Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal
Roppehornet (412m) + failed attempt on Måsegylet,
Apr 6 2009
To the main Roppehornet page (maps, route
descriptions, other trip reports, etc.)
Roppehornet and Måsegylet couloir
(Click for larger image)
The plan for this evening was to
get to know the Måsegylet couloir below Roppehornet, located between Ulstein and
Flø. I have to be honest and say that by the looks of it, I found this couloir
quite intimidating. When I got the couloir in view, I started looking high
and low for a valid excuse to go somewhere else. I actually did turn the car
around, only to come back one more time. Hell if I'm quitting that easily...
Before I could get to the couloir,
I had to cross a massive boulder field. I like boulder fields. They are a fun
challenge - attempting to pass them without causing a single rock to move and
without making a single sound. There's a bit of grace in that.
On the way to Måsegylet
(Click for larger image)
I entered the
couloir without causing one single rock to move (or fly). After all, there was a road
just below, and I didn't want to have any part in any headlines in the local newspaper. The first part of the couloir was easy. Steep, but easy.
All rocks were loose, so I had to scramble across the grass. Then the couloir
got significantly steeper, and I was facing a predicament;
The rocky
section was soaking wet and couldn't even be considered. The grassy part could
surely be climbed, but not without increasing the risk considerably. This would be
climbing, not scrambling. The pictures don't give the right impression of the
situation. The grassy slope felt almost vertical, and the grass was not dry. I
was almost confident that the route above was easy, and I strongly
considered going for it. But in the end, I realized that I wasn't willing to take
this kind of risk just to get up a couloir. I made my decision and turned around.
Admitting defeat
(Click for larger image)
So I drove to the Roppehornet
trailhead and ascended the mountain along the normal route. After 36 minutes, I was
on top of Roppehornet and I immediately headed to the top of the couloir. The
upper part wasn't very steep, but as I approached the 300m contour, I was using
toes, fingers and the ice-axe to make sure I didn't slide down the couloir.
Going down is of course much harder than going up, and I was not
comfortable. I could see that the route
down to the point I where turned around was OK, and with this knowledge, I headed back
up again, via the ridge up to my right.
I expect that I will return one
day. Hell if ....
Me and my magic axe
(Click for larger image)
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