Middagshornet trail head by Barstadsætra.
| Middagshornet from
Barstadsætra Middagshornet |
| Estimated net time | 3½-4 hours | ||
| Difficulty | The whole route up to 4-5 metres below the summit runs on a more or less well defined path. The last few metres requires the use of hands in order to gain the summit, but cannot be considered difficult. This hike is done by many families every year, but there is no room for children to "run around" at the tiny summit. | ||
| Drinking water | Many sources of running water along and across the path, up to the small lakes at 600 metres. | ||
| GSM coverage | Coverage throughout the route (July 2011). | ||
| Parking | Room for many cars by trail head. | ||
| Start height | 205 metres | ||
| Vertical metres | 890 metres for the roundtrip. | ||
| Trip distance | 7.1 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 3.8 km in the direction of Ørsta. Turn left where signed "Hyttegrend", directly opposite a small shop. This is 400 metres after the signed exit to "Erdal". Drive this road 4.3 km to the end of the road, paying toll (NOK 10 per 2011) after 3.4 km, and through a gate after 3.8 km. When parking make sure you allow cars enough room to turn around if parking on any of the two car parks on the left hand side of the road or at the very end of the road.
From the car park follow the gravel road down the small hill to the end of the road and turn right across the wooden bridge. After the bridge turn a little right and cross the second bridge, and then follow the path up amongst the cabins. Follow this path on the left hand side of the river, in total 1.5 km from the trail head. Fork left at the path fork, following the leg that leaves the river just before the first gully coming down from the north slopes of Middagshornet. This path takes you up to a number of small lakes, and crosses the stream draining from the left most of the three larger (but still small) lakes. Continue up to the flat section at the foot of the slopes coming down from your right, making sure you stay left of the smallest of the small lakes. Gradually turn right and head up the slopes towards the north-west end of Middagshornet's north-west ridge. This point is marked by two cairns.
From the cairns the rest of the route runs along the ridge, and the path is in general located a couple of metres to the right of the ridge. When ever the path forks you should keep left in order to stay close to the ridge, but the paths re-join after a short distance. A few metres below the summit the path runs around the ridge on the right hand side, and you can see the final steep climb to the summit. After you have crossed the col you will need to use your hands in a couple of places in order to make it to the summit. But this climb is not difficult and the exposure is minimal.
Descend by reversing your ascent route.
The weather forecast for this Wednesday was acceptable, and I therefore decided to go to work dead early and leave a bit early, in order to hike Middagshornet. I had been wanting to hike this mountain ever since I visited Trongegga exactly one year ago, and today seemed like an excellent opportunity.
When I crossed the fjord on the ferry I could see to my great pleasure that the weather was much better than what the forecasts had predicted only 4-6 hours before, and the temperature at trail head was a very acceptable 23°. And the fine conditions had brought out a number of hikers, and the "normal" car park along the right hand side of the road was already full when I arrived a few minutes before 16:00. But I was able to find a free space at the small car park further along on the left hand side of the road, amongst the vast amount of sheep and cow droppings.
I had done the first part of this hike one year earlier, when I visited Trongegga, so finding my way up to the path fork at 500 metres was straight forward. From here I assumed the route would be obvious, but I didn't know if there might be some surprises. It wasn't. At least not before the final few metres, where a steep scramble caught me a little by surprise, but a positive surprise. And I was surprised to find the summit to be such a small place, but still without any real exposure. And the views were fantastic, with Molladalen, Molladalstindane, Kolåstinden and other "beauties" so close, on such a fantastic evening. I just couldn't help stretching my hands into the air, like a celebration. Not that climbing this mountain was much of an achievement, but the reward was simply ace.
During my descent I called Elisabeth and asked her to check ferry times, and I figured that if I descended a few minutes quicker than my ascent I would have just the right margin to catch a specific ferry, including changing clothes by the car and a quick stop at the shop in Barstadvika for a Coke and a chocolate. So happy, and even more so when enjoying the fine views from the ferry across to Solevåg.