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 Links
Ari - Mar 7, 2005 4:16 am - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentStore Skagalstølstind (often called simply Storen, 2405m) is the most sought after climbing peak in Jotunheimen and a superb mountain, perhaps the finest in Norway. Storen is third highest mountain of Scandinavia and unlike the two highest mountains, Storen has no easy route to the summit. Storen is located in Skagastølsmassivet, close to the junction of three major ridges: Styggedalsryggen (Gjertvasstind - Styggedalstind - Centraltind - Vesle Skagastølstinden), Skagastølsryggen (Store Skagalstølstinden - Vesle Skagalstølstinden - Nordre Skagastølstinden - Skagastølsnebbet) and Maradalsryggen. Styggedalsryggen joins Skagastølsryggen at Mohns Skar and Maradalsryggen joins Styggedalsryggen at Centraltind. Rock is mainly excellent gabbro.
The climbs are mostly long and start from the alpine grade AD-. Most popular route during the summer is Heftyes renne (NOR 4-, ~AD+), during the winter Andrews Renne may be a better alternative (NOR 3/3+, ~AD- during the summer). While the most popular routes are rock routes, some other routes (such as Nordvestveien, NOR 3/3+ or Slingsby Route, NOR 2) have significant sections on ice/snow). Ascent of Storen can easily be included in a traverse of either
Skagastølsryggen (NOR 4-, one day) or Styggedalsryggen (two days, NOR 3 to Mohns skar), both considered classics. It is also quite possible to combine both traverses into one very long outing.
Knut - Dec 6, 2005 8:15 am - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentTo escape the crowded area around the Corner (Hjornet) and have a nice climb (3, 4 & 5-): try the (top of the) West-ridge. Make a traverse to the left approximately 15 meter from the real base of the Andrews Chimney. Instead of climbing up and into the (Andrews) gully from the first belay, travers to the left until the wall above you seems inviting. A short, steep, ropelength straight up brings you to the ridge that takes you to the bottom of a beautiful slab (5-) leading leading directly to the summit.
PeterCorneliusSpaeth - Aug 13, 2007 6:19 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Untitled CommentStuck behind a party at the belay below the Andres Renne, we had enough time to study the wall to the left. If I had cams I might indeed have started to traverse there. Funny to read that this is a good alternative.
Knut - Dec 6, 2005 8:27 am - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentTo reach the Corner /Hjornet from the Skagastols-hut /Bandet is a steep walk. Go stright up and keep rather to the left until you are able to look directly into the Westwall. Some inviting terraces in the lower part might bring you to far to the right/east. Quite a few have ruined their day by not going stright up. Keep to the left rather than right at least in the beginning of the approach from Bandet.
The Jambo - Dec 9, 2007 8:31 am - Hasn't voted
GuidebookJames Baxter has now published his English language guidebook to the "Hurrungane", (ISBN 978-0955049705).