Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal

Hellenakken, 454m
Langsetnakken, 447m

Fylke/Kommune : Møre og Romsdal/Haram
Maps : xxx
(Statens Kartverk, Norge 1:50 000)
Primary factor : Hellenakken: 156m
Primary factor : Langsetnakken: 34m
Visited : May 2006
See also : Grødet
See also : Blåskjerdingen
See also : Grøtshornet

Hellenakken seen from Ramnfloget

Hellenakken seen from Ramnfloget

Introduction

Hellenakken and Langsetnakken are the northern tops on a mountain ridge located between Vatnefjorden and Vestrefjorden. Grødet is the higher neighbour to the south. A nice forest path runs from the place Orvika to Hellenakken, being the highest of the tops on the northern side.

The higher neighbours Blåskjerdingen, Grødet, Grøtshornet and the Storfjellet massif steal most of the views. You have a good view towards Blåkallen and Drynjahatten, but Hellenakken is certainly not among the most prominent viewpoints in Haram kommune. On the other hand, Hellenakken is a nice family hike and the nearby islands and mountain tops are just as nice to look at, as mountains 50Km into the horizon.

Primary factor:

Hellenakken (M711: 454m, Ø.K.: 453,5m, UTM 32 V 378887 6944859) has a primary factor of 156m towards the higher parent mountain Grødet (693m). The defining saddle (approx. UTM 32 V 379231 6944075) is found between the tops, NE of Orviksætra. Ref. Økonomisk Kartverk (5m contours), the saddle is within the range 296-300m, interpolated to 298m.

Langsetnakken is a top of less significance in this context.

Note: My GPS showed an average height (5 min) of 456m on the high point, which is 10m north of the summit cairn.

Trail descriptions:

Notes: Class ratings are in reference to YDS. Click here for more information.

The trails described below are not necessarily the *easiest* trails to this mountain.

Orvika - Hellenakken (summer/autumn)

Difficulty : Class 1 (YDS)
Exposure : No
Comments : Family hike
Distance : Approx. 2,2Km to the top
Time : Approx. 1 hour to the top
Starting Elev.: Approx. 25m
Vertical Gain : Approx. 430m

Map of the area
Map of the area
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Detailed map
Detailed map
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Access

From Ålesund, follow highway E136->E39 towards Åndalsnes. From the E136/E39/Olsvika roundabout near Breivka, follow E39 approx. 13,3Km. Turn left onto highway RV661 (Skodje/Brattvåg/Vatne). After 1,5Km, pay toll at an unmanned toll booth (coins + credit cards + AutoPass). Approx. 9,7Km after you left E39, you reach the RV659 (Brattvåg)/661(Vatne) junction.

Turn right and follow RV661 2,1Km to the "Vestre" junction in Vatne. Turn left and follow RV661 5,3Km. You are now in Orvika and should see a paved road, mailboxes and the "Hellenakken" trailsign on your right-hand side. Find parking on the left-hand side.

The route

Follow the paved road upwards to road end. Turn right onto a forest path that leads to an old waterwork. Turn left here, and follow a visible path up the forest until you reach the Orviksætra ruins at (approx.) 270m elevation. Continue up to the plateau and follow a marked path (red/white markers) all the way to the (small) summit cairn. There is a point 10m further north that seems slightly higher.

Descend your ascent route, or visit Langsetnakken, 730m further north for additional views.

Hellenakken (left) seen from Grøtshornet

Hellenakken (left) seen from Grøtshornet

Trip report, May 28 2006

This Sunday, the plan was to visit S. Smørhylla on Ørskogfjellet. I was under the impression there was a toll road all the way to Måslia, which would be a good starting point. There was a road, but it was locked by a gate. I am unable to exercise great patience regardubg "private" roads in the mountains. In my humble opinion; when it has been decided that it's OK to build a road in a mountain region (our common resource), it should be available for everyone to use. It's OK to pay for the access, as long as the money is being used for road maintenance. Well, enough on this subject, I'll get to Smørhylla one of these days without using a road. I considered Middagsfjellet as the alternative, but pouring rain suggested I should go somewhere sunny instead.

So I drove to Vestre, with the ambition to explore Tindfjellaksla. A very determined local said that would be impossible, and even if I tried, I should not bring the dog!! I wondered if this was an exceptionally pessimistic local, and asked him if he knew the Skjerdingen - Blåskjerdingen traverse. I was interested in making a parallel regarding difficulty. After a long "Haaah!", he told me that the traverse was NOTHING in comparision. He had traversed Skjerdingen many times, but never attempted Tindfjellaksla. My motivation sunk, as I hadn't brought any climbing equipment along. And the dog would be a "burden". Besides, the upper part of the mountain was fogged in. And the sea fog can be cold as well.

Time was flying, and I decided to visit the modest Hellenakken instead. The local explained where the trailhead was. 13:50PM, I was ready to hike, but the dog ("Troll") wasn't. My mood was not the best, so I executed the "emergency plan". Leave the dog, head upwards, and whistle a merry tune once out of sight. GGMM, it worked!

I ran into a hiker on his way down. He was overwhelmed about having reached his goal. His condition was not the best, yet I took it for granted that he had been to the top. But he had "only" been to a viewpoint higher up in the forest. He didn't think he would be able to make it "all the way".

Busy as I am in the mountains, I tend to forget that there is something called "good shape" and "bad shape". This was a reminder. I congratulated him with his effort and urged him to go up at least once a week, and perhaps twice when he felt ready. That was his plan, and I hope the nice chap makes it happen.

Troll and I reached the top of Hellenakken 14:55PM. After a short break, we continued to Langsetnakken and reached the northernmost point on the Hellenakken ridge 20 minutes later. Fog blocked most of the views from this top, and we turned around after a few minutes.

Halfway down the forest, I ran into the hiker again. His wife had joined him. I expect he had been back at the house and invited her along. We had yet another nice chat before Troll and I returned back to the trailhead. 16:05PM, the (short) hike had come to its end.

Pictures from the May 28 2006 hike

Green sea and a cool rock below Hellenakken

1. The fjords have suddenly become green (284KB) 2. Cool rock below Hellenakken (446KB) 3. Cool rock below Hellenakken (223KB) 4, Cool rock below Hellenakken (263KB) 5. Cool rock below Hellenakken (340KB) 6. Cool rock below Hellenakken (358KB)

To Hellenakken

7. Hellenakken trailhead (258KB) 8. On the trail (523KB) 9. Pine forest (436KB) 10. Orviksætra ruins (399KB) 11. Hellenakken ahead (176KB) 12. Tindfjellaksla fogged in (190KB) 13. Grødet fogged in (192KB) 14. Hellenakken summit (219KB)

To Langsetnakken and back to Hellenakken

15. Langsetnakken (467KB) 16. Islands in Vatnefjorden (206KB) 17. Byrkjevollen (196KB) 18. Vestrefjorden (154KB) 19. Midfjorden (287KB) 20. Midsund (193KB) 21. Bløkallen seen from Langsetnakken (168KB) 22. Farm on Ternøyna (236KB) 23. Løvøyholmane (190KB) 24. Fjord life (165KB) 25. Keipen seen from Langsetnakken (115KB) 26. Rekdalshesten fogged in (182KB) 27. A convenient forest road (210KB) 28. Skjerdinghola (144KB) 29. Orvika (275KB)

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Other pictures:

1. Wide-angle view from Otrefjellet (1278KB) 2. Wide-angle view from Byrkjevollhornet (1010KB) 3. Wide-angle view from Blåskjerdingen (1194KB) 4. Wide.angle view from Drynjahatten (677KB) 5. 50mm view from Ræstadhornet (1700KB) 6. 50mm view from Litlekulten (1343KB) 7. 85mm zoom view from Otrefjellet 8. Wide-angle view from Blåskjerdingen

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