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Mountaineering
Provided the weather is clear, Store Smørstabbtind will be the first thing you see when you go out on the stairs at Krossbu. It is majestic and turns straight towards the onlooker. Store Smørstabbtind is to Krossbu what Matterhorn is for Zermatt. And when you stand there on the stairs, looking at the summit 4700 meters away in a straight line, it is easy to get caught by the urge to get up there, to stand on the summit and see what is on the other side, to see how small Krossbu looks from up there and to be able to go out on the stairs again after dinner, see the summit in the sunset and think to yourself, I was up there today.
This urge to climb mountain tops is relatively new, seen in a longer perspective. Those who lived here before the tourism started thought the mountains were frightening. They were enormous and desolate and were in every aspect the direct opposite of the safety at home on the farm. As Henrik Wergeland said about another mountain, close to Krossbu: "Skynd deg! Skynd deg! Fly som en hind! Se hvor det griner bak Fannaråktind!" (Hurry! Hurry! Flee like a deer! See how it grins behind mount Fannaråken.) No, man should stay down in the valleys or possibly up on the summer pastures.
But there were of course people with other views. Young men from the village were enticed by the mountains and tried to climb them. Hunters and shepards who spent a lot of their time up on the mountain plateaus, thereby being more used to the mountain most likely conquered some summits, by curiosity or as a rite of passage. These ascents were made by people who didn't write down their achievements, so only a handful are documented, in the form of local history.
The next group to take to the mountains where academics and scientists. That's when the documentation of the ascents comes. The geologist Baltazar Mathias Keilhau in 1820 explored "the Jotun mountains" together with the medic Christian Boeck and reindeer huntsman Ola Urden. They wrote travel essays, noted their finds and drew and painted. These are considered among the absolute pioneers of Jotunheimen.
In the trails of the explorers came the tourists and already in the mid 19th century tourism in Jotunheimen was relatively established. After a short down period after Keilhaus' time, the climbing activity got up to speed again in the 1860's, with the danish Carl Hall as the most known and active. In 1872 englishman William Cecil Slingsby came travelling over Sognefjellet. He fell instantly in love with the area and wanted to return for closer examination as soon as possible. To years later he was back, climbing Galdhøpiggen among others. He became the best known profile in the climbing history of the area and has numerous first ascents registered in his name. Slingsby was the central figure in the climbing society that by and by grew big, and his book of 1904, The Northern Playground, is fascinating reading still today.
It should also be mentioned that women were among the early pioneers in climbing. In the summer of 1875 Slingsby brought his sister Edith up on Glittertind "since Galdhøpiggen had already been conquered by women so many times". Another of the pioneers, school teacher Therese Berthau, is probably the most known female Norwegian climber through time and did many demanding ascents around the turn of the century 1900.
Today climbing has developed into a billion euro industry. Going on an expedition demands sponsorship and climbing has become a costly equipment sport for those who get into it. It's a relief that you can still, without any other equipment than good walking boots and suitable clothing, climb many of the same summits that the pioneers ascended and there experience the same things that Keilhau, Hall and Slingsby did in their time. It is the same view today, the same freedom and the same sense of having achieved one's goal, as it was back then.
Most of those who climb a mountain get the taste for it and start collecting peaks. What then is a peak? First of all, a peak in Jotunheimen is at least 2000 meters. There are peaks that for climbing technical reasons or because of their view or the position can be accepted even if they are lower. But for the statistics crazed collector 2000 meters height is what counts. But height isn't the only condition. The peak also has to have a primary factor of at least 50 meters to count. The primary factor tells you how much you need to descend from one peak before you can start the ascent of the next one. Without the primary factor every stone would count as its own peak.
Some years ago a couple of Norwegian peak collectors were interviewed sitting in smokings on a mountain top toasting in champagne. With this peak they had managed to climb every 2000 meter top in Norway. The interviewer asked them what they were going to do now, when they had taken every top there is to conquer. The answer was, "we'll lower the primary factor from 50 to 30 meters and start again". For example Hurrbreatind by Krossbu thereby ended up on the list. It was previously just an outcrop on Veslebreatind. (The picture shows Fjellpins that you can order here.)
Walk description
When climbing Store Smørstabbtind you can choose to walk rather straight from Krossbu to Leirvatnet. But the route described here takes the path up past the glacier portal. Standing there by the ice edge seeing the mountain top so close but still a couple of hours away, seven hundred meters higher up, creates a good foundation for feeling very satisfied once you're standing on the summit.
The portal:
N 61°34.540
E 08°04.912
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From Krossbu you follow the path along Leira on its northern bank. In fine weather, which preferrably you should have when visiting a mountain top, you have the summit in view almost all the way. But it's a good idea to stop along the way to enjoy other things as well. Not least the stream you walk along and the three waterfalls on the right side some distance up. Up at the glacier portal it's a good time to take the first food break.
Leirskaret:
N 61°35.045
E 08°05.515
The outlet:
N 61°34.905
E 08°06.288
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From the glacier portal you continue up the slope to the northeast to Leirskaret, the lowest point in the west end of the plateau of Leirvatnet. Follow the south side of Leirvatnet to its outlet. There you fill your water bottle since it's the last place before you're down again where you can be sure to find running water.
Skaret:
N 61°34.873
E 08°06.836
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Then it's time for the actual ascent. That is, to start with you walk up to the lowest point between Store Smørstabbtind and Storbreatind. Look out for falling rocks from those walking in front and try never to walk below each other. Alternatively you can walk a bit further to the right and criss-cross between the small plateaus you find there. Finally you come up to a distinct plateau at appr. 1880 meters altitude. Here you can put some chocolate and other things to eat and drink in your pockets before it's time for the steepest part of the climb.
There is one easy way up this section, and many difficult ones. Walking straight up the middle of the slope isn't recommendable. Neither is the left side very inviting. When you stand on the plateau it pays off to look around for the path that actually is here. It starts on the middle of the slope and goes diagonally up to the right. Out on the right edge it gets airy, with a good view down to Leirbreen. But out here on the corner there are lots of big solid boulders to walk on and between, so it feels quite safe. Well up on the next plateau it is important to turn around and memorize where the path came up, so you find it on the way down again.
S.Smørstabbtind:
N 61°34.294
E 08°07.158
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Now you can just walk in triumph the last stretch up to the top. The ridge gets narrower and narrower and towards the end you shouldn't sway around too much. Well up at the top cairn you are rewarded, weather permitting, with a fantastic view. Not least spectacular is the continuation of the ridge with Kniven, Geita, Saksa and so on over to the characteristic Mickey Mouse ears of Storebjørn. If you aren't plagued by vertigo you can walk over to the other side of the cairn, seen from the direction you came up, and lie down on the slab that slopes up to the east. Put your hands over the edge and pull yourself up until your head sticks out. Even if it is completely calm on the summit, the wind comes rushing to your face, pressed up by the glacier a couple of hundred meters below you.
Skaret:
N 61°34.873
E 08°06.836
The outlet:
N 61°34.905
E 08°06.288
Leirskaret:
N 61°35.045
E 08°05.515
Krossbu:
N 61°34.444
E 08°01.965
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Back again you follow the same route that you came up. Remember to take some time to find the path out on the corner instead of mucking about among the loose rocks in the middle of the steep slope. Continue down to Leirvatnet and on to its plateau's western end. From here you can now walk either the same way down as you came up, or you can just take the compass- or GPS-heading straight to Krossbu. Length of the walk, appr. 12 km.
Route: SMORSTABBTIND
Breporten: N 61°34.540 E 08°04.912 PORTAL
Leirskaret: N 61°35.045 E 08°05.515 LEIRSKARET
The outlet: N 61°34.905 E 08°06.288 LEIRVATNET
Skaret: N 61°34.873 E 08°06.836 SBT-SKARET
S.Smørstabbtind:N 61°34.294 E 08°07.158 SMORSTABB
Skaret: N 61°34.873 E 08°06.836 SBT-SKARET
The outlet: N 61°34.905 E 08°06.288 LEIRVATNET
Leirskaret: N 61°35.045 E 08°05.515 LEIRSKARET
Krossbu: N 61°34.444 E 08°01.965 KROSSBU
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Provided the weather is clear, Store Smørstabbtind will be the first thing you see when you go out on the stairs at Krossbu. It is majestic and turns straight towards the onlooker. Store Smørstabbtind is to Krossbu what Matterhorn is for Zermatt. And when you stand there on the stairs, looking at the summit 4700 meters away in a straight line, it is easy to get caught by the urge to get up there, to stand on the summit and see what is on the other side, to see how small Krossbu looks from up there and to be able to go out on the stairs again after dinner, see the summit in the sunset and think to yourself, I was up there today.
This urge to climb mountain tops is relatively new, seen in a longer perspective. Those who lived here before the tourism started thought the mountains were frightening. They were enormous and desolate and were in every aspect the direct opposite of the safety at home on the farm. As Henrik Wergeland said about another mountain, close to Krossbu: "Skynd deg! Skynd deg! Fly som en hind! Se hvor det griner bak Fannaråktind!" (Hurry! Hurry! Flee like a deer! See how it grins behind mount Fannaråken.) No, man should stay down in the valleys or possibly up on the summer pastures.
But there were of course people with other views. Young men from the village were enticed by the mountains and tried to climb them. Hunters and shepards who spent a lot of their time up on the mountain plateaus, thereby being more used to the mountain most likely conquered some summits, by curiosity or as a rite of passage. These ascents were made by people who didn't write down their achievements, so only a handful are documented, in the form of local history.
The next group to take to the mountains where academics and scientists. That's when the documentation of the ascents comes. The geologist Baltazar Mathias Keilhau in 1820 explored "the Jotun mountains" together with the medic Christian Boeck and reindeer huntsman Ola Urden. They wrote travel essays, noted their finds and drew and painted. These are considered among the absolute pioneers of Jotunheimen.
In the trails of the explorers came the tourists and already in the mid 19th century tourism in Jotunheimen was relatively established. After a short down period after Keilhaus' time, the climbing activity got up to speed again in the 1860's, with the danish Carl Hall as the most known and active. In 1872 englishman William Cecil Slingsby came travelling over Sognefjellet. He fell instantly in love with the area and wanted to return for closer examination as soon as possible. To years later he was back, climbing Galdhøpiggen among others. He became the best known profile in the climbing history of the area and has numerous first ascents registered in his name. Slingsby was the central figure in the climbing society that by and by grew big, and his book of 1904, The Northern Playground, is fascinating reading still today.
It should also be mentioned that women were among the early pioneers in climbing. In the summer of 1875 Slingsby brought his sister Edith up on Glittertind "since Galdhøpiggen had already been conquered by women so many times". Another of the pioneers, school teacher Therese Berthau, is probably the most known female Norwegian climber through time and did many demanding ascents around the turn of the century 1900.
Today climbing has developed into a billion euro industry. Going on an expedition demands sponsorship and climbing has become a costly equipment sport for those who get into it. It's a relief that you can still, without any other equipment than good walking boots and suitable clothing, climb many of the same summits that the pioneers ascended and there experience the same things that Keilhau, Hall and Slingsby did in their time. It is the same view today, the same freedom and the same sense of having achieved one's goal, as it was back then.
Most of those who climb a mountain get the taste for it and start collecting peaks. What then is a peak? First of all, a peak in Jotunheimen is at least 2000 meters. There are peaks that for climbing technical reasons or because of their view or the position can be accepted even if they are lower. But for the statistics crazed collector 2000 meters height is what counts. But height isn't the only condition. The peak also has to have a primary factor of at least 50 meters to count. The primary factor tells you how much you need to descend from one peak before you can start the ascent of the next one. Without the primary factor every stone would count as its own peak.
Some years ago a couple of Norwegian peak collectors were interviewed sitting in smokings on a mountain top toasting in champagne. With this peak they had managed to climb every 2000 meter top in Norway. The interviewer asked them what they were going to do now, when they had taken every top there is to conquer. The answer was, "we'll lower the primary factor from 50 to 30 meters and start again". For example Hurrbreatind by Krossbu thereby ended up on the list. It was previously just an outcrop on Veslebreatind. (The picture shows Fjellpins that you can order here.)
Walk description
From the glacier portal you continue up the slope to the northeast to Leirskaret, the lowest point in the west end of the plateau of Leirvatnet. Follow the south side of Leirvatnet to its outlet. There you fill your water bottle since it's the last place before you're down again where you can be sure to find running water.
There is one easy way up this section, and many difficult ones. Walking straight up the middle of the slope isn't recommendable. Neither is the left side very inviting. When you stand on the plateau it pays off to look around for the path that actually is here. It starts on the middle of the slope and goes diagonally up to the right. Out on the right edge it gets airy, with a good view down to Leirbreen. But out here on the corner there are lots of big solid boulders to walk on and between, so it feels quite safe. Well up on the next plateau it is important to turn around and memorize where the path came up, so you find it on the way down again.
