Start of skiing route to Gjugra from Hornindal ski-centre.
| Gjugra clock-wise from
Grendadalen (ski) Gjugra |
| Estimated net time | 4-5 hours. | ||
| Difficulty | No difficulties, but there are avalanche dangers in Guridalen (descent route). | ||
| Drinking water | No access to running water during winter. | ||
| GSM coverage | Coverage in the lower part of the ascent, else at best patchy (March 2013). | ||
| Parking | Room for many cars at ski-centre car park (NOK 40 per 2013). | ||
| Start height | 375 metres | ||
| Vertical metres | 1020 metres for the roundtrip. | ||
| Trip distance | 13.3 km | ||
| GPS-file | X | ||
| Map |
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| Route photo |
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From Ålesund drive road E39 south towards Bergen, and then exit onto road 60 just south of Ålesund. This road is signed for Stranda. Follow road 60 to the Magerholm ferry port and get the ferry across to Aursneset. From Aursneset ferry port follow road 60 for approximately 35 km, across Strandafjellet, to where you get to a T-junction. There is an Esso petrol station on the right hand side of the road (per 2013). Turn right here and continue approximately 51 km along road 60 in the direction of Stryn. This is 2.4 km after the exit to Engebø. Turn right where signed for "Ytrehorn" and then immediately turn right where signed for "Skisenter". Drive 3.1 km uphill, making sure you fork right after 450 metres, and drive straight on after 1.0 km. Park at the large car park by the ski-centre (expect to pay fee NOK 40, per 2013).
Start skiing uphill on the right hand side of the ski-lift, and aim for the top of the ski-lift. Continue north-west up to the highest top, Høgenibba. You are likely to find machine made tracks up to 1100 metres. From Høgenibba, which has a large cairn, continue north-west and then north to Gjugra, which has a summit marked by a small cairn.
From Gjugra's summit descend back down to approximately 1170 metres and then turn left down into Guridalen valley. When you get out into the flat part of the valley start turning right and ski south, most likely on cross country ski tracks, and back to the car park.
Sigurd and me had driven to our cabin at Fjellsetra on Friday night, and I was picked up by Kjetil this Saturday morning. We drove to Hornindal ski-centre, and were keen to get our skiing started on this sunny day.
Skiing up to approximately 100 vertical metres below Høgenibba is quite easy thanks to machine made tracks, and there were quite a few other skiers along the route. But it seems almost all skiers stop at this top, and don't continue to Gjugra. The last section to Høgenibba is a little steeper, and today the snow was very wind packed and partly hard. But a bigger problem was the strong and cold wind up here, and this made our Høgenibba stop very short, before taking on the 2.5 km across to Gjugra.