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I expected rain, winds and fog this Sunday, although the morning weather wasn't bad. On my hike the day before, the nasty weather came creeping around lunch-time. This wouldn't keep me in, and I decided to take a look at Purkedalsgjelet between S. Gullfjellstoppen and Kuftofjell. I drove highway 7, exited towards "Os/Rolvsvåg" and drove 4,6Km to the Brekkedalen trailhead by Samnangerfjorden. Although I had been in Brekkedalen many times, I had never hiked from this side before. I left the trailhead 12:00PM, totally unaware of that with summertime, the time was actually 13:00PM.
After a longer chat with a couple along the trail, I was on top of the valley and could take my first look towards Purkedalsgjelet. I had absolutely no clue on what kind of gorge this was, but I was on my way to find out. I stumbled on a washed-out stream, and I followed this upwards. Stepping on rock was far better than stomping in soft snow. My goal for this hike soon materialized - I would stick to the stream all the way up to the gorge.
After a while, I found water. Then I found more, and within a short period of time, I was now jumping from rock to rock in a proper stream. The water must obviously have taken a different path further down, but I failed to notice. Making progress up the stream was now pure fun. Sticking to the stream also called for some degree of scrambling. It didn't take long before I hit the first major obstacle. A big rock divided the stream above a small waterfall. The right hand side was too difficult to climb, and on the left hand side - water was pouring out. Beyond the water, it was perhaps possible to find handhold, but at the price of being soaking wet. I bypassed this obstacle by climbing up on the ridge to my left.
Once past this obstacle, I returned to the stream. By now, there was snow all around, except in the stream. 10 minutes later, I hit the second obstacle - a small waterfall that had been digging a tunnel under a big chunk of snow. Climbing through this tunnel would involve getting seriously wet in a pond below. And then there would be the matter of climbing the waterfall. I bypassed this section on the right hand side and concluded that the gorge was history. I was now in a wide valley with amazingly steep hillsides all around.
I had a distinct pass ahead of me, and figured this would be the top. My GPS was unable to give me any altitude readings with the steep mountains around. Instead of going up the pass, I started climbing the hillside up to the left. I reckoned this was a shortcut to the S. Gullfjellstoppen north ridge. On top of this hill, I found I was wrong. Another, big valley opened up before me, and the hillsides were steeper than ever. I climbed back down to the valley.
So far, the weather had been holding up, but now I felt the winds, and the light flattened. I had problems noticing small cornices and ran into the ususal "ooooooopps". Like yesterday, I guessed that it would start to snow, and the fog would close in the mountain. When I hit the beginning of the north ridge, it started snowing. But there would be no turning around now. I reached the summit 15:40PM (correct time), which meant it had taken me 2h:45m to the summit. Fortunately, the fog hadn't closed in on the mountain, and I decided to descend the south ridge. This mountain is too serious to get lost in the fog. I made it over the southern cairn and then headed downwards. I thought I knew the route, but ended up above steep cliffs above Hausdals-Gullbotn. I adjusted the course slightly southeast and found the south ridge. The fog started to close in as I descended the ridge. Good timing. The scare of the day was caused by a rough-legget, which came gliding around the ridge, just a few meters above me. I suppose the bird and I got equally scared. First I thought it was an eagle, but then I saw the familiar black spots under the wings. I hiked down to the Brekkedalen road and back up again to get back on my original trail. I was back at the car 17:10PM, approx. 4 hours after I left it.
Proper route description will appear in the new Gullfjellet pages, about to be released soon.
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