Norwegian Mountains - Route Descriptions

Norwegian Mountains, Møre og Romsdal

Svartløkfjellet from Liasætra, Sep 30 2006

For Information, maps, trailhead and route descriptions, click HERE.

Trip report, Sep 30 2006

This Saturday, time only allowed for a short hike, close to home. I had "saved" Svartløkfjellet for such an occasion, and conveniently, while the Ålesund region was cloudy, there was sunshine on Ørskogfjellet. I decided to try my luck at Liasætra. I talked to a couple of people on my way to Liasætra, and they all mentioned a ridge path. How to get on that path was a tougher question, and I knew I would have some off-trail walking ahead of me.

I parked at Liasætra and was on my way 11:00AM, sharp. My little hiking buddy "Troll" was installed in the backpack, and it was a beautiful day. I followed the dirt road in the direction of Mevatnet, and just as the road turned northeast, I entered the forest. According to the map, there wasn't a road, but one was certainly under construction, and I guessed it now would be possible to walk on road all the way to Svarteløken.

I didn't enter easiest section of the forest, and my other faithful hiking pal - my axe - came to good use. But once on the ridge, things got easier, and finally I found the ridge path. On the ridge, Troll began walking, and we had a nice stroll up the long ridge towards Svartløkfjellet.

We reached the top 12:25PM. The views were better than I had anticipated, and the Trolltinden massif was just beautiful, dressed up in the finest autumn colors. I was very keen on continuing across Svartløkfjellet, and descend via Svarteløken, but time didn't allow for this. We descended our ascent route, and I was able to follow the path (more or less) all the way back to the Liasætra parking (13:35PM).

The ridge path was clearly not frequently traveled, and resembled more an animal track. It was amusing to observe Troll handle the various obstacles along the way (roots, humps, high grass, rocks, etc.) Being a fairly adult dog (turning 13 yrs soon), he seemed just as swift as ever. Mountains trails must be the best training a dog can get. I wonder how long he can keep this up...