From the western slopes of Tjornholstind
to the summits of Skarvflytindane

Sunday 24th August
This was our big summit of the trip with a 2300m top to climb. It’s one of the top 20 highest summits in Norway apparently. The day stayed nice and the overnight rain cleared just as breakfast was due. The walk up took longer than expected, the ascent was first on grass then on loose rubble and as we approached Steinfly breane, boulders the size of cars slowed things right down. I had a fear that one of these may shift as I stepped on it since this was very recent glacial moraine, luckily none did so.

We continued up a tongue of rubble that seemed to split the glacier in two. We stuck to the rocks fearing crevasses in the glacier, the going got rougher and rougher. In the end decided to cut across 30m of glacier to easier ground as the going ahead on the rock tongue required negotiating bungalow sized boulders. The ascent up the final slopes to the summit ridge were certainly easier though still rocky.

The summit ridge was reached and I sensed the sheer 300m drop on the other side through the mist. Progress was barred by greasy looking slabs set at 30 degrees just under the ridge with the ridge itself a knife edge. We went back and traversed below the ridge to attain the summit from the other side. It was misty which was a shame and most of last nights snow had gone. Beneath the mist, the good views continued.

The mountain continuing along the ridge from our final top looked very alpine in stature. 500 metre high cliffs rimmed the final top and the setting was super with the clouds slowly disappearing. The way down was largely among rough huge boulders and so progress was slow. The moraine at the bottom of another glacier also proved tough going. From now on I think I’ll try and avoid glacial moraine We found a campsite at 1600m, certainly the best campsite ever for me so far.

Nice view of Kalvahogda while camping in the Leirungsdalen

Svartdalen seen from the top of Leirungsdalen

Monday 25th August
Today was a lazy day, we had no peaks to climb and we simply moved to Svartdalen for an ascent the next day of Svartdalspiggane. The day dawned the best ever with crisp blue skies, the crash of ice was heard from one of the glaciers the other side of the valley, it sounded like thunder and was quite scary.

It was a day of walking along the DNT paths, the crash of rocks was heard at Leirungstjornene in a glacial valley the other side of the lake. The rocks our side didn’t have lichen on them:- suggests recently put there, steep slope above, Hmmm! The cliffs of Kalvahogda were nothing like those seen in Scotland, not even Ben Nevis could compete in grandness to this one and there are plenty more cliffs like that in Norway. All in all this place was magic with towering peaks on all sides and nice narrowish valleys, certainly grander than Rjukan and Gausta (These are my opinions only).

Vestre Leirungstind seen from Leirungsdalen

Knutsholstind from Svartdalspiggane

The ascents seemed slower in progress though. Grassy slopes are nice as well though and in that way Scotland’s nice like that. It was clouding over rapidly and it rained just as we finished dinner and rested our heads. The rain was both relentless and very heavy for nine hours that night and I ever wandered if it would stop. It did, 2 minutes after dad came in after going out briefly, that’s Murphy’s law for you!

Tuesday 26th August
The day rapidly improved during breakfast, the rivers all around were very swollen though this returned to normal by afternoon. We ascended the north top of Svartdalspiggane though this wasn’t in my criteria for being a Dyer. An easy scramble started the ascent to the low broad shoulder. Once this was attained, the view suddenly appeared to the west, you can probably guess what it was like.

Ascending up Svartdalspiggane, Olavsbu mountains behind

Svartdalspiggane seen from the jetty near Gjendebu

Again the going was tough though we made it to the summit in two hours which was just over Naismiths rule. Langedalen was our valley to the west and I thought of a few names for some of the visible features:- Harrison & Pike o’ Stickle, Pavey Ark and I’m sure I saw Jacks Rakes on the 300m high cliff the other side! Once back to our camp site we repacked and hurried down to Gjendebu. Dad was hoping a ferry would leave tonight and he didn’t want to miss it. The wasn’t any, next one 2pm next day we were told.

Wednesday 27th August
We learned that a charter boat was picking up a school group at 9.30am. It was 9.10am and breakfast needed to be washed up and everything packed away. It was done miraculously in 15mins, a brand new record for packing up! We hitched a lift with the boat and got back to Gjendeheim ready for the long drive back to Denmark.

Sjugurdtind seen as the boat leaves Memurubu

The weather was nice and the thought occurred to me that it would be quite nice to move over to Norway! The weather in Denmark was still hot so we luckily avoided the worst of the heat. Good trip all in all and a good effort for doing three big trips in one summer. Next trip November 1997, man that’s a long time to wait!