Overview
Store Skagastolstind is the third highest mountain in Norway and Scandinavia, but it is the very highest and most famous among the alpin peaks for climbing.
The mountain is also called "Storen" and is situated in the most interested mountain-area in Scandinavia called Jotunheimen.
The hardest part might be the long walk from the nearest hotel in Turtagro, 900 m. 14 hours up and down is normal. It´s easy walk on a path from the hotel, up the valley, cross a glacier with some crevasses on the top to "Bandet" 1700 m - a kind of primitive cottage. From here it's like FD/PD (1-2) to "The Corner" (Hjornet) on 2300 m with some easy snowfield to pass. The real climbing starts here and go up to the summit 2403 m - normally on pure rock in the summerseason. The easist route is "Andrews Renne" AD - (3). Few meters to the right you find Heftyes Renne AD+ (4-) whith one hard two-meters-passage in the middle.
Between 5 and 30 climbers will take a shot on a nice day in the high season.
FEW ROUTES:
Slingsby's rute - mixed climb with steep glacier, 2 (NOR) on rock.
Andrew's Renne - mainly rock climb with 3/3+ (NOR), AD-(?)
Heftye's Renne - mainly rock climb with 4- (NOR, one passage), AD+(?)
Nordvestveien - (northwest-road) mixed climb with glacier approach, steep snow field and 3/3+ (NOR) on rock
Skagastølstraverse from North to South - ridge climb with 4- (NOR) on Rock (at Halls Hammer).
FIRST ASCENT
Englishman William Cecil Slingsby and Norwegian Emanuel Mohn started their attemp to climb Store Skagastolstinden 21.7.1876 in rather bad weather, because their guide Knut Lykken from Valdres didn't have much time. Their route involved a glacier, that is nowadays known as Slingsbybreen, and ascended along it to col between Store Skagastolstind and Vesle Skagastolstind. Mohn and Lykken had no "crampons". They left at the col (nowadays knows as mohs skar) as Slingsby continued alone along the rocky ridge to the summit.
Here is more very useful information from Ari:
Author: Ari
Date: May 05, 2004 3:33 PM
Heftyes Renne, mainly rock with three distinct variations NOR 4-/VDiff (one passage) (AD+?), 650m from Bandet, 2,5-3,5h
Andrews Renne, mainly rock, NOR 3/3+/VDiff (AD-?), 650m from Bandet, 2,5-3,5h
Slingsby's rute, mixed with crevassed glacier, NOR 2, 650m from Bandet, 3-5h
Sydveggen fra Slingsbybreen, rock, NOR 5-, 350m/17 pitches, 650m from Bandet, 4,5-6,5h
"God tid", rock, NOR 6+/5.10d, 160m/5 pitches, 650m from Bandet
"Solskinnsdiederet", rock, NOR 5-/5.9, 4 pitches, 650m from Bandet
Sydvestveien, rock, NOR 4-/4+ 100m/3 pitches, 2-3h, 650m from Bandet
Sørveggen "Ny Tid", rock, NOR 7, 250m/8 pitches, 6-8h
Nordvestveien, mixed (500m snow/ice, 200m rock), NOR 3/3+,700m from Skagastølsbreen, 5-7h
Nordvestveggen fra Skagastølsbreen, rock, NOR 6-, 900m, 10,m5h from Skagastølsbreen
Nordryggen fra Skagastølsbreen, NOR 4, 5-7h from Turtagrø
Nordvesteggen via Knatten, mixed (500m snow/ice, 200m rock), NOR 5, 700m. Rock part 4 pitches, 2-4h
fra Skagastølsbreen via Mohns Skar, NOR 3, 6-7h from Turtagrø<
Vestveggen NOR 7-, 250m/10 pitches, 8-12h
Vestveggen "Luft, vind, ingenting" NOR 7+ (A0), 250m/10 pitches
Vestveggen "Skagastølsrisset, NOR 5, 250m/9 pitches
Vesteggen, NOR 5-, 250m/7 pitches, 650m from Bandet
Skagastøryggen from North to South, ridge traverse with NOR 4- (at Halls Hammer)
Getting There
The trailhead - Turtagro hotel - is situated 12 km east of the northeast-end of the longest fjord in Norway - Sognefjorden.
The nearest airport is Sogndal - 70 km west of Turtagro. Or you can drive or take bus from the capital Oslo approximate 400 km away.
Red Tape
No red tape.
When To Climb
July, August and the beginning of September. In the rest of the year the hard part of the climb is cowered by snow and ice.
Camping
The only hotel - Turtagro hotel - burned down in January 2001. But was rebuild May 2002!
You can tent almoust everywere.
Mountain Conditions
Go to Jotunheimen on this Weather-report and more.
More information for the area - Jotunheimen here.
The Clima
2403 meters sounds like a altitude for a trainstation in Switzerland, but here the highest tree stop on 800-900 meters and the glaciers cower most of the land above 1500 m in the summer.
Maps and contacts
The map for this area is "Jotunheimen Vest". It could be ordered here (far down at the list).
And here is Climbing Guide for the area - Jotunheimen. Written in Norwegian, I`m afraid.
And we have the Norwegian Alpine Club - (Norsk Tindeklub) where some parts of the text are written in English.
External LinksImages
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The Scandes
