Parking and trail head for Kringstadnakken, from road 662.
| Kringstadnakken from
Kringstad Kringstadnakken |
| Estimated net time | 1½ hours | ||
| Difficulty | No difficulties. | ||
| Drinking water | Unknown, but probably no access to proper drinking water. | ||
| GSM coverage | Coverage throughout the route (December 2009). | ||
| Parking | Room for many cars at trail head. | ||
| Start height | 52 metres | ||
| Vertical metres | 310 metres for the roundtrip. | ||
| Trip distance | 4.7 km | ||
| GPS-file | X | ||
| Map |
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| Route photo |
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Assuming you arrive Molde from south, on the Vestnes-Molde ferry. From the ferry port area drive right, following signs for "Trondheim". After 500 metres turn left in the round-about, following signs for "Aukra" on road 662. Follow road 662 for 6.4 km (1.3 km after the exit to "Kvam"). You will now see a gravel road that goes off to the right, running almost parallel with road 662. Between the gravel road and road 662 there is an old wooden building. Turn left here, cross the cycle path, and park on the car park next to the cycle road.
Start walking by crossing road 662 and follow the gravel road for approximately 700 metres, and then turn right onto a forest road going north-east. Follow the forest road for close to 1 km, up to approximately 200 metres, and then head north-east on one of the paths running around the south-west ridge of Kringstadnakken. Any of these paths will take you to the summit.
The descent is best done by reversing the ascent route.
After having completed the morning hike to Julaksla in less time than planned I decided to add Kringstadnakken before heading off for the family brunch in Molde. I had this bonus-hike on my mind when I planned today's hiking, so I had dry clothes in the car, and changing into warm and dry clothes gave me just the extra comfort I needed before taking on Kringstadnakken.
When I did my planning I had planned to attack Kringstadnakken from east, above Kvam, but a helpful lady I met at trail head suggested I drove further west and started my hike there. When I arrived at this trail head I got new advice again, this time to drive past Kringstad and find trail head; the couple who gave this advice guaranteed me that there would be other hikers who had broken trail in the snow if I went there. As it turned out this was a first class advice, and I had an easy hike all the way to the summit.
At the summit I was surprised to find a OK view, given that this was indeed a forest mountain, and I was pleased that the fog had lifted a little, enabling me to get a view of Julaksla, the target of the morning's hike. The thing that did not please me was that from Kringstadnakken I concluded that I hadn't been to the actual summit of Julaksla, and I was a bit disappointed as I ran all the way back to the car. (To my great relief I found out, after having got home at night, and having uploaded my GPS-tracks to my PC, that I had actually made the Julaksla summit).
After Kringstadnakken I drove to Anne and Trygve's place, had a quick shower, and helped myself to the delicious Christmas brunch.