Scandinavian Mountains over 2000 metres - James Baxter

Areas › Slettmark Mesmog Massif › Mesmogtind › Alternative Routes

Mesmogtind is most easily climbed from the saddle with Langedalstind. There are three routes to this saddle.

From the saddle with Kvitskardtind via a steep traverse across the south face. This is perhaps the easiest and is described as the preferred route with Torfinnsbu lodge as the start point. This is described on the main page rather than here.
The long traverse over Svartdalspiggen and Langedalstind
The difficult ascent up from Langedalen, most usually from Øvre Langedalstjernet lake, and over Langedalstind.

In addition to these three routes there are another two routes which involves some climbing. These are

The east ridge from Svartdalen which involves some grade III climbing.
The south east ridge from the saddle with Kvitskardtind which involves some grade IV climbing.

The traverse from Svartdalspiggen

This traverse from Svartdalspiggen involves descending the south face of this mountain, traversing over two secondary peaks and then climbing up the west ridge of Langedalstind. Once here descend the east ridge of this mountain to reach the saddle with Mesmogtind.

This route is the northern and easier half of the classic ridge traverse from Svartdalspiggen to Torfinnstind. There is some scrambling on this section and a 40 metre climb or abseil. However these 40 metres can be avoided. For more details see the Svartdalspiggen and Langedalstind pages.

The route from Langedalen

This route up Mesmogtind also involves going up Langedalstind but this time from Langedalen by one of two routes both of which involve some scrambling. The ascent up either route is not particularly fine, especially in the wet, but they allow a roundtrip from Torfinnsbu lodge over Langedalstind and Mesmogtind. This fine round trip is a long demanding alpine day of about 10-12 hours from Torfinnsbu lodge. For details on there two ascent routes up Langedalstind see the Langedalstind page.

The east ridge from Svartdalen

The east ridge from Svartdalen is something of a classic. Getting to it is a bit untidy. From either Torfinnsbu or Gjendebu lodges head up path Sl.2 to the flat stony area between the largest two lakes. Leave the path here and head south west up towards a ridge of moraine.

Follow this moraine up until it merges with a steeper buttress. Scramble up the grade II slabs and outcrops of this buttress to reach a shoulder above the glaciers snout and at the foot of the east ridge. It takes a good hour to reach this from the lakes below. Initially the east ridge is shallow and covered in boulders but soon steepens for a 100 metres of sustained scrambling and climbing up to grade III up a steep narrow and exposed arête, where a rope is very useful.

At the top of this climb the arête levels off but is still airy as it curves round to the south towards the summit. About halfway along this top arête there is a small crag which requires a 10 metre abseil before the final scramble up the arête to the summit.

The south east ridge

The south east ridge from the saddle with Kvitskardtind is another classic route. It is also part of the magnificent ridge traverse from Torfinnstind to Svartdalspiggen where it is one of the highlights. The saddle is gained from either Svartdalen across the glacier to the east, by descending the north west ridge of Kvitskardtind as described on that page or from the south as described on the main page.

From the saddle clamber up the enjoyable ridge past outcrops for ½ hour until the ridge levels off at a small peak. This is the place where the main route heads off across the south face. Continue up the arête for another ¼ hour until you reach a small notch at the base of a much steeper slabby crag at about 2100 metres. The climbing starts here. The route goes straight up the crest of the ridge from here involves 3 pitches of climbing up to grade V, generally up steep lichen covered slabs.

However, this harder climbing can be avoided by following ledges onto the south face and then climbing a deep gully some 150 metres to the west of the arête. This alternative route involves some grade III climbing in a gully and some steep scree or snow slopes. The deep gully, almost a chimney in places, then cuts back onto the arête above the grade V pitch and some easy 20 metres below the summit.