| Levandehornet from
Årsetdalen (ski) Levandehornet |
| Estimated net time | 2½-3 hours | ||
| Difficulty |
No difficulties. The route through the forest runs on a forest road where you'll usually find snow scooter tracks. Note that the south-east slopes from the summit offers excellent skiing, but is a little avalanche prone. It's not recommended to go much north of the summit cairn since you might risk being on a cornice. |
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| Drinking water | No access to running water during winter. | ||
| GSM coverage | Coverage at trail head and the summit, and probably throughout the route (March 2012). | ||
| Parking | Room for a number of cars along the road around trail head. | ||
| Start height | 142 metres | ||
| Vertical metres | 775 metres for the roundtrip. | ||
| Trip distance | 10.0 km | ||
| GPS-file | X | ||
| Map |
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| Route photo |
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From Ålesund drive road E39 south towards Bergen, and get the ferry from Solevåg to Festøy. From Festøy continue on road E39 in the direction of Volda, and turn left towards "Årsetdalen" after 15.6 km. Drive this road 4.7 km, making sure you fork right after 2.2 km. You cross the river on a bridge 3.1 km from road E39. Park where the road turns a little right and a forest road continues straight ahead.
Start skiing by following the forest road, and turn right after 140 metres, signed for "Skorgedalen". Follow this forest road, which is likely to have snow scooter tracks making skiing easy, up through the forest. When the terrain levels out above the forest continue approximately 1.0 km through the valley. When you get close to the cabins at Skorgestøylen gradually turn right and gain height. You will get up to lake Heidavatnet, which you pass on the right (north) side. Ski past the lake and then gradually turn right (north), and ascent Levandehornet via its south-west slopes. This will take you up to the south ridge, which you follow north to the summit. The summit is marked by a large cairn.
Descend by reversing your ascent route.
With promising weather forecast for this Saturday I planned to ski Sunndalsnipa in Volda, but getting on the road a bit late made me change plans to something closer that I hadn't visited before; Levandehornet. At trail head, which I found after having messed around big time, I met a local who was on his way up into Skorgedalen. We skied together up the forest road and into Skorgedalen, and he gave me good advice both about this route and other fine routes in the area. At 550 metres, east of lake Heidavatnet, he left me to myself, having made sure I would find the optimal route to the summit.
When I got west of lake Heidavatnet and had the south-west slopes of Levandehornet above me I saw three other skiers ahead of me. They seemed to be struggling to get up so I decided to have a go at getting to the summit before them. But when I got up to where I had seen them struggling I pretty soon realised I would be struggling as well; it was both steep and icy. Hence I decided to take off the skis at a little above 800 metres and walk to the summit, just like the skiers ahead of me had done.
At the summit I chatted with the three ladies I had tried to overtake, as well as a couple who had been the first skiers to reach the summit that day. All five were locals and knew the mountain very well, giving me information about the various routes, the sixe of the cornice towards north, and what areas to avoid when there was avalanche danger.
I spent something like 20 minutes at the summit, taking photos, enjoying a sandwich, and admiring the views and the sun. Then a walk back down to where I left the skis before some very enjoyable skiing back down to the car. After a quick change of clothes I drove back to the ferry, which I entered as the last car before it set off.
