2018 Week 43

A mixed weather week…

Peaks visited:

Peak	Height	PF	Location	WCP
Rambjøra	132m	109m	Herøy, M&R, Norway	WCP
Meraftafjellet	578m	578m	Skodje, Norway	WCP
Kverveaksla	143m	131m	Ålesund, Norway	WCP
Storhaugen	119m	31m	Ålesund, Norway	WCP
Huldrehornet	271m	113m	Herøy, M&R, Norway	WCP
Blåtind	697m	697m	Ulstein, Norway	WCP
Vardehornet	600m	60m	Ørsta/Volda, Norway	WCP
Melshornet	807m	564m	Ørsta, Norway	WCP
Storekrokhornet	654m	146m	Vanylven, Norway	WCP

Rambjøra (132m), Oct 22 2018

Monday:  The week didn’t start out too bad, and Karma and I had a nice trip to Osnessanden beach in Ulsteinvik during the lunch break.

But then it started to rain. And it kept on raining. The inspiration for a proper hike was non-existing, and that’s when we go to Rambjøra – our very local mountain. The hike begins at the front door.

I decided to take the opportunity to bring the hedge trimmer and do some good on the trail. The path to Rambjøra is in the process of getting overgrown. I felt good about clearing up at least a few parts of the path.

I guess the picture from the top explains the weather…

Trip statistics: 3,6km, 150 vertical meters, 0h:40m

Meraftafjellet (578m), Oct 23 2018

Tuesday: Ålesund day, and after work I wanted to visit Meraftafjellet again. This is the highest top on the Uksenøya island outside Ålesund. I wanted to explore a path from Glomset – one I was pretty sure I hadn’t tried before. And I’ve tried my fair share of routes on this mountain.

But the main goal for the trip was to stick my head out. It was hail shower day, and it’s pretty nasty up there in the middle of a hail shower. I know from experience.

Not that it’s bad for me, but the hail is a severe pain for the dog. Especially when she’s not wearing her suit or some other form for protection. We would be safe in the forest and the plan was that if we were in the clear when we reached the plateau, we would run the remaining 0,7km to the summit cairn.

If a hail shower came along while being on top, we would plunge straight south, quickly into the forest. If not, we would take the same route back down.

And this would surely be the last time I walked this “path”. It was hardly a path at all, and at the first meadow, I lost sight of it and got soaking wet from having to cross a boggy area. But eventually, we arrived on the forest ridge and picked up the main path.

We got the hail shower in the forest, but it wasn’t too bad. I know how Karma behaves when she’s uncomfortable, and she was, by any measure, not.

It started snowing when we were on our way up to the summit plateau. Snowfall is just nice…

And then we came to the 518m cairn, I had to make a decision whether we should make a run for it or not. It was windy up there, and the snow now felt like hail. I decided that the weather was within “acceptable parameters” and it was a GO!

Our journey across the plateau was not fun. We ran all the way, and Karma immediately found shelter behind the cairn.

After a short stay on top, I decided the weather was OK enough to run back the way we came. I enjoy these little human vs. nature games. Again – no big drama for someone protected by Gore-Tex outfit, but Karma would try to hide behind my leg. And my leg isn’t that big…

On the way down the forest, we reached the trail fork in a small valley. I could have gone left and ended up at Glomset, but I turned right and ended up down by Gudmundset – with 0,7km along the main road, back to the car.

An uneventful hike, that I will remember for a long time.

Trip statistics: 7,1km, 570 vertical meters, 1h:35m

Pictures from the hike:

 

Kverveaksla (143m), Storhaugen (119m) , Oct 24 2018

Wednesday: Ålesund for the second day in a row. After work I drove to Ellingsøya to hike Kverveaksla – a top I hadn’t been to for at least 10 years.

The weather was still not very inspirational, but the motivating factor was to visit the Storhaugen hump, further east of Kverveaksla. I hadn’t been there before, and when you’ve been to all the primary tops in the region, why not go for the secondary ones.

I parked by the Hovland school and followed signposts that led me to a path up the forest.

The hike up to the top was short. I gladly admit that. But it was nice to be back.

Next, we headed across the plateau in the direction of Storhaugen.

To my delightful surprise, Storhaugen offered a nice scrambling challenge for Karma.

Initially, I didn’t think she would make it by herself, but by utilizing every claw she had at her disposal, she made it  up. Just!

We continued the eastern path down to Hov and followed paved roads back to Hovland.

Trip statistics: 4,2km, 200 vertical meters, 1 hour

Pictures from the hike:

 

 

Huldrehornet (271m),  Oct 25 2018

Thursday:  The bad weather was starting to get on my nerves. I need a sunny hike every now and then in order to stay a happy dude.

So I ended up in the Huldrehornskogen forest once again, continuing with my trail work.

The upside was that progress was now quite visible. And afterwards, we went across Huldrehornet before calling it a day.

Trip statistics: 3,3km, 260 vertical meters, 1,5 hours

Blåtind (697m), Oct 26 2018

 

Friday: Finally! The return of sunshine! During the lunch break, we went to Kjeldsund for a little walk.

Exactly one week since we last visited Blåtind (via the Svenskevegen route), we were back again. This time, we would do my favorite route from Havåg. Karma doesn’t care where we start. There are HARES on this mountain, and that’s all that matters.

And my yearning for sunshine was finally satisfied. Not that a would call this an entirely sunny hike, as there were definitely elements of weather. But of the good kind.

 

Unfortunately, we had fog on top, but it didn’t really matter. The walk so far had been downright gorgeous!

Seemed like winter was on its way, but we are not easily fooled in these parts of Norway. Snow comes and goes numerous times before it settles.

A quite memorable afternoon!

Trip statistics: 8km, 680 vertical meters, 2 hours

Pictures from the hike:

 

Vardehornet (600m), Melshornet (807m), Oct 27 2018

Saturday: Anne came to Sunnmøre the day before and today we drove to Volda to hike Vardehornet and Melshornet.

We started out at Klepp and quickly got on a forest path that took us in the direction of Vardehornet. After a while, the snow depth turned from nothing to substantial…

After passing Vardehornet, we headed towards Melshornet and took every ray of sunshine into our hearts and souls…

Even on a sunny day, western Norway knows how to make a dramatic scenery…

And the title of the below picture, is …

Enjoying the view from Melshornet is the type of thing that just makes your day…

Eventually, it was time to head back home…

A beautiful hike, with my small family…

Trip statistics: 10,5km, 730m vertical meters, 3h:45m

Pictures from the hike:

 

Storekrokhornet (654m), Oct 28 2018

Sunday: The hiking week ended in Vanylven, where I invited Anne for a hike to Storekrokhornet. Which I hadn’t been to since 2009.

We parked at Sighaug and followed a path that I remembered from several years ago, and it was definitely not well worn…

But as we rose above the forest, the views began to deliver…

Anne was low on energy and considered turning around by lake Sighaugvatnet. I talked her into trying some more. Perhaps her energy level took a positive turn. One step at a time. Perhaps up to Litlekrokhornet?

A good rest and something to bite in seemed to help. She gradually found more energy and we continued up the mountain. I assume the view was also a motivating factor…

Reaching snow is always a good thing, although the hike gets somewhat harder. But the combination of snow and sunshine is never a negative thing…

Eventually we reached the top and Anne was superhappy with the turnaround of her shape, the day and the views. And – her most excellent company, of course 😉

It was a boring thought to return the same way, so we decided to descend the valley between Tinden and Litlekrokhornet.

This route led us to the top of the ultra-steep forest road, where I would never ever drive down with any form of vehicle. I’m not even sure if I would have biked down the top of this road!

But the road soon turned into a more normal grade and we followed it down to Hundsnes, where we was 1,4km away from the car.

The week started somewhat depressing in terms of the weather, but ended on a very, very good note!

Trip statistics: 11,3km, 740m vertical meters, 4h:20m

Pictures from the hike: