Rondane

Scandinavian Mountains over 2000 metres - James Baxter

AreasRondaneRondslottet › Alternative Routes

Rondslottet is can be climbed from three different approaches: The north west ridge, the north east ridge and the south ridge and can be descended via any of these three to make some interesting circular routes or traverses. The easiest and most usual approach is the south ridge from Rondvassbu which is on a path marked with cairns, and this is described in detail below. The unmarked north west and faintly marked north east approaches are described briefly here.

The massive North face of Rondslottet is 600m highTo ascend the north west ridge, which is unmarked, take the boat in the summer or ski in the winter/spring to the north end of Rondvatnet lake. Continue north up Rondvassdalen for 2 km before leaving the path and heading east onto the sloping fan at the bottom of the north west ridge. Once on the fan veer south and get to the start of the ridge.

The ridge is stony but is not too steep, It is possible to ascend it in the spring providing you have wide ski skins attached. The route follows the ridge for a km when it climbs 400 metres. It then levels off for another km during which there are fantastic views across the corrie into the huge north face.

The ridge steepens again into a moderate slope across stony ground for another km to reach the summit. Again it is possible to ski up this final slope in the winter/spring. Allow 3½ hours from the north end of Rondvatnet lake to the summit.

Rondslottet full size mapThe route up the north east ridge, which is marked with cairns, start from either Bjørnhollia or Straumbu lodges and head up into Langglupdalen. See route Ro.4 and Ro.12 for further details. The path in Langglupdalen reaches a stretch under Høgronden where it sidles across the slope on the north side of the river for a km remaining level.

At the end of this level stretch it crosses two small streams and then forks. One branch continues up Langglupdalen while the other gently descends down to the main river and fords it. Just after the ford another smaller stream should be crossed.

The faint path then starts to climb up the ridge which is scree-covered with a few boulder fields. The slope is not steep but it is sustained, and it is just possible to ascend it on skis with wide skins in the spring/winter.

Rondslottet from Atnadalen by Straumbu lodgeEarly in the summer a large snowfield sometimes persists on the upper reaches of this faint path covering it. The snowfield does not require ice axe and crampons, but the former is always handy. Allow 4½ hours from Bjørnhollia and 5 hours from Straumbu to the summit.

It is quite common to go from Rondvassbu to Bjørnhollia, or vice versa, by ascending the south ridge and then descending the north east ridge into Langglupdalen but this is a long day of about 9 hours.