| Skaugumsåsen from Sem Skaugumsåsen |
| Estimated net time | 1-1½ hours | ||
| Difficulty | Skaugumsåsen's south slopes are very steep and you're very likely to use your hands. Care should definitely be shown if the boulders are icy. | ||
| Drinking water | Unknown. | ||
| GSM coverage | Coverage throughout the route (February 2014). | ||
| Parking | Room for many cars at car park by trail head. | ||
| Start height | 162 metres | ||
| Vertical metres | 240 metres for the roundtrip. | ||
| Trip distance | 2.8 km | ||
| GPS-file | X | ||
| Map |
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| Route photo |
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NOTE: this route description is based on a winter hike with a lot of snow covering possible paths. The route to and up the steep sections is definitely a valid summer route, but the route onwards to the summit is probably not the normal summer route.
From Sandvika, south-west of Oslo, drive road E18 approximately 4.5 km south, in the direction of Drammen. Leave E18 where signed for road 165 ("Slemmestad"), and then turn right towards "Hvalstad" almost immediately after having left E18. Drive 2.4 km and turn right onto Semsveien, and then drive another 900 metres and turn right where signed for parking ("Utfartsparkering"). Park at the upper car park, or any other if needed.
Start your walk by following the path from where you entered the upper car park. Turn right onto a path marked with red paint after 200 metres, and follow this path through the forest and across a field, in total 250 metres north-east. Turn left when you meet a road and walk less than 100 metres along this road. Locate the path in the forest, turn a little right, and then turn left and uphill when the path forks. Follow this path up the very steep south slopes of Skaugumsåsen, past a small communication installation (a mirror), and continue up towards the view point above Skaugumsåsen's south-east slopes. From here continue north and north-west to the unmarked summit.
Descend by reversing your ascent route.
We had driven from Brattvåg to Kolsås the night before, in order to attend Terjes 50th this Saturday. I took the opportunity for a morning hike to Skaugumsåsen, despite the grey and windy conditions. This turned out to be a fairly tough morning hike; the terrain up Skaugumsåsen's south slopes is very steep and was covered with lots of wet snow. The snow made upwards movement at best cumbersome and it reminded me of the old "two up and one back down". When I got above the steep section I was very glad I had snow shoes since it was close to one metre of heavy snow across to the summit.
At the summit, when I finally found it based on a way-point I had loaded to my GPS, I took one photo before heading back down. And back at the car I had to clear the car of approximately 10 cm of wet snow that had fallen during my less than 1½ hours hike.