Approximate route to Store Soleibotntind from Tverrelvi.| Store Soleibotntind
from Tverrelvi Store Soleibotntind |
| Estimated net time | 4-5 hours |
| Difficulty | No difficulties. The boulder along the long hill to the summit is in general stable and makes for easy hiking. Note that it is likely to be snow well into the summer. If there is snow at the summit be careful with the cornices towards north. |
| Drinking water | No reliable access to drinking water except from the river at trail head. |
| GSM coverage | Coverage around the summit, else none (June 2009). |
| Parking | Room for 5-6 cars at the small car park at trail head. |
| Start height | 1220 metres |
| Vertical metres | 865 metres for the roundtrip |
| Trip distance | 8.0 km |
| GPS-file | X |
| Map |
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| Route photo |
Approximate route to Store Soleibotntind from Tverrelvi. |
From the intersection of roads 5 and 55 a few hundred metres east of Sogndal follow road 55 for 84.0 km towards Lom. Turn right where signed for "Årdal" and drive 8.0 km until you get to a small car park on your left hand side, just before a small bridge is crossing the river Tverrelvi. Park here.
Start your hike by crossing the bridge and then walk uphill in a south-eastern direction, aiming for the west slopes of Store Soleibotntind. There is a semi-vague path that can be followed, but if you don't find it there is no need for worries. When you get a little further up there are small cairn guiding the way. From the distance you will see something that looks like a good path up the slopes, but this is not the best route to follow since this "path" consists of a lot of loose and small stones. But to get the general direction it is wise to keep close to this "path". Also, in some sections the surface is more firm gravel, which makes for an acceptable surface. When you have completed the steep section towards the end of the long hill you only have a short distance across to the summit. There are a number of cairns around the summit.
The descent is best done by reversing the ascent route.
After having spent seven hours coaching the Brattvåg boys-13 football team during their matches at Kaupanger I headed for my "home" for the night at a camp site above Skjolden, at the north end of Lustrafjorden. Here I checked in to my cabin for the night, before heading up to Turtagrø on Sognefjellet. The plan was to hike Store Soleibotntind, after having been advised that the snow conditions for this mountain would be better than for Fannaråken.
I left trail head a few minutes after 5pm, in gorgeous weather, and a temperature close to 20°C, even above 1200 metres. I wasn't very well planned for this hike, except for the fact that I knew where my trail head would be, and I hiked a fair distance before I realised I as on my way to the wrong mountain (I was actually heading for the ridge north of Store Soleibotntind). But the de-tour didn't make too much damage to my hike, and I was able to get myself back on track without wasting too much time. From then on it was easy hiking all the way to the last couple of hundred metres to the summit. Here it was plenty of snow, and I kept falling through to my waist, making the final ascent a little more strenuous than anticipated.
At the summit I had a fantastic view of some of the most spectacular mountains in Norway, including Skagastølstindane and Austanbotntindane. The compulsory photos where taken, before heading back down to the car, where I arrive well before 8pm.