Sunnmørsalpene (The Sunnmøre Alps)
Hiking in the mountains takes on a whole new meaning.
Imagine standing down on the quayside, tightening the straps on your rucksack and looking up at the skyline. Magnificent peaks with snow-covered pinnacles tower around you on all sides. You’re ready to begin your hike.
You go past rivers and streams, lakes swarming with fish, ponds and patches of wild blueberry. Onwards and upwards, with a golden eagle circling overhead and deer tracks ahead of you on the trail. Finally, you reach the summit. You are now atop Slogen Mountain, 5,131 feet above sea level. Slogen is widely considered to be Norway’s most stunning mountain, with its pyramid-like summit rising steeply from Hjørundfjord below.
However, Slogen is just one of the many "Sunnmøre Alps", a name for the mountains around Hjørundfjord, in the municipalities of Ørsta and Sykkylven in Møre and Romsdal County. The mountains have been shaped into alpine forms through thousands of years of severe ice erosion.
The Sunnmøre Alps attract many skiers who climb to the top with snowshoes, then ski down again. However, there are a number of trails suitable for anyone who is moderately fit. You can choose between accommodations down by the fjord and tourist cabins up in the valleys, and combine several summit treks over a period of days. The best time to go skiing here is between February and June, while hiking is best during the summer months.
You can get a grand view of the majestic Sunnmøre Alps as you sail on Hurtigruten between Torvik and Ålesund, and when the ship heads in toward Geirangerfjord.