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Stortinden (Efjorden), Norway

Stortinden (Efjorden), Norway


Postby jmarkb » Sun Oct 06, 2019 4:35 pm

Date walked: 06/10/2019

Time taken: 4

Distance: 5 km

Ascent: 600m

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For the last day of our holiday in the Narvik area, we chose the small but spectacular Stortinden (847m), one of a set of remarkable looking mountains overlooking Efjorden to the south-west of Narvik, that culminate in the extraordinary and iconic Stetinden, Norway's national mountain. Despite its name (big mountain), Stortinden is a short day out: it looks a ridiculous prospect, especially when approaching from the east along the main E6 road. However, it turns out to have a single weakness in its rocky defenses that means the climb is quite straightforward, with nothing more than a couple of very easy scrambling moves.

The way up starts from the E6 where it crosses a col between Efjorden and Tysfjorden. Tysfjorden has to be crossed by ferry: the country is almost split into two here. The head of the fjord is only about 5km from the border with Sweden, and there is no actual road linking to the south within Norway. A well marked path initially makes its way up some huge granite slabs, before bearing right to a tiny lake at about 500m. From here, the way ahead is still not obvious, but the path continues, bearing right again across increasing steep ground with blank slabs above and below. Abruptly, it meets a diagonal grassy rake, cutting back left across the face. Where this starts to level off, another rake cuts back right, with a couple of scrambly bits, to emerge on the summit ridge at a tiny cairn. The final section along the ridge is also remarkably easy and lacking in any serious exposure, following natural grooves along the crest to a platform just below the summit cairn. This is perched on a point of rock where there is room for only one person at a time.

We were blessed with the best possible weather - blue skies and clear air. The views are just stunning, with Stetinden and its neighbours to the south and the Lofoten islands out to the north-west.

On the way down, we took a detour across pathless terrain above the lake to the lower top of Kjerna. This overhangs spectacularly on the other side, but you can safely lie on a slab and put your head over the edge! From here a path leads back down to the lake, which for us was an idyllic lunch spot, before we headed back down to the car. Afterwards, we took a drive through the tunnels to the foot of Stetinden, and scoped out some of the other fantastic looking hills in this area.

Online map

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Stortinden and Breidskardtinden across Efjorden

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Huglhornet

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Kobbenestinden and Mellomtinden

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Stortinden from the start at the high point on the E6

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The initial slabs

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Huglhornet

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Stortinden from the lake: the route follows the least rocky ground rightwards to reach the rake which is just visible parallel to the skyline.

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Huglhornet

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Stetinden comes into view!

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A wider view

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Through the weakness in the crags

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On the diagonal rake

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Reaching the ridge

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Looking north

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Stetinden again

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Summit cairn

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West across the mouth of Tysfjorden

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North to Breidskardtinden, with Møysalen on Hinnøya in the distance

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East to Rånkeipen, Simlefjellet and Frostisen

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Panorama of Huglhornet and Stetinden

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Looking down on Kjerna, Lofoten in the distance

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Down to the lake and the E6

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Breidskardtinden from Kjerna

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Looking back up to the summit

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The overhangs on Kjerna

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East ridge of Huglhornet

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Stetinden

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Breidskardtinden

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A last look back at Stortinden
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jmarkb
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Re: Stortinden (Efjorden), Norway

Postby Mal Grey » Sun Oct 06, 2019 10:25 pm

What a place!

Thanks for sharing, and inspiring.
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Mal Grey
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Re: Stortinden (Efjorden), Norway

Postby dav2930 » Sun Oct 06, 2019 10:47 pm

My goodness, that is a phenomenal place! I seriously want to go there. What sort of grading does the easiest route up Stetinden get? It certainly doesn't look like there would be anything easy on it?

Cracking photos :clap:
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Re: Stortinden (Efjorden), Norway

Postby jmarkb » Mon Oct 07, 2019 8:03 am

Mal Grey wrote:Thanks for sharing, and inspiring.


You are very welcome!


dav2930 wrote:My goodness, that is a phenomenal place! I seriously want to go there. What sort of grading does the easiest route up Stetinden get? It certainly doesn't look like there would be anything easy on it?


The easiest route goes up the other side: mostly scrambling with a short pitch of about Severe. The north side (which you can see in my photos) is about E2. The east ridge of Huglehornet looks brilliant at about VS.

dav2930 wrote:Cracking photos


Thank you!
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Re: Stortinden (Efjorden), Norway

Postby Alteknacker » Mon Oct 07, 2019 4:53 pm

Mal Grey wrote:What a place!

Thanks for sharing, and inspiring.


dav2930 wrote:My goodness, that is a phenomenal place! I seriously want to go there. What sort of grading does the easiest route up Stetinden get? It certainly doesn't look like there would be anything easy on it?

Cracking photos :clap:


Don't know what I can add to those comments, except to second them. Boy does Stetinden look like it would be a brilliant scramble/climb!!!!!!

Thanks for posting.
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Re: Stortinden (Efjorden), Norway

Postby dav2930 » Mon Oct 07, 2019 6:40 pm

jmarkb wrote:The easiest route goes up the other side: mostly scrambling with a short pitch of about Severe. The north side (which you can see in my photos) is about E2. The east ridge of Huglehornet looks brilliant at about VS.

Thanks for the info, jmarkb. East ridge of Huglehornet looks and sounds an absolute must-do - wow! :D
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