Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal

Skårasalen (1542m) on skis, May 17 2013


To the main Skårasalen page (maps, route descriptions, other trip reports, etc.)

 

 

The route

The route
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Few things beat...

... skiing a mighty fine peak on Norway's Constitution day! And so on this gorgeous day, Anne and me chose to visit Skårasalen. Foremost because Anne hadn't been up there before, but also because it's one of the few mountains that gives a good run this late in the season. Weighed against how far we have to carry the skis, of course...

We started fairly late in the morning and knew that the snow would be soft, and the big question was how Karma (8 months) would do. This would be her first high mountain ascent, and we hoped that the tracks would carry her weight. The first part of the ascent looked promising and we hoped it would stay that way.

 

A penny for your thoughts, dear...

A penny for your thoughts, dear...
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We headed out ...

from the parking in Kvistaddalen at 10:22am. We carried the skis for 0,7km and at 10:38am the skis were on. And with two small exceptions, they stayed on for the rest of the trip. We joined Thomas Strand on our way upwards.

The combination of the Svalbard expedition and losing 5kg on the same expedition made it easy to keep a good pace upwards. I got a few comments about my pace from the others and we stopped for a break in the valley east of Blåhornet. After some nuts and chocolate, Anne's engine was firing up again and we continued upwards. And Karma seemed to be doing just fine!

 

 

A good day in the mountains!

A good day in the mountains!
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We skipped the city parade ...

... but were part of the "parade" of skiers aiming for Skårasalen summit. Above us was a group of 5-6 persons - also carrying flags and one of the flags was huge! I had a feeling that we might get to see some kind of celebration on top, and my hunch proved to be correct...

I put Karma on leash when I felt that descending skiers were just around the corner, but we didn't meet anyone until we reached the flats before the summit. A group of skiers came skiing down the mountain and Karma decided to go for the kill. My hips will never be the same again...

 

 

If it had not been for the leash...

If it had not been for the leash...
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We reached the summit ...

... 12:45pm - 2h:22m after heading out - and could witness that the group that had been ahead of us had planned a very special celebration. Fellow mountain buddy Håvard Myklebust (in the lower left corner on the below picture) was photographer and his picture made the front page of the local newspaper. Good job, Håvard!

 

Celebration on top of Skårasalen

Celebration on top of Skårasalen
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We had a long and good ...

... stay on top. Especially by my standards. But I enjoyed serving Anne sandwiches, something warm to drink, nuts, chocolate and apricots. The Svalbard expedition changed me in a few ways. Now I think it's dumb to not bring anything to eat. And Karma got a luxury meal of course. She did a great job by ascending more than 1000 vertical meters on snow.

 

For the family album...

For the family album...
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I haven't been to Skårasalen ...

... many times, but every time seems to be memorable in some way or another. The first trip ended up with a very special picture and the previous trip was as a guide for the police academy. I do hope that my next visit to this mountain will be on skis and includes a descent to Skår. That would have been quite something...

But today, our descent followed our ascent route and even if the snow was soft and a bit rotten, we enjoyed that most excellent sensation of sailing down a mountain in spring. Thomas passed us, rocket speed. I'm always fascinated by Telemark daredevils...

 

Descending Skårasalen

Descending Skårasalen
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We returned to the trailhead 2:14pm, strongly uplifted by the trip, the weather, the skiing, the tan and hundred other things that I just couldn't remember there and then. Still, the most memorable of all things was probably that soft ice that Anne bought me in Ørsta. I had no idea that I liked soft ice that much. I've probably just had one for the last 10 years, and that was the one.

Many thanks to Anne for a wonderful day in the Sunnmøre mountains! And to Karma of course - for being such a wonderful buddy!

 

Me and Karma

Me and Karma
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Pictures

The pictures were taken with a Canon EOS 60D + Canon EF-S 18-200mm 3.5-5.6 IS

 

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To Skårasalen

1. The route 2. Skis on! 3. Just enough snow 4. Kvistaddalen panorama 5. Karma has some worries 6. Anne and Langhornet 7. Step by step does it 8. Rising above the valley floor 9. Klovtindane. The highest one is tricky 10. Kvasshornet 11. Dukhornet 12. Rokkekjerringa 13. In the valley below Blåhornet 14. Detail on the ridge 15. Me and Karma in the valley 16. Anne and my flag from Gunbjørn Fjeld (May 17 2004) 17. Saudehornet 18. Karma 19. Karma pays close attention to Thomas lunchbox 20. The final (long) hill 21. Views across Hjørundfjorden 22. Summit is in sight 23. Oh now you will NOT! 24. Summit ahead 25. Oh oh - scary... 26. Anne follows

On Skårasalen

27. WHAT is going on? 28. Very cool! 29. Making the front page of Sunnmørsposten 30. Anne celebrates Skårasalen 31. The party people are quite done yet... 32. Anne and me 33. Karma and me

Skårasalen panoramas

34. Wide-angle view from Skårasalen 35. Zoom view from Skårasalen 36. Zoom view from Skårasalen 37. Zoom view from Skårasalen

More pics from Skårasalen summit

38. Anne continues the celebration 39. Kvistaddalen 40. Blåtinden 41. Molladalstindane 42. Straight out of a fairy tale 43. Slogen 44. Råna 45. Hornindalsrokken 46. Storhornet 47. Skårasalen ridge 48. Jakta

Descent

49. Anne - descending Skårasalen 50. Anne - descending Skårasalen 51. Anne - descending Skårasalen 52. Glad to see her skiing again! 53. Karma and me 54. Karma and me 55. Karma - full speed 56. Taking the gully route

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