to find a better one now.
There would be no short-cuts this time. I left the car 3:26pm and headed for the cliffs left of the waterfall and tried to find the easiest route up the bush. I was happy with the route. It could have gotten much worse.
After the initial steep hillside, I ended up on a small plateau at approx. 1040m, where I could ready for 2nd steep hillside. I was now looking at a fairly steep boulder field, with a single lane of snow that I most definitely would enjoy upon descent.
At approx. 1300m, the terrain leveled out a bit and I had now only a little more than 100 vertical meters to the top. Being so close, those meters just flew away and soon I could celebrate yet another new top.
The views were of course sensational, like they are in most places of the central Sunnmørsalpane mountain rainge.
I checked if I easily could get to the south top. I guess the short answer is; “no!”.
I now found myself between Staven (1517m) and Kalveskrednipa (1479m). I looked around for routes where I could ascend these peaks (at a later time), and even though I found some potential routes, my guess is that I will climb these peaks from a different place.
The time was only 5pm, which meant that I could have a few good hours of what was left of the Friday, once home. But, upon descent, I had time to stop by the 1380m contour on the ridge towards Staven, hoping to get a closer and better look at the south ridge. Perhaps I was overwhelmingly bold and brave, but I thought I saw a potential route up this ridge. Reality is – probably, that the details are much larger and complex when up close.
I then aimed at my ascent route and enjoyed the snow field as long as it lasted. Then, I more or less retraced my steps down the mountain and was back at the car at 6:15pm. I would be home in one hour and Friday night doesn’t start that early, does it?
Trip statistics: 7,8 km, 1060 vertical meters, 2h:50m.
Pictures from the hike:
