Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal

Barmen, 278m
Muletua, 253m (Mulefjellet)

Fylke/Kommune : Møre og Romsdal/Herøy
Maps : 1119-IV Fosnavåg (Statens Kartverk, Norge 1:50 000)
Primary factor : Barmen: 245m
Muletua: 65m
Hiked : Dec 2008
See also :
Storevarden Remøyfjellet
Rundevarden Skagetåa
Keipen (Skorpa)  
See also : Other Herøy  mountains

Barmen and Muletua

Barmen and Muletua
(Click for larger image)

Introduction

Muletua, Barmen, Børa and Okla are cliffs tops on north side of Nerlandsøya island. This is rugged coastal terrain and the tops have a steep drop towards the North Sea. However, the south side is quite gentle, and good paths allow for small kids to come along. This is the perfect place for watching the sun go down.

As the path reveals, Muletua is the most popular top. The shelter near the top is a convenient place to have a short rest, especially if you've been breathing in the infamous wind from the southwest. The shelter used to be a place for storing hay, but the Jan 1 1992 hurricane tore the building down. It was rebuilt by a local interest group from Kvalsvik, and now serves as a nice shelter and resting place for the many hundreds who find their way up Muletua - the westernmost top in Herøy that you can get to by public transportation or private car. Keipen on Skorpa is slightly further west, but it's not easy getting there.

Some also find their way up Barmen, the highest of these cliff tops. And some follow the path across Barmen and descend by the waterworks. Some also continue across Børa and Okla. This web page will describe a round trip across Muletua and Barmen. 

Barmen and Muletua

Barmen and Muletua
(Click for larger image)

 

Primary factor:

Barmen (Norge 1:50,000: 278m, Økonomisk Kartverk (ØK): Highest contour is 275m,  UTM 32 V 320164 6919860) has a primary factor of 245m towards the higher parent mountain Storevarden (430m). The defining saddle (approx. UTM 32 V 320772 6918755) is found on the meadow between Barmen and Storetua. A lake drains to Mulevika, while Fosseelva drains to Kvalsvika. The saddle is found between these two drains. Ref. Økonomisk Kartverk map (5m contours), the saddle is within the range 30-35m, interpolated to 33m.

GPS measurement on top of the cairn (0,5m high) read 277m, averaged over a 2-minute period (error margin +/- 3,3m).

Muletua (Norge 1:50,000: 253m, Økonomisk Kartverk (ØK): Highest contour is 250m,  UTM 32 V 319223 6919723) has a primary factor of 65m towards the higher parent mountain Barmen (278m). The defining saddle (approx. UTM 32 V 319756 6919752) is found between the two tops. Ref. Økonomisk Kartverk map (5m contours), the saddle is within the range 185-190m, interpolated to 188m.

GPS measurement on the ground read 252m, averaged over a 2-minute period (error margin +/- 5,5m).

 

Google map

Google's interactive map. You can zoom, pan and click on the markers.
 

 

Google maps
Google maps
(Click on image)

 

Trail descriptions

Route 1: Muletua - Barmen round trip (all seasons)

Difficulty : YDS Class 1
Exposure : No
Distance : Approx. 5,6km round trip
Time : Approx. 1,5-2 hours round trip
Starting Elev.: Approx. 60m
Vertical Gain : Approx. 300m (total)
Map of the area
Map of the area
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Detailed map
Detailed map
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The route

The route
(Click for larger image)

 

Access

(all distances are approx. distances)

The nearest larger city is Ålesund. From Ålesund, follow highway E39 towards Bergen, and then RV61 towards Hareid. Take the Sulesund - Hareid ferry and follow RV61 (roughly) 3Km towards Ulsteinvik. At the roundabout junction outside Ulsteinvik, turn left and follow RV61 southbound until you turn right when you see the "Måløy" sign. Once on Gurskøya, follow highway RV564 all the way to Fosnavåg.

Continue towards Nerlandsøya (signposted), cross the Nerlandsøybrua bridge. At the "Kvalsvik/Koparstad" junction, turn right towards Kvalsvik. Follow this road 5,5km until you reach a junction in Kvalsvik. Turn left and follow the road towards Mulevika 1,1km (not signposted, but paved). There is parking for 3-4 cars on your left-hand side, and the path (signposted) to Muletua begins just up the road. 

The route

From the parking, walk 70m towards Mulevika, and you see the Muletua trailhead (signposted). Follow the path northwest up to the Muletua shelter and the summit, which is just behind the shelter.

To get from Muletua to Barmen, follow the path that runs along the edge of the cliffs. Barmen's summit is marked by a medium-sized cairn.

Descend to the east, and at Helleskardet (between Muletua and Børa), descend southeast to the waterworks. Steps are in place for crossing fences. From the waterworks, follow a gravel road down to a paved road. Turn right and follow another gravel road down to the junction where you turned left upon arriving Kvalsvik. The trailhead is 1,1km up the road. 

Pictures and Trip reports:

 


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