Norwegian Mountains - Route Descriptions - Storhornet, Lesten, Godøya

Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal

Storhornet & deep snow, Godøya, Mar 24 2008

Shower at sea (Click for larger image)

Winter came back ..

with full strength before Easter. The new snow allowed for good ski-trips all over western Norway. I had spent the day north of Romsdalsfjorden, skiing to the Raudheia mountain. As I didn't feel the dog got enough exercise (he didn't walk much) on this trip, I decided to visit Storhornet in the afternoon. It was such a gorgeous day and it would be a shame not to enjoy it in full.

I had been to ..

Storhornet in deep snow once before, and still remembered the struggle. This time, I had a hope that the trail had been broken during the Easter holiday. From Gjuv to Alnesvatnet, the trail was just excellent, and my dog would surely be able to descend here. The route from Alnesvatnet and up to Storhornet was altogether a different matter.

Trying to learn from earlier mistakes, I ate a sandwhich and had something to drink before heading to Godøya. The deep snow on the ridge to Storhornet was a struggle this time too, and I imagined how I would have been without the food and water..

The lower part of the ridge wasn't too bad. The rest of the route, I walked/crawled with snow above my knees. And with a dog in the backpack, it was simply strenuous. Someone had skied down from Storhornet. I regretted not bringing my skis, but it never crossed my mind. Storhornet is per definition not a skiing mountain! For every step, the snow gave way. In a fusion between fatigue and agony, I screamed out my misery. Only the ravens listened, but they didn't care.

I reached the top..

after 65 minutes. The normal hiking time with the dog in the backpack is 35 minutes. Showers came and went. The scenery was just as wonderful as it is every time I visit Godøya. I felt good on top. It was exactly the sensation I hoped I would feel after all this struggle. I was only 497m above sea level, but it felt as if I had climbed a 1000m mountain.

Back down by Alnesvatnet, Troll finally got his exercise. Downhill, true, but at his age, everything counts..