Having survived the first day of a 6-hike circuit – and the longest hike of the 6 -, it was time to get going on Day 2 for the next challenge: getting to Spiterstulen by climbing Glittertind mountain (vs. skirting it and going around it).
Tallest mountains in Norway and northern Europe
Glittertind is not only the second tallest mountain in Norway but in all of northern Europe. Glittertind stands at 2,452 m / 8,045 ft. The tallest mountain is nearby: Galdhøpiggen. It stands a modest 17 m / 56 ft taller than Glittertind. The height of these mountains is a little higher if you include the glaciers atop. For example, Glittertind, back in 2008, stood at 2,465 m counting the glacier.
Heading up Glittertind
We started the morning early with breakfast at 7:30AM and a departure from Glitterheim at 8:40AM. Though Glittertind stands at 2,452 m, Glitterheim itself is location at around 1,400 M above sea level. So we sort of had a head start in terms of the climb. Small mercies!
The climb to the summit was about 3.8 miles. The first mile would ascend 425 ft. The second mile would go another 500 ft. Finally, the third mile would go another 450 ft. The final bit to the top would take us up approximately another 300 ft. I cannot recall for certain but it feels the last 1.5 mile was a pure rock walk. Steep and painfully slow to navigate stepping over all those rocks
Atop Glittertind and all that snow
Within the last hour of the climb, it started to snow. Visibility decreased but we could still see where we were and where we were headed.
Good thing because right by the summit there was a cliff we could not see… (see image below from AllTrails). Good thing that snowpack at the top was rock solid!
Descending not always fun and games
Once we were done resting at the summit, we began the descent. For a little bit, we were still on the glacier / snowpack. We did not have any special attachments on our hiking boots. I just made sure I stepped where someone else had stepped before me, hoping the snow had compacted all it was going to compact thanks to the prior person. Oh, and that I was not going to step on snow that was sitting on top of a crevice or gap of some sort!
You can visualize in this AllTrails’ trail preview how sharp a descent this was (it began around mile 4.1, soon after leaving the summit ridge.
Eventually, after left the summit ridge, the terrain was free of snow and the snow stopped falling. Back to our normal steep-descent-with-lots-of-rocks-and-scree. It was the usual very focused walk to avoid a nasty and painful fall.
The challenging, steep descent from Glittertind is over
After the steep descent, we entered the area that you see in the picture above. We followed a stream for a bit on still-rocky terrain for a bit.
We then went up a little bit and rounded some mountain to a trail that would eventually parallel the private road leading to Spiterstulen. I so badly wanted to just get to that road and walk on a flat, smooth surface! But, it was not to be until the very end, close up to Spiterstulen. To add insult to injury, after we got on the road and approached the lodge, we had a slight uphill. Really…. 🙂
Regardless, my buddy and I were very happy hikers by the time we got to Spiterstulen!
How to end a hard hike
Thankfully, Spiterstulen was ready for us! From a refreshing cold beer to a great meal to a great space in the room and the large lounging room – Spiterstulen was great.
Our room was actually in a cabin and we enjoyed a private bathroom (with heated floor!), a small living room area and a great view from the room’s window. Perfect spot to chill and re-charge.
The meal started with salmon on a piece of bread (that could have been the entrée!). Then Norwegian meatballs with veggies, chased by diced watermelon topped with vanilla ice cream. All good!
Norway’s beauty is infinite!
I am writing all this post-facto, a couple of weeks after returning home. The majesty of the landscapes of Norway are, maybe not unique, but definitely spectacular. Just a view like below, after a nice meal and a beer (or two), are enough to make one be in awe of God’s creation…
Check out Day 1 (Gjendesheim to Glitterheim)
Or, read on to Day 3 (Spiterstulen to Leirvassbu)
