Marking Slingsby’s ascent of Storen – Norway in 2026

Norway July/August 2026 150 years after Slingsby’s seminal ascent of Store Skagastølstind

This advance notification of the ‘meet’ allows members to plan and liaise with others as it is likely that there will be higher than usual demands made of the limited local resources.  When and where to go can be very flexible.

Wm Cecil Slingsby made the first ascent of Store Skagastølstind, solo, on July 21st, 1876, defying popular belief that it was unclimbable.  His ascent is a significant event in the history of Norwegian mountaineering and in Cecil’s mountaineering record.

To mark its 150th anniversary, Norwegians are planning local and national events.  We could be there too. However, the accommodation, access and the peak can’t support massed ascents.  So, visits to the area for climbing, mountaineering, hut tours, etc. will be spread out over the summer season.  Rather than all gathering in one location on a particular day or week, smaller groups could follow their own preferred routes but benefitting from shared information and with local support.  Social media will be arranged so that you can find out what other members are planning then meeting up or avoiding them as appropriate.

Store Skagastølstind, aka Storen, is in the Hurrungane, the western part of the Jotunheim.
These videos  the area: Jotunheim  DNT  Huts  Årdal  Årdalstangen  Fondsbu  Beitostolen.

Getting to Norway:  Flying to Oslo or Bergen then using the reliable public transport or hiring a car is straightforward.  Ferry then driving via Denmark and Sweden is long but doable – note there are no direct ferry services to Norway. 

Where is the Jotunheim: This area of interest is north of Oslo, northeast of Bergen.  Access to the mountains can be from the east via Beitostolen (where a little further north two long lakes have ferry services if you wish to get straight to the mountains) or the west near Årdal.

Getting to the area: by car Oslo-Beitostolen 3hr,  Oslo-Årdal 6hr, Bergen-Årdal 4hr inc. ferry; by bus (nor-way.no) Oslo-Beitostolen 4hr, Oslo-Årdal 6hr, Bergen-Årdal 5h.

Øvre Årdal-Turtagrø. 1/3 daily 1hr entur.no by bus; by car this is a card operated toll road; or taxi. 

Øvre Årdal- for Utladalen/Utledalen: bus ½ hr; or by car.  No cars beyond Hjelle.

Where to stay:  Årdalstangen has the Klingenberg hotel and Tangen Hostel, up the valley Øvre Årdal there is the Sitla Motel and upstream from there campsites with hytte.  Beyond the northern tip of Tyin is DNT Fondsbu which is hotel standard and bunkhouse accommodation.  Beitostolen being a ski resort has many rooms, and private chalets/cabins some available for rent. Hotels are set up to accommodate visitors staying for odd nights or longer stays and probably arrange parking and storage of luggage not needed in the mountains until people return.

There is no need to remain based in one place as the network of huts across the area allows multi-day trips. 

A glance at the UT.no map above shows the huts (), hotels (), campsites () and DNT marked routes ().  Obviously, many tours can be made depending on interests and preferences.  Jamie Simpson’s UKC article has suggestions and advice.  Campsites often have hytte: cabins which range from very basic to luxurious but have a means of cooking and beds, though wash facilities in the simpler ones are often communal.  

As an example of what is available to do from a single valley, Utladalen has day outings to Avdalen and Vetti, 2/3 days rounds through valleys, ascents of high peaks, and through trips to the north east and the east via Fondsbu or Olavsbu.

The Hurrungane book details all these routes, places, etc besides containing copious information on a wide variety of flora, and fauna.

 

What to do: Climb, Mountaineer, Hut Tour, Wild Camp, other activities.

Climb: There are many mountains and routes on and around the 14 2000m+ peaks.   It is easy to be caught out by the scale of these mountains.  For example, take Storen. From the nearest (toll) road Store Skagastolstind (2405m, 7890ft), reportedly Scandinavia’s most coveted summit, is a 3 hour partly glacier route to a col (bivvy hut) then soon sustained scrambling for almost 2 hours, then roped slabs followed by a pitched gully (UIAA grade V, Severe). Across a gap is a 20m slab leads to the top.  Descent by 55m abseils.  Alternative longer approaches via impressive Utladalen require overnights.
There are many other rock peaks in this and neighbouring areas with climbs of all grades (Cordee for book ). 

The rock is gabbro and gabbrogneiss, hard rough and glaciated.

Mountaineer: The ScandinavianMountains link above has some information on approaches, accommodation.  More widely UT.no (with Help in English) shows routes and accommodation.  Searches based on the names of individual mountains readily provide route information.

In contrast to the above caution regarding the scale of these mountains, from Bygdin and Gjendesheim in the west, a boat can take you to a hut for a tough ridge traverse of Torfinnstinden (another Slingsby first) or a grand walking route up Surtningssue, respectively.  These are two of many scores of possible outings.  Those boats will also take your gear to the next stop on their route.

Hut-to-hut tour: The UT.no link above gives access to most of the information you might need though you will have to translate some of the Norwegian.  The DNT offer tips and are worth having DNT membership if you plan four or more nights out.  Many huts have food stores you can purchase.  There are various rounds you can plan starting from the east or from the west.  A good introduction is to start at one side and work your way through to the other end stopping perhaps a one or two huts for a second night to take in a mountain day. The DNT site has advice.  Bus services are available at both sides of the Jotunheim.

Camp: Wild camping is allowed more than 150m from buildings, leaving no trace.  A mix of camping and DNT huts gives insurance against a hut being full.  Water is plentiful and invariable clean in the mountains. Access guidance. 

Other activities: MTB, kayaking outings are advertised.  There are historic and pre-historic sites (e.g. just in Utladalen there’s Avdalen Gard, ancient reindeer pit traps in Gravdalen, Vetti farm, Vettismorki, Vormeli), and stunning scenery such as Vettifossen and Sognefjord from the Mastrehaugfjellet clifftop (a walk from the Seimsåsen aktivitetssenter).  From the eastern side there is the Bitihorn for views.

When:  There are usually events arranged in Årdalstangen and Skori at the entrance to Utladalen around the time of the longest day, 21st June.  The anniversary of the first Storen ascent is a month later.  From early September some huts are no longer serving meals.  

At Easter, Turtagrø Hotel organises a high camp and celebrations, often with skiing, music, guided tours, and films.  

At any time mountain weather conditions can make ascents and high routes inadvisable or impossible.  Weather forecasts (Yr.no) are available, though phone reception is not available everywhere.  Staffed huts usually post forecasts.  Summer is short this far north, well north of Shetland, level with the south of Greenland.

Maps:

Map apps are available.  Hvor and Guru are two and both Vestland and Innlandet areas are needed to cover this range. 

Printed maps of the Jotunheimen are readily available at 1:50k and 1:25k.

Online mapping, with information on huts and routes, is available using UT.no (with Help in English).  Selecting Bratthetskart in the map options identifies the steep ground.  

Cost:  Norway has a reputation among Britons for being expensive.  Alcohol, smoking and eating out are expensive.  In general prices are comparable those in other European capital cities.  Provisions in supermarkets are not much more expensive than in the UK though meat and dairy products are higher because of their welfare standards.  Petrol is £1.64 per litre. Express bus from Oslo airport to Beitostolen, £52.

Safety and Rescue:   Mountain safety advice.    Equipment advice. 

Mountain rescue in Norway is free for everyone, but you need insurance covering medical costs related to ascents in mountain terrain.  As in the UK, mountain rescue is provided by volunteer teams working under the authority of Police –  dial 112. The rescue organisation’s brochure.

Weather:  Yr.no for weather forecasts. June snow-melt causes problems and possible snowfall above 1500m.  July-August weather is variable. A couple of week-long high pressure spells usually give excellent conditions with 24-hour daylight but watch out for approaching thunderstorms especially if you are on a ridge.  A wind from the west, blowing up Sognafjord rises on reaching Årdal forms mist/clouds.  This with warnings of a series of fronts due to arrive may make it worth moving to the east end of the range.

Average (town) weather statistics for July and August.

Caution:  The above information is given in good faith but is one person’s experience and information gathered from reading.  Weather patterns appear to be changing.  Routes change with time.  Rocks fall.  Streams flood.  Winds blow and lightning strikes.  If you venture into the mountains then you must accept a degree of risk and expect to have to deal with the unexpected.

 

Michael Smith   07814010165   smithjura@hotmail.com