Vasstinden trail head below Klovsetsætra.
Start of path towards Vasstinden.
Start of off-path route towards Vasstinden.
Overview of off-path route to Vasstinden.
| Vasstinden from
Klovsetsætra Vasstinden |
| Estimated net time | 3-4 hours | ||
| Difficulty | No difficulties. | ||
| Drinking water | Several sources of running water in the lower part of the route. | ||
| GSM coverage | Coverage throughout the route (July 2014). | ||
| Parking | Room for several cars around trail head. | ||
| Start height | 510 metres | ||
| Vertical metres | 1030 metres for the roundtrip. | ||
| Trip distance | 8.6 km | ||
| GPS-file | X | ||
| Map |
|
||
| Route photo |
| ||
From the E39/650 junction east of Sjøholt centre, approximately 40 km east of Ålesund centre, drive south on road 650, in the direction of Stordal.
- At 17.8 km continue on road 650 through Stordal centre.
- At 43.1 km turn left where signed for "Lingås", a little before you get to Valldal centre.
- At 43.7 km turn left, and follow the long zigzags uphill.
- At 46.2 km pay toll just after you've passed a farm (NOK 50 per 2014), and continue on a smaller gravel road.
- At 48.8 km park at the car park at the top of the road.
Start your hike by following the rough forest road up from the car park, and turn left onto the better forest road after 40 metres. Follow this road 80 metres and turn right onto a path signed for "Vardefjellet". Stay on this path 550 metres, ignoring any smaller paths going left or right, up to 675m. Turn right (straight ahead) in the path junction, following signs for "Hogsetdalen". Continue straight ahead in the path junction after another 170 metres, and make sure you turn left and stay on the path marked with red paint after another 500 metres. The path continues to climb to 900m before it runs down to 810m a little vest of lake Vassdalsvatnet. Cross the stream on a nice slate bridge, leave the path and head up to a distinct cairn a little above the path.
From the cairn skirt around the hill above you, on its left hand side, and continue north towards the valley below Vasstinden. Cross the stream at around 950m and find your best route up a little left (west) of the steep slopes south of Vasstinden. Find your best route through the boulder and up to the west-east summit ridge. Turn right (east) and walk the last few metres across to the small summit cairn. Note that there's a larger cairn at the west end of the ridge, but according to the maps this is not the summit.
Descend by reversing your ascent route.
I had aborted my attempt at Vasstinden eight days earlier, when lightning was added to the rain and hail, so was very determined to get to the summit this Saturday.
The path up to Hogsetdalen is exceptionally nice and easy to walk, and from where I left the path west of lake Vassdalsvatnet it was fairly easy going all the way to the summit. I had assumed for several years that getting to the summit of Vasstinden would be a rough hike, but this is actually a very pleasant walk, and the summit offers excellent views.