Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal

Lidaveten, Nov 23 2008


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

 

Route to Lidaveten

Route to Lidaveten
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This hike had a very sad preface. Just after midnight, my neighbour's dog Chico suddenly fell dead to the ground. Chico was Troll's (my old dog) beloved companion, adding huge value to Troll's final years. My neighbours were naturally devestated by this sudden loss (Chico was only 7 years old). First Troll died in June. Then Chico died Nov 23, and two days later I moved out. From being a very lively place earlier in the year, things have changed at Gåseidnes. Every day, I keep thinking of my dear neighbours Pål & Eva and hope that they will get a new puppy soon. Gåseidnes is a dog's paradise. Cats, deer and foxes roam all over the place. The only scary part are the eagles that sometimes pass 5m above ground level..

In memory of Chico and Troll

In memory of Chico and Troll
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I woke up early Sunday morning, still sad about Chico. I decided to take a break from all the packing and cleaning and went for Lidaveten. A practical choice, as I could stop by my new house along the way. It had been snowing for days, but for some reason, I didn't think there would be a lot of snow in the mountains. And if snow had fallen, it would certainly have blown away by now. As such, Lidaveten would be a short and easy hike. There would be no need for breakfast and no need for lunch. I was in full control..

It was a lovely day, and I looked forward to get on a mountain top again. I drove through Eiksundtunnelen (tunnel) for the first time, and enjoyed this easy mainland access very much. And within few years, the Kviven tunnel will allow me to get from Gurskøya to Stryn in about the same time it takes to get to Ålesund. He he. Opportunities..

I stopped at Sørheim and asked for route suggestions to Lidaveten. I was told to drive to Eidem, which I did. Well, I didn't drive up to Eidem. I guess it was a combination of me needing exercise and the anticipation of limited parking. I headed out from the main road 11:22am, and followed the Eidem road for 1km before I got onto a forest road. The forest road was not plowed and no trail had been broken. My feet vanished in the snow and I knew that if the mountain had more snow than this, the hike would be a painful one.

On the way to Lidaveten

On the way to Lidaveten
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After having followed forest roads for 1,1km, I headed into the forest. I couldn't see where the summer path went, but as the ridge wasn't very wide, it had to be nearby, at least. The snow in the forest was deep. I had brought a 70 cm ice-axe, and it went all the way down to the shaft. Omigod! 400 vertical meters of this nightmare. Snow up to the groin. Moving forward was altogether difficult. Frequently, I had to use my hands in order to move my feet. If you've been in situations like this, you know how it's like. Tormenting.

I sought out the steepest part of the ridge, which allowed me to move forward using bush and trees. 10 steps, then pause. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10. Heavy breathing... 1-2-3..

1:23pm, 2 hours after leaving the trailhead, the "beautiful" torture was over. I was on top of Lidaveten, and could enjoy superb scenery in all directions. The summit cairn was very characteristic. It looks like ... a witches hat.

Lidaveten cairn

Lidaveten cairn
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The descent was a bit scary. The deep snow invited long jumps and a fast pace, but danger lurked within the ground beneath. A long jump sent my right foot straight into a guaranteed leg-breaker hole, but the ice-axe (a natural extension of my right arm) stopped me from moving forwards when I got trapped. Afterwards, the leg hurt so much that I couldn't follow my tracks (which had a crust by now) down the mountain. I had to break trail all over again. 2:23pm, I was back at the car, 3 hours after leaving it. It had been an interesting day on the Ørsta/Volda border..

Pictures

The pictures were taken with a Canon EOS 300D + Canon EF-S 17-85mm IS USM F 4-5.6

 
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To Lidaveten

0A. Trip tracks 0B. Route profile 1. View near Sørheim 2. Road to Eidem 3. Lidaveten 4. Laupsnipa 5. On the forest road 6. Forest road junction 7. Opening in the forest 8. Snow on trees 9. End of the forest road 10. A pretty forest 11. View up the ridge 12. Liadalsnipa 13. Liadalsnipa, zoomed in 14. View down the forest 15. Lidaveten summit 16. Lidaveten summit

Wide-angle views from Lidaveten

17. Wide-angle view from Lidaveten 18. Wide-angle view from Lidaveten

Zoom views from Lidaveten

19. 75mm zoom view from Lidaveten 20. 85mm zoom view from Lidaveten 21. 85mm zoom view from Lidaveten

Other summit pics + descent

22. Ørsta 23. Dalsfjorden 24. Lidaveten info 25. The route 26. The trailhead 27. View down the ridge 28. Liadalsnipa 29. Liadalsnipa

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