Skitour in Dovrefjell at Easter

[Wilfrid P]

Hallo,

Sorry for writing in English, I know very little Norwegian.

In the last years we have made two tours with backcountry skis and pulka in the Hardangervidda and in Finland,

both on "Kvisteruter" and just with map and GPS.

At Easter, we plan to make the following ski tour in the Dovrefjell:

1. day Kongsvoll-Reinheim (16km)

2. day Reinheim-Åmotdalshytta (10km)

3. day Åmotdalshytta-Loennechenbua (10km)

4. day Loennechenbua-Gammelsetra (12km)

5. day Gammelsetra-Dindalshytta (14km)

6. day Dindalshytta-Blokhus (5km)

Extra day: Reinheim-Snøhetta-Reinheim

To avoid the steep ascend from Kongsvoll, we think about starting in Grønbakken.

Is this option possible in winter?

Maybe we use our tent instead of staying at Loennechenbua.

Is it possible to continue from Loennechenbua to Gammelsetra on the summer route with the help of GPS?

The path seems to go through a steep valley, however.

If the weather is bad, would it make sense to go to Engan from Loennechenbua?

Is it easy to find access to water?

Is avalanche danger an issue in the area?

In the internet I found only two trains each day from Oppdal to Kongsvoll.

Is there the possiblity to take a bus?

I am grateful for every hint.

Kind regards, Wilfrid

[Lindap]

Hello Wilfrid,

I can't answer most of your questions, but here are some time tables of the public transport. I don't have the time to study them all i detail, but you can try to do so yourself or send a question to the buss companies.

Trains:

http://www.nsb.no/internet/diverse/rutetider/pdf/jan07/021_oslo_trondheim_dovre_07.pdf

http://www.nsb.no/internet/diverse/rutetider/pdf/jan07/022_andalsnes_dombas_07.pdf

Long distance busses:

http://www.fjord1.no/nordfjord-ottadalen/default.asp?menu=211&page=98#scroll

Local busses:

http://www.fjord1.no/nordfjord-ottadalen/default.asp?page=1194(...)

Long distance busses:

http://nor-way.no/wsp/nbe/frontend.cgi&func=publish.show&table=PUBLISH&func_id=1021(...)

You have allways access to water by melting snow. You write that you only bring a map and a GPS. I would advice you to bring a real compass without batteries as well. You should also bring a spade to dig å snowhole when necessary.

By the way, in what country do you live?

Hilsen

Linda

[Wilfrid P]

Hei Linda,

Thank you for your links to the timetables!

You write that you only bring a map and a GPS. I would advice you to bring a real compass without batteries as well. You should also bring a spade to dig å snowhole when necessary.

Yes, we will bring all these things as we did on our other tours. In fact we did use the "real" compass one time to follow a straight line. We will also take a tent and very warm sleeping bags.

We did melt snow to get water on our first tour in Hardangervidda. But it took a very long time with our Trangia stove. On our trip in Finland we could use water from streams. We would prefer to do that in the Dovrefjell as well. Are there places where the streams are open or should we be prepared to drill holes?

I live in Germany, but come from Austria.

Hilsen

Wilfrid

[thorb]

Hi

Nice part of the country. I guess you will finish all trips within a few hours. If you start out at 9-10 a.m. you can reach Åmotsdalen the first day. Also the rest of the days - distances are very modest unless you are heavily loaded.

You'll find open water at all cottages (perhaps except from Loennechenbua - ?). I'm just back from a 3 day trip in the Dovre area (east to the area you are going to). Lots of streams were open - some even at 1100-1200 m. We could also find water above the ice on several lakes - Try to dig close to the shores where snow is accumulated and is "pressing down" the ice. It seems that the winter has not been very cold - I have never (?) seen so much water as this year.

Loennechenbua to Gammelvollsætra is ok also at winter time.

Extra day: the Snøhetta option is rather boring and besides you will find a radio link station on the top - not very exciting. Also remember that the Reinheim cabin may be crowded as lots of people stay there waiting for a possibility (nice weather) to ascend the Snøhetta mountain.

Alternatives: From Åmotdalshytta to the Storskrymten - far less people - far more wilderness. From Åmotdalshytta take 6 - six km to west- south- west and then turn north-north-west -approx 4,5 km. in total 11-12 km one way. We used approx 5-6 hours (in total) on this trip - with 10-25 cm new fallen snow. Easy to find the right way and easy to go back to the Åmotdalshytta (downhill slopes). Go "light and fast" on this day trip - enjoy the sceneries which is much better than on the Snøhetta tour and use a full day if nessecary.

Another option is the Svånåtindan (just above 2000 m) south to the Åmotdalshytta. Take out south-west and then south to the Langvatnet and attack the Svånåtidan from that side. Also a nice trip.

By the way - from Langvatnet you may also ascend to the Snøhetta Vesttoppen (2253) . Then you take the path between Larstinden and Store Langvasstinden (quite narrow but ok and very nice/ impressive). Continue approx 3,5 - 4 km after this pass. Make a half circle and ascend from south -west. Although lower, I think this top is rated higher than the main top (sceneries on the way etc) . This option has a serious drawback: the trip is rather long - about 27 km - and much more demanding than the trip to Storskrymten especially the way home to the cabin.

thor B

[Wilfrid P]

Hi Thor,

Thank you for your recommendations. I think it makes sense to take the extra day from Åmotdalshytta instead of Reinheimen. We have planned our tour at a moderate pace such that we do not get in trouble. If contitions are good, we might as well do more than the planned routes.

Alternatives: From Åmotdalshytta to the Storskrymten - far less people - far more wilderness.

thor B

The last part to the summit of Storskrymten seems fairly steep to me - is that right?

Wilfrid

[thorb]

It is smooth and nice - no problem at all. The last 1000 meter you approach the top from south-south-west. (You go north-north -east).

If you approach it in a half circle from south-south-east - it may be steep and perhaps there was a snow-drift -I'm not sure. We took the easy and straight forward way up - and down- . I remember the "half circle seemed more "exiting". However, we left Åmotdalshytta in the afternoon, heading for the top, and some heavy clouds came in from the west - so we didn't investigate that option.

[thorb]

Hello Wilfred

did you start early enough to have a few nice days, or was it nasty all days. Dovre is not a nice place to be when the wind is strong!