Skamtind

Page Type Page Type: Mountain/Rock
Location Lat/Lon: 69.71914°N / 18.33765°E
Activities Activities: Mountaineering, Skiing
Seasons Season: Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Additional Information Elevation: 2900 ft / 884 m
Sign the Climber's Log

Overview

 
Skamtind
 
Skamtind is a great summit. The view\effort ratio is excellent.
Skamtind L and Storstolpan C from Hollendaren
 Skamtind to the Right, Storstolpan Center

Skamtind fronts the open ocean, is the first peak guarding Ersfjord, and is the beginning of the 25+ kilometer technical Ersfjord Traverse.

It was featured in an episode of "71 Grader Nord", a Norwegian Reality series.

It is one of the more popular non-technical day climbs in the Tromsø area because of the access, long season, and wonderful views.

Skamtind
Summit Pinnacle of Skamtind

 

Summitview Skamtind
 The view to Ersfjord from the summit.


 Getting There

The drive to Skamtind in itself is a pleasure.  It is one of those "drive until the very end of the road" type of approaches.  It's a grand tour of Kvaløya starting from downtown Trosmø, past white sand beaches, fjords with glaciers spilling down, enclosed mountain cirques with lakes, tiny fishing communities, frequent slow-downs for reindeer, a little mini tour of the North Norwegian landscape.

From Tromsø it is a little over an hours drive.

Cross the bridge to Kvaløya on route 862.  Follow this road for 10 kilometers or so until reaching a junction where 862 goes right, and 858 goes left.  Stay on 862 and continue to Kaldfjord.  There should now be a fjord on your right.

Stay on 862 until it leaves the water and turns left.  DO NOT turn left, stay right, hugging the shoreline.  Continue following the shore until reaching a sign to Tromvik.  Stay on this road as it winds along the shore, over a pass and past a lake,

and down again to Grøtfjord.  Drive all the way past Grøtfjord until reaching the village of Tromsvik.  This feels like the end of the road, but its not.  The road now turns to gravel and goes up over yet another pass.  From here one

can view Skamtind, and many of the Ersfjord Traverse peaks.  Drive down to Rekvik, past all the houses until you can go no further.  There is parking for about 8-10 cars here.

Skamtind from the road to Rekvik
 Skamtind to the right as seen from the road to Rekvik
 
Rekvik from Skamtind
 Rekvik village from the hike up.
 
Rekvik from Skamtind
 

Route info

Skamtind path.
 
Summit pinnacle of Skamtind
 

Standard Route Equipment: Boots and Trekking Pole
Rating: Moderately exposed 3rd class.

There is a use trail that follows the shoreline, and the turn off to Skamtind can be missed as it gets a little overgrown. But it's very clear once the uphill section begins. There is a gradual section in the middle, but the top third is steep talus, with an intermittent use trail that is easier to see on the way down than up.

There are 3 summits to Skamtind. The highest is to the right, though it doesn't appear that way from the approach. Keep to the left of the summit pinnacle until almost reaching the mini-saddle. Then upward traverse right on ledges and large cracks. If you are doing anything harder than exciting 3rd class, you are off route.

Synne rappelling from Skamtind subsummit
 Rappelling from Skamtind's subsummit
 
Ersfjord from the summit of Skamtind
 Ersfjord and some of the Ersfjord traverse peaks.
 
View of Ersfjord Traverse from Skamtinden
 


Continuing on the Ersfjord Traverse
Equipment: Rope, light alpine rack.
Rating: 5.6
Go below the middle subsummit and head directly over to the left (southern) summit.

Carefully downclimb large cracks until reaching a rappel anchor. It's a one rope rappel straight over the wall to the base of the ridge.

From there on it's one or two days worth of exposed traversing along the ridge crest over at least 9 named summits.  

Ersfjord peaks from the beginning of the traverse.
 

Camping

There is great camping among the enormous bushy boulders along the shoreline. It takes about 15 minutes walking to start finding better sites. It's illegal to camp on cultivated land or within sight of a permanent dwelling, other than that it's basically a free for all. There is a use path that stays on bluffs above the shoreline.

External Links

Photo Series A great series of photos with Norwegian text showing the entire route, and a topo map.

Parents 

Parents

Parents refers to a larger category under which an object falls. For example, theAconcagua mountain page has the 'Aconcagua Group' and the 'Seven Summits' asparents and is a parent itself to many routes, photos, and Trip Reports.

Arctic ScandinaviaMountains & Rocks