Our first stop was in Sogndal, the student and freeride stronghold 250 km north-east of Bergen. From there, we moved on to Stranda and the Strandafjellet ski resort. Similar to Sogndal, this area has experienced a real freeride boom in recent years and is now one of the most popular freeride resorts in Scandinavia. The surrounding area of Strandafjellet boasts a variety of worthwhile ski touring peaks - we opted for the favorite peak of the Queen of Kongeriket Norge (Kingdom of Norway).
But first we have to get there. What you don't expect as a Central European is the slow progress by land in Norway. It's fascinating how much the sea and the coastline of the many fjords and lakes define the country and the course of the road. At least this time we don't have to take a ferry to the other side to get any further. Everything is very impressive and extremely worth seeing - no question about it! But you should set off with the right attitude and enough time. The distance of just under 200 kilometers can easily turn into a seven-hour drive.
Stranda - between mountains and fjord
The small town of Stranda - home to just 2,500 inhabitants - is primarily known to tourists as a starting point or stopover on the way to the world-famous Geirangerfjord. This particularly narrow and steep fjord is the end of the Sunnlysfjord and is crossed by tourist ships almost every minute in summer. The fjords in this area were formed over two million years ago as notch valleys by rivers, which were then shaped into wide trough valleys by glaciers and finally filled with seawater after the end of the Ice Age. Due to its uniqueness, the area was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 and is considered one of the most beautiful fjord landscapes in the world. This is partly because the deep fjords (over 500 m deep) merge directly into high mountains (over 1400 m high). Of course, we are here more for the mountains.
In winter, Stranda is not (yet) so busy. Then the tourists actually all come for the Skisenter Strandafjellet, which is located just under 5 km from the beach(s). Fjellet is derived from the Norwegian word fjell - meaning mountain - which was originally the name for the mostly undulating plateaus leveled by glaciers. However, undulating does not necessarily apply to the hinterland of Stranda - at least not to the higher mountains. A number of exposed, alpine peaks can be climbed with or without the ski area's ascent aid and, to the delight of freeriders, can also be skied. But first we take advantage of the opportunities in the Strandafjellet ski area and here the peaks are rather round, but steeper descents can also be found.
Strandafjellet - one of the hottest freeride areas in Scandinavia
The Strandafjellet valley station is located in a wide valley directly on national road 60 just under 500 m above the fjord. On the northern side, the new gondola and a T-bar lift lead to just below the summit of Roaldshornet (1230 m), whereas on the southern side of the road, the Fusetheisa chairlift and the Egga Fjelltrekk T-bar lift are of particular interest. They take freeriders up to the summit of Langedalsegga (983 m). All variants back to the road are particularly popular and easy to reach. On the north side, the entire area between Roaldshornet and Kleivdalsfjellet (1154 m) can actually be reached by traversing, although some steeper streams must be taken into account on the descent. The eastern descents from Roaldshornet through Skjerdingbotnen all eventually lead down to Stranda. The catchment area of Langedalsegga is not quite as large, as the summit drops directly in all directions. If you choose the descent into Langedalen, there are two options to get back to the road. In the past, when off-piste skiers did not yet use skins and touring bindings, these were the main downhill options.
With the expansion of freeriding into ski touring options and, above all, the introduction of the ski cab from Skisenter Strandafjellet a few years ago, the downhill options have multiplied enormously. At several points around the ski area, you can call the large-capacity cab by cell phone and quickly get back to the ski area; and back to the lift to start the next round. If you then take a few shorter or longer climbs into account, the entire area, which is bordered by the national road, Lake Nysætervatnet and the fjord on the northern side, becomes accessible. The southern side of the area is then described by Branstadkollen, Dalmannshornet and the Engeset valley (see topo map sections). An area where you can easily spend a few days looking for new runs.
Slogen - one of the many alpine peaks of the Sunnmørsalpane
If you still haven't had enough, simply choose one of the many interesting ski touring peaks in the Sunnmørsalpane, which is impressively located to the west of Strandafjellet with its rugged peaks. We decide on the summit of Slogen, which can only be reached from Stranda via a long hike through the Engsetelva valley. We take the plunge anyway and, full of hope, drive onto the private road behind Engeset, which we have just paid handsomely to use. After just under a kilometer, we know why the passers-by grinned at us when we dropped the envelope with the money at the pay station! In the narrow valley, the snow has even held up to an altitude of 300 m and we have to put on our skins here. However, this also means that we have to cover almost ten kilometers at an altitude of just under 500 meters to the luxurious Patchelhytta (one of the many surprisingly well-equipped huts of the Norwegian Alpine Club). From there, it's another 750 meters in altitude and just under four kilometers to the summit of Slogen. Plenty of time to take in the surrounding mountains and imagine what else you can do here.
When Oscar Almgren, a Swedish mountain guide, told us that the summit was the Queen of Norway's favorite mountain, we briefly wondered whether this would be an interesting ski tour destination at all. However, Oscar quickly improved his opinion by adding 'in summer, of course!' and the almost vertical (over 1500 m) walls to the south and west towards Hjørundfjorden speak for themselves. No sooner said than done, and after a few hours of monotonous ski touring on flat terrain, we reach Patchelhytta in the late morning. Aware that the snow cover is not getting any more stable in the spring temperatures, and after a quick tour of the luxurious rooms of the hut (not comparable to the standard in the Alpine huts), we briefly consider whether we should just stay the night and storm the summit the next morning.
In the end, you just need to quickly fill up your energy reserves and start the sprint to the summit. The route then continues along the eastern ridge towards the summit - first on skis, then with skis on your backpack (alternatively, you can also climb up the eastern slope of the descent). You can constantly enjoy the view down to Øye at the eastern end of the Norangsfjorden (branch of the Hjørundfjorden), but the full extent of Norwegian fjord views only becomes apparent on the last few meters to the summit. Of course, there is something sublime about looking down from the summit, but the view directly onto the fjord, the sea, adds something magical to the whole experience in Norway. What will it be like when we start our ski tours from the boat!
All pictures from Strandafjellet and the Slogen in the gallery
Parts of this video show the ascent to the Slogen - and the rest gives you a taste of what you'll soon be seeing on PG.com (On the way in Hjørundfjorden and on the peaks of Sunnmørsalpane)...
Information
Ski area: Strandafjellet Skisenter
Best time of year: January to April (in April usually only open at weekends)
Accommodation: Stranda Hotel
Mountain guide: Oscar Almgren/Uteguiden
Tourism associations: Visit Norway, Fjord NorwayOnline maps of the whole of Norway: UT.no
