Start of skiing route to Alnestinden, from Alnesreset.
Final climb to Alnestinden.
| Alnestinden from
Alnesreset (ski) Alnestinden |
| Estimated net time | 2½-3½ hours | ||
| Difficulty | No difficulties, but the 150 vertical metres below 1550 metres are a little steep. | ||
| Drinking water | No reliable access to running water during skiing season. | ||
| GSM coverage | Unknown. | ||
| Parking | Room for several cars at car park by trail head. | ||
| Start height | 822 metres. | ||
| Vertical metres | 845 metres for the roundtrip. | ||
| Trip distance | 6.0 km | ||
| GPS-file | X | ||
| Map |
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| Route photo |
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From Ålesund drive road E136 east to Sjøholt. Turn right onto road 650, signed for Geiranger, and drive 43.6 km. Turn left onto road 63 where signed for Åndalsnes, and drive 32.3 km. This is approximately 500 metres after the Rauma municipality sign. Park on the right hand side of the road.
Cross the road and ski west, finding your best route on the right (north) side of the top above you. This top is point 1610 metres, located east of Alnestinden's summit. You should follow a west/north-west direction. A little above 1300 metres you should turn a little left (south-west) and ascend the steep hill towards Alnestinden. Once above this steep hill turn right (west) and proceed to the summit plateau. There are several cairns around the summit.
Descend by reversing your ascent route.
Fantastic day, with bright sun and no wind, together with Arild, Elin, Lene and Njål. As expected the snow was quite wet and heavy from a little below the summit, but this was quite acceptable on a day like this.
Sigurd, Elisabeth and me decided to ski Alnestinden this Sunday. The weather forecast was promising, but in Brattvåg the clouds were hanging down to 250 metres. And it wasn't before we were well up into Valldalen before we got into sunshine.
When we got to Alnesreset a little after 09:30 there were already a number of skiers on their way to Alnestinden, but finding a place to park the car wasn't a problem. Skiing uphill was OK on relatively firm snow, but this is a fairly steep route so it was hard work in the steeper sections.
After a longish summit stop we started the descent, which proved to be much more enjoyable than expected, with firmer snow in the lower sections than just below the summit. The big surprise of the day was the number of other skiers ascending while we enjoyed our descent; it was definitely more than 100 other skiers on their way uphill at around mid-day. And when we got down to road 63 there were cars everywhere along the road.
Since the weather forecast for this Saturday was as good as it could possibly get, I decided to ski Finnan and Alnestinden. I left home quite early and was ready to start skiing by 08:50, on a beautiful morning.
I headed up the trade route towards Alnestinden and Finnan, and continued north-west towards Finnan at 1330 metres. As I moved away from the Alnestinden route I could see skiers heading for Finnan down below me, and I concluded that there are several routes to Finnan. But it didn't last long before I realised that I should also have been down there; the terrain I was skiing was soon getting very dubious, with large cornices up on my left and steep slopes down to the right. And skiing was very difficult because I was crossing snow consisting of large blocks of snow from recently fallen cornices. But I pushed on, assuming I would get to better terrain, and would be able to descend down into the valley below me. Unfortunately it only got steeper, and was really getting worried about the large cornices above me. At the end I decided to abandon Finnan and return towards Alnestinden, and by now I was very frightened, in particular of the danger of the cornices letting go. During my first 200 metres of the return skiing I was extremely focused, keeping a constant eye on the cornices above me, and also feeling less than comfortable about the side-steep terrain I was crossing.
Back to safe territory I felt very relieved, and I had to stop for a few minutes to re-gain composure and shake off the bad experience I had had, because of my poor navigation. I considered skiing back down to the car and just enjoy being alive, but eventually started to think more logical, and took on the ascent to Alnestinden.
I arrived Alnestinden as the first skier this morning, but was soon joined by a couple, with whom I talked quite a while. We were all amazed by the beautiful views, and the exceptionally fine morning, and for me I also had the, by now, good feeling of having got out of the troubles I was in while heading for Finnan.
After taking photos I started the descent, at the same time as the couple who had joined me at the summit. They were both better skiers than me, and were soon way below me. Because of my defensive skiing style, in slightly rotten snow, I fell at least ten times during my descent of the steepest section, and had some problems making up my mind whether I enjoyed the down hill skiing or not. But getting down to the flatter section above the road, and meeting tens of people who had just started their ascent, and having been to at least Alnestinden, I was gradually feeling better and better. And I also felt I was of some use when I stopped and chatted with one of the guys, and he told me he was on his way to Finnan; he was clearly heading for the same route as I had attempted, and I could warn him about the problems I had gotten into.
Back at the car it was the usual story; change into dry clothes and stop at the
first store and get a Coke and a chocolate. Well deserved.
Photos 05.06.2010