Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal

Lesten from Alnes, Mar 17 2007

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Exercising the dog - the extreme version

This Saturday, I was on-duty call and had to stay near Ålesund. The weather was very unpredictable, as it kept shifting between snowfall and sunshine. I needed to walk the dog, and tried to imagine where we could get a win-win situation. As Godøya never disappoints me, I decided to do the same route I did back in October 2006. From Alnes, along the shoreline, up the west ridge and back down to Alnes.

Walking along the coastline, looking at the beautiful waves, the light and the passing snowshowers was just great. Who needs to go up to the mountain? Well, I do, and I kept heading for the Lestaskjeret reef, where my ascent route would begin. Troll (the dog) was in the backpack, as the shoreline was too rugged for him. I discover something new every time I visit Godøya, and today was no exception.

I took a short-cut up to the ridge I planned to ascend, but I discovered that the ridge was further south. I had never been at this point before, and I was gazing up towards a steep face. I noticed a gully, and decided to explore it. I left the dog in a safe spot, before I headed upwards. First, I had to crawl through a hole, and then I had to proceed carefully up the gully without causing a rockslide. I was able to get all the way up - almost, but was defeated by a serious climbing move that I probably would have coped with, but not while carrying the dog. Damned, so close. But all the more reason to come back. Without a dog.

I was then forced to move over to Lesten's west ridge, which I knew already. I took a steep short-cut which called for serious use of the ice-axe in the grass. Once on the ridge, the ascent was quite uneventful. So, rather than taking the quick route up to the plateau, I traversed the southwest side until I topped out not too far from Moldagjølet. Finally, Troll was able to walk, after 2,5 hours in the backpack. A snowshower came upon as as we briefly stopped by the high point, and we turned around immediately. We had a nice stroll back to Alnes, and we arrived the car 3,5 hours after leaving it.

Pictures

Leaving Alnes

1. Sandvika bay (169KB) 2. Waves in Sandvika (263KB) 3. Erkna lighthouse (187KB) 4. A good campsite (264KB) 5. Alnes (160KB)

Strolling along the coastline

6. Waves (159KB) 7. A cave (252KB) 8. Two big rocks (289KB) 9. Rock face (174KB) 10. Lestaskjeret ahead (157KB) 11. A good moment (183KB) 12. Big rock I (252KB) 13. Big rock II (228KB) 14. Good vs. bad (102KB)

Waves

15. Lestaskjeret (206KB) 16. Inbound waves (205KB) 17. Inbound waves (199KB) 18. About to hit .. (211KB) 19. Big splash.. (128KB) 20. Small splash (207KB)

To the ascent point

21. Heading up by this knob (193KB) 22. Looking back on Måsagjølet (232KB) 23. Lestaskjeret (321KB) 24. Looking back to Alnes (241KB) 25. Looking back to Alnes (242KB)

Ascent, attempt 1

26. Above the knob (286KB) 27. Steep face ahead (262KB) 28. This hole is the gully entry point (280KB) 29. Gully seen from below (218KB)

Ascent, attempt 2 - the west ridge

30. Crossing over to the west ridge (232KB) 31. On the west ridge (265KB) 32. Sea view (187KB) 33. Looking down the ridge (264KB) 34. Upper cliffband (220KB)

On the plateau

35. Light I (90KB) 36. Light II (92KB) 37. A mailbox (282KB) 38. Lesten high point (275KB) 39. Hareidlandet seen from Lesten (209KB) 40. Exposed path (248KB)

Back to Alnes

41. Snowshowers (101KB) 42. Storhornet (374KB) 43. Alnes (212KB) 44. Alnes (150KB) 45. Johan Skytt rock (247KB) 46. Giske (79KB)

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