Middagshaugen & Stokkåsen trail head at Bjerkesetsetra.
Route up to Stokkåsen from the forest road.
| Middagshaugen &
Stokkåsen from Bjerkesetsetra Middagshaugen Stokkåsen |
| Estimated net time | 2-3 hours | ||
| Difficulty | No difficulties, but slightly cumbersome terrain in a few places because of bush. | ||
| Drinking water | Several sources of running water along the forest road. | ||
| GSM coverage | Coverage throughout the route (June 2014). | ||
| Parking | Room for several cars at trail head car park. | ||
| Start height | 237 metres | ||
| Vertical metres | 475 metres for the roundtrip. | ||
| Trip distance | 6.7 km | ||
| GPS-file | X | ||
| Map |
|
||
| Route photo |
| ||
Start measuring from the round about east of Molde centre where roads E39 and 662 intersect (this is approximately 0.8 km along E39 from the ferry port). Drive E39 east in the direction of Trondheim:
- At 18.5 km turn left in order to continue on E39.
- At 27.9 km you pass the Åndalen exit towards left (this is the southern Åndalen exit).
- At 31.1 km turn right onto a gravel road.
- At 33.1 km park at the end of the road, by some old wooden buildings.
Start your hike by following the forest road that runs a little left (east) from the direction you arrive the car park. Follow this forest road 1.5 km, which is to the highest point of the road, and turn left onto a vague path. This path vanishes immediately but you should continue north-east up to above the forest. Except a short section of fairly open bush the terrain is a little cumbersome but reasonable OK. When you get up to the large summit plateau turn a little left and head north to the highest point, marked by a cairn. This is 80 metres east of the higher of the two trigonometric points.
Descend back down to the forest road by reversing your ascent route to Middagshaugen. Walk 130 metres along the forest road, in the direction of your car (i.e. turn right when you get down to the forest road), and then walk down to and across the stream. Head uphill by staying left (south) of the forest, and then turn right at 420m to reach Stokkåsen's unmarked summit.
Return to the forest road by reversing your ascent route, and then turn left when you hit the forest road and follow it back to the car park.
I had stayed the night with my friend Amund in Molde, and while he and his son went to Angvika to play a beach volleyball tournament, I went summit bagging in Gjemnes. First on the agenda was Middagshaugen and Stokkåsen, and I didn't have much expectations; it was raining, and I knew I would have to fight some bush and boggy terrain. But the rain was only light, despite partly heavy rain during my drive from Molde, and the bog and bush was not at all as bad as I had prepared myself for. So all in all an OK hike.