Kyrkjenibba, Steindalsegga, Aug 12 2018

On the Sunnmøre – Nordfjord watershed

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Lake Oppstrynsvatnet

Peaks visited:

Peak Height PF Location
Kyrkjenibba 1400m 330m Stryn, Norway
Steindalsegga 1366m 105m Stryn/ Hornindal, Norway
Botneskrednibba 1290m 80m Stryn/ Hornindal, Norway

In the Rokkekjerringa trip report, I wrote that I had completed the project of visiting all primary tops on both sides of Honndalen valley. That was only partly true. On my list of primary tops (primary factor >= 100m), Steindalsegga (1366m) didn’t quite make it. Based on the map contours. But it was registered as a primary top on peakbook.org – the website for Norwegian peakbaggers, so I figured I ought to visit and do some GPS measurements of my own.

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My round trip route

Karma and I headed out from Bøasætra near Stryn skiing centre. The same place from where I started where I hiked Kyrkjenibba in May.

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Heading out from Bøasætra

We passed the “Kyrkjenibba 11km” signpost, which is hilarious, given that the distance is only 5,1km. And no, these signposts should *not* give the distance back and forth. Someone have had a bad GPS day. And Bubergskaret pass was only 1,6km away, not 3km.

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No!!!!

The weather was not great, but I hoped to get as far as I possibly could, before it started to rain…

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Not exactly sunny…

When we reached Bubergskaret, there was a WHOLE lot less snow than in May. I considered hiking directly towards Steindalsegga (left) in the below picture, but figured that a summer revisit to Kyrkjenibba could be in order…

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In Bubergskaret. Steindalsegga to the left, Kyrkjenibba to the right.

This hike was much easier in summer..

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Towards Kyrkjenibba

We reached the top of Kyrkjenibba 1h:40m after heading out. I expected it to start raining any minute, but so far, we were in the clear. Just…

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Back on Kyrkjenibba

There was a whole lot of weather going on, but not exactly here…

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View from Kyrkjenibba

Then we moved on towards Steindalsegga

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Towards Steindalsegga

When we reached the top of Steindalsegga, my GPS readings told me that the primary factor *could be* 105-106m, which meant that the top most certainly could belong on the list of Norwegian peaks with a primary factor >= 100m

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On top of Steindalsegga

So where to go from here? Should we head back down or also visit Botneskrednibba – that I hadn’t been to yet? It wasn’t a “primary top”, but why not…

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Botneskrednibba to the left. Natakupa in center.

The descent into Seljeskaret pass went fine. No complications.

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The ridge from Seljeskaret to Steindalsegga

The ascent to Botneskrednibba *could* have become complicated, had I made some bad choices along the way. But we made it to the top without any problems.

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Ascending Botneskrednibba

Next, I considered returning to the trailhead via Natakupa, but first we had to get off Botnaskrednibba. The terrain called for route finding, but we made it into saddle without any issues.

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Looking back on Botneskrednibba

However, I didn’t like the upper terraces on Natakupa. The rock was slippery wet and I felt we had a challenge ahead of us. Well, I wasn’t really worried about myself, but I didn’t want to be in awkward terrain with Karma. I just wanted to get off the ridge and onto Natakupa’s south ridge. That was easier said than done.

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The ridge to Natakupa. The challenging sections are not easily seen here

But after some route finding, we got off the ridge and looking back, it wasn’t obvious that we would…

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We got off the ridge here. Nasty terrain…

But now we were in easier terrain and then it started to rain.

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Well below Natakupa and it’s raining solid…

It rained until we got completely off the mountain, and then it was a nice day again. And *now* I had completed my Honndalen project for sure.

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After the rain…

Trip statistics: 15,5km, 1500 vertical meters, 4h:25m

Pictures from the hike:

 

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