Gradually getting back to the usual routine
Peaks visited:
| Peak | Height | PF | Location | WCP |
| Varden | 333m | 333m | Herøy, M&R, Norway | WCP |
| Rundebranden | 294m | 141m | Herøy, M&R, Norway | WCP |
| Garnestua | 653m | 415m | Ulstein, Norway | WCP |
| Stedjeåsen | 624m | 121m | Sogndal, Norway | WCP |
| Fyrjaeggi | 1205m | 135m | Vik i Sogn, Norway | |
| Lingesetfjellet | 1002m | 184m | Sogndal, Norway | |
| Dueskardhøgdi | 986m | 33m | Sogndal, Norway |
Varden (333m) & Rundebranden (294m), June 24 2019
Monday: Finally reunited with Anne and Karma, after 17 traveling to and from Jan Mayen. I got home at 3am and logged into work 8am. Perhaps I got 4 hours of sleep. Or 3. In any case, I was tired when I logged onto work and was told that I had 1571 emails. So, it would be an email day. At least I knew what I was in for…
After work, Anne wanted to go the Runde island. The usual routine is that she drops me off after the Runde bridge, and she drives to Goksøyr. I either hike directly to Lundeura (where she is doing her Park Ranger duties) or I stop by the island high point – Varden – before going to Lundeura. Today, I would go via the high point.
The hike up the mountain was fairly uneventful, although that’s an awful thing to say about any hike on this beautiful bird island on the Norwegian coastline.
After “checking in” on the high point, we sat the course for Lundeura.
When Karma and I got to Sandshornet, I had a good view towards Lundeura. But, I didn’t see her down there, so I assume she was on her way up, talking to tourists along the way.
I met her at the foot of Sandshornet, and Karma was over the moon, even though it hadn’t been THAT long since she saw her the last time…
I decided to hike up to Rundebranden, and give Anne a chance to spend some time in Lundeura.
When we returned there, she was OK to go, but I had to take a look at the puffins first.
Afterwards, we hiked down to Goksøyr. Passing a few Great Skuas on the way. It’s always nice to hike on Runde!
Trip statistics: 7,9km, 600 vertical meters, 2h:11m
Pictures (Canon 80D) from the trip:
Garnestua (653m), June 25 2019
Tuesday: Dead tired after a long day in Ålesund. I was seconds away from “calling in sick” – aka not going to the mountains. The weather was for sure not inspiring. But I managed to pull myself together and drove up to Løset to hike Garnestua.
Once on the trail, things are normally easier. And, since it wasn’t raining, it was actually very nice to be up here.
Eventually, we reached the top and Karma waited patiently for the reward…
Trip statistics: 4,9km, 440 vertical meters, 1h:07m
Stedjeåsen (624m), June 28 2019
Friday: Two days, not being to the mountains. Nothing I am proud of, but the weather was really, really crappy. Pouring rain, wet trails, and I had a lot of things to sort out after the Jan Mayen expedition.
But now I had arrived in Sogndal for the weekend and the first thing I did – after saying hello to Anne – was to take Karma and head up to Stedjeåsen.
I walked as fast as I could, eager to get back to Anne for Taco evening. I skipped the high point and settled for the tree where 99,9% of the hikers consider being the top – good enough.
I did my usual round trip hike on the upper part of the mountain, which took us past the only view point this forest top has to offer.
Then, full speed down the forest and to Anne’s backyard where she was preparing dinner 😉
Trip statistics: 5,7km, 570 vertical meters, 1h:10m
Fyrjaeggi (1205m), June 29 2019
Saturday: In April this year, Anne and I did an attempt to ski Fyrjaeggi on Vikafjellet. But we stopped before the descent to Muravatnet. The road was covered by snow and the mountainside was steep. We decided not to take our chances and skied to Valanipa instead.
But now, the snow would surely be gone and went back to Vikafjellet. As the road to lake Muravatnet is long and boring, we drove up to the highest point and started walking from there. Today, Fyrjaeggi would surely be visited!
On the way down to lake Muravatnet, I reflected back on my ski-trips over this lake. First time, to Fresvikbreen. Second time to Blåfjellet. The first one, epic, in both positive and negative ways. The second, just nice and smooth.
After the dam, we continued along the service road for a little while before we headed out on the ridge.
And shortly after, Fyrjaeggi was “in the bag”.
For the return, we took a walk around a small lake and had some fun on the snow before joining the road again.
This won’t be the last time in this region. There are a couple of tops between Muravatnet and Fresvikbreen that is on my list…
Trip statistics: 10,2km, 370 vertical meters, 2h:39m
Pictures (Canon 80D) from the trip:
Lingesetfjellet (1002m), Dueskardhøgdi (986m), June 30 2019
Sunday: I decided to pay Lingesetfjellet a revisit. Last time Anne and I went there, there was fog. So there was today. But perhaps I would get lucky on top, fog going away and all. You never know unless you try.
But this would primarily be a bike trip. biking the dog, so to speak. I drove up to the local airport Sogndal Lufthamn Haukåsen and me and the dog headed out on the 5,5km mountain road leading up to the highest point before it drops down towards Fimreite.
From the top of the road, we headed towards the top of Lingesetfjellet. It’s a fairly short distance (650 meters), but we stretched it out a little longer. So far, we had NOT been lucky, in terms of the fog.
But on our way to the high point, there was a shift in the fog and all of a sudden, I could see Sognefjorden.
Moreover, when we got to the top, I had Dueskardhøgdi in clear view. As I hadn’t been to that top yet, it was an easy decision to extend the hike.
It didn’t take us long to get there, and after commuting to Sogndal for 10 years, I had finally visited this top!
We tried to follow a marked path back to the mountain road, but lost it just before it connected with the road. But soon, I was reunited with my bike, and could look forward to 5,5km downhill. I decided to go slow, so Karma wouldn’t have to run. Running for long downhill isn’t good for her shoulder dysplasia.
It was a really nice trip! I have an ambition to bike from Sogndal, up Storehaugfjellet, then up to Lingesetfjellet, down to Fimreite and back to Sogndal. We’ll just see how that plan goes…
Trip statistics: 5km on foot, 11km on bike, 580 vertical meters, 2h:15m
Pictures (Canon 80D) from the trip:
