Safe skitouring trips in the mountains around Voss
New to the ski touring game? Here are tips for five safe summit tours with great skiing in the mountains around Voss.
NB! Always be aware of avalanche risk and take responsibility for your own safety. Read more on "Safety for ski tourers" by Visit Norway or on "Ski touring in Norway" on Varsom.no
Do you have your mountaineering equipment in order, or do you want to explore peaks that don't have the steepest skis? We've asked two mountain experts in Voss for their best tips for safe and enjoyable summit trips. Øystein Ormåsen is a guide and runs the company Wild Voss, and Steinar Hustoft is a mountain guide and general manager of Tindeguide. Both offer guided tours and courses at Voss, and with good reason.
- Voss is a fantastic place to explore if you're new to skiing and ski touring. You may not have the sharp, dramatic peaks of Sunnmøre and Romsdalen, but you have varied skiing terrain in all directions. This means you can always find good skiing, whatever your level," says Øystein.
Steinar agrees, and emphasises Jordalen as a very special place in Voss.
- Here you have some of the best ski touring terrain in the area. The great thing about having skiing in all directions is that you can choose a location based on the weather conditions of the last few days. If there has been a lot of weather and wind from the west, you'll often find the best skiing on the mountainsides facing east. But here, of course, you should always keep the risk of avalanches in mind," he says.
Øystein Ormåsen and Steinar Hustoft offer guided tours and courses at Voss
Øystein and Steinar's best tips:
1. Eilivseggi (1432 metres above sea level) - ski and train in Raundalen
Altitude: Around 700
Length of trip: Around 4.5 hours
Raundalen is a natural gem that stretches eastwards along the Bergen railway line. In the upper parts of the valley, the railway stations are close together, making it easy to combine a train ride and a ski tour. The destination of the trip, Eilivseggi, is north of the railway line between Ljosanbotn and Upsete. The starting point is Ljosanbotn railway station, where you can catch the local train from Voss in the morning. Follow the valley floor inwards towards Gamlestølselvi and follow this up towards Lake 1070. From here you gain height southwards towards Kleivafjellet. Follow the ridge towards Eilivseggi, past some smaller peaks. Downhill, you can ski the flanks towards Rustedalen, which offers great skiing and many line choices in gentler terrain. Find the gentlest corridor between the streams out of Rustedalen down towards the railway line. Cross the railway line at the "mast top" and walk to the idyllic Langvasstølen hut. Here, from Vieren railway station, you can catch the afternoon train back to Voss.
2. Finnbunuten (1358 metres above sea level) - The mountain with a long season
Altitude: Around 700m
Length of trip: Around 3 hours
Hiking to Finnbunuten from the Vikafjellet side is a great introductory hike through gentle terrain and with little approach. It is also a mountain where the season often starts early and lasts well into spring. Drive towards Vikafjellet on the Rv13 motorway from Voss. Just above the hairpin bends on the way up the mountain, you'll find a large car park on the left-hand side of the road. You start the hike by crossing a bridge over the river on the same side of the road. Walk towards the hut that lies in a southerly direction. After the hut, continue for 4-500 metres before turning west. Continue in the same direction until you reach the ridge at 1100 metres above sea level. You may want to take off your skis in the steepest part up towards the ridge. At the top of the ridge, you have just under 1.5 kilometres to the summit. Follow the same route as the ascent on the way down.
3. Øyastølsfjellet (1342 metres above sea level) - A gem in Jordalen
Altitude: Around 700m
Length of trip: Around 4 hours
Jordalen is a snow-safe area with fantastic skiing terrain, including Øyastølsfjellet. The mountain is a great hiking destination if the weather in western Norway is bad, but you can still enjoy a great day of skiing here regardless of the risk of avalanches. Start the trip at the car park near Nosi, and follow the snowmobile tracks towards the cabin yard in Berdalen. Cross the river on the bridge and look out for the cabin at Øyastølen. West of you, you now have a large area with good skiing terrain and suitable steepness. Follow the track up towards the 1237 metres above sea level on the ridge south of Øyastølsfjellet. Along the way you will pass a few smaller steep slopes that are easy to avoid when the visibility is good. From the top of Øyastølsfjellet you can follow your uphill tracks back down (for example if visibility is poor), or take a more direct line along the ridge formation just east of the summit. The last 300 metres down to the valley floor are in beautiful, open and avalanche-prone terrain.
NB! Some areas around Voss have wild reindeer and domestic reindeer. Reindeer are vulnerable to human activity. Stay away if you see reindeer, and choose another trip if you hear about reindeer in the area. Jordalen is one of the places where we have challenges with skiers scaring the wild reindeer away from the best grazing areas in the mountains in late winter and spring, so take special care of the wild reindeer on skis in this area.
4. Mykletveitveten (1131 metres above sea level) - A classic with great views
Altitude: 740
Length of trip: 3-4 hours
The route up Mykletveitveten from Hagen has a fairly demanding ascent, and on the descent you can often find good snow. Drive from Voss on the E16 motorway in the direction of Bergen, and turn off towards Hamlagrø and then towards Hyljarås. Follow the road down the hill and over the bridge before turning right. 500 metres later, keep left up a hill before going down a few bends. After 2 km the road splits in two, keep left. It is possible to park at the Hagen farm, but ask for permission first! You can also park before entering the private road. Walk a few metres along the road, cross the bridge and turn right up into the forest and into a valley. At one point you have to cross the river again to head towards the ridge that runs north-east from the top. Follow the ridge all the way to the top. Be aware of the terrain trap at around 840 metres above sea level, where there may be an unstable scree slope. In unsafe conditions, you should pass this point in a southerly direction instead of a north-westerly one. If the snow is stable, it is natural to put the refrigeration in a large, open gully just north of Vardeggi. After the gully, head straight across the small valley floor, climb a few metres up Hovden and down towards the river, where you'll find your own tracks.
5. Skreieggi (1324 metres above sea level) - Hidden gem with exciting terrain
Altitude: Around 900 meters
Length of trip: Around 4,5 hours
This large flank is difficult to spot for those travelling through, and is actually not very popular. The large "bowl formation" offers a lot of great skiing terrain, and has challenges for all skill levels. In addition, the snow is often sheltered from the wind in this area, so there is a good chance of finding good snow even after a period of bad weather. Take the E16 motorway from Voss in the direction of Myrkdalen and turn left towards Lund. Park in the designated area and follow the snowmobile tracks towards Skreiavatnet for 1.5 kilometres. Here you get a good view of the flanks you can ride down. It is important to make a good plan here, as there is some micro terrain and terrain traps here that you have to steer clear of. Head up the track to Steinset, follow the scooter track/summer road. Continue up the ridge towards the south side of Steinsetnipa (1107 metres above sea level) and westwards towards the broad mountain ridge that leads to the top of Skreieggi. If visibility is poor, you should follow your track back down and avoid the large flank down towards Skreiavatnet. In good weather and stable snow, you can choose a line down towards the lake. Look forward to fun skiing in varying terrain - hopefully in light snow!
Source: "Toppturar i Vossafjell" - Øyvind Birkeland
Sleep good and charge your batteries for skitouring here