Overview
Eggjenibba, an easy scramble but...Eggjenibba is a fascinating peak situated nearby Byrkjelo, a small town along E39 Highway in Sogn og Fjordane county; its Normal Route is nothing more than a very pleasant scrambling Class 2, or Class 3 (without using fixed ropes), even if it really seems much more difficult to climb than it is, when you’re looking at its North side from Byrkjelo. The only short sections needing an easy climbing are equipped with chains. Notwithstanding the low difficulty, the mountain’s crossing from North-West ridge to South side – a very popular route amongst Norwegians’ hikers – gives a very satisfactory experience and a gratifying sensation of seclusion in spite of its quite closeness to the town; a very pleasant introduction to Norwegians great mountains’ ineffable wilderness!
Eggjenibba seen from Byrkjelo
Getting There
The picturesque village of Eggjestoylen
The clever sheep
Shortest approach is from Byrkjelo, following the highway E39 towards Skei along the Vatedalen and reaching the little village of Egge. Here you must leave the main road and follow on the left-hand side a not very obvious unsurfaced toll road going inside Ovredalen Valley for about 3,5 km. Parking just near the T-Trail starting to Eggjenibba.
Red Tape
No particulary restrictions in climbing and hiking.Camping
In Byrkjelo there is a very good camping having also some available “hytta” (cabins).Eggjenibba NNW Ridge - South Side Crossing
The huge summit cairn
The starting rocks
EGGJENIBBA
Summit Altitude: mt. 1338
Difficulty: Class II, Class III without using chains
Vertical gain: about 790 mt.
Exposure: NW and S Sides
This route is an interesting scramble on the NNW ridge of Eggjenibba - not the Normal one to the summit - the easiest route to climb Eggenjbba being the easy slopes along South Side from Trollebottsegane Pass. The combination of these two routes is quite satisfactory.
From the parking at about 3,5 km. from the road’s beginning (altitude about mt. 550) don’t follow directly the gravel road’s carrying on, but follow on the right-hand side the T-Trail – marked with some red T (the marks of Den Norske Turistforening, in practice the Norwegian Alpine Club) reaching immediately a little wood bridge and then rising steeply across the wood towards NW Ridge. Start climbing NNW ridge; soon there’s a steep rocky section equipped with some chains and fixed ropes. After the ridge becomes less steep: a scramble along easy rocks, a steep snow slope, a panoramic ridge and the last rocky pyramid lead to the huge summit cairn (about 2 hours from the starting point). Summit book. From the top heads to the opposite side, walking down along easy rocks and wide snow fields and reaching at first the magnificent lake named Trollebottsvatnet and then the Trollebottsegganepass, between Eggjenibba and Trollebottseggane (mt. 1419), some meters higher than Eggjenibba. From the col a steep snow slopes leads to Ovredalen Valley near some little cabins. Here the river must be crossed via a little treestle-bridge to put in place. We found the trestle – bridge on the opposite side of the river, so we forded one hundred meters lower, where the river was more quiet. Finally you follow the trail to another nice lake, named Ovredalsvatnet, and to the little picturesque village of Eggjestoylen, reaching quickly the starting point.
When to climb
The South side
Best months are June, July, August and September
