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

Roppehornet and Måsegylet couloir
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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

On the way to Måsegylet
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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

Admitting defeat
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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

Me and my magic axe
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Pictures

The pictures were taken with a Canon EOS 450D + Canon EF-S 17-85mm IS USM F 4-5.6

 
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To Roppehornet

0. Trip tracks 1. Roppehornet and Måsegylet 2. Måsegylet 3. Across the boulder field 4. Inside the couloir 5. The starting point 6. Turnaround point 7. View down the couloir

Roppehornet via the normal route

8. On the regular path 9. Marvellous light 10. Rock face 11. On top of Roppehornet 12. View down Måsegylet 13. The Roppehornet face 14. On the ridge next to Måsegylet 15. On the ridge next to Måsegylet 16. Flø 17. Me and my magic axe 18. View down Måsegylet 19. Paraglider above Ulsteinhetta 20. Mirror view

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