Scandinavian Mountains over 2000 metres - James Baxter
Areas › Hurrungane › Sentraltind › Alternative Routes
Sentraltind can be climbed via a number of routes, but none of them easy. Perhaps the easiest of the three saddles to ascend from is the west one at the end of the Skagastøls ridge. However, getting to this saddle is no mean feat and of the three possible routes, namely
- the entire Skagastøls ridge from the north,
- over Storen or
- up the Slingsbybrean glacier all require extensive mountaineering skills.
Number 3 via Slingsbybrean glacier up to Mohns skar saddle, involves the least climbing and this is the route which I describe in detail in the main section. This route is also a good escape route if you need to get down from the central section of the Styggedals-Skagastøls ridge if caught out by bad weather or a thunderstorm.
Routes 1 and 2 over the Skagastøls ridge and Storen respectively to the saddle to the west of Sentraltind are described on the Store Skagastølstind page.
The routes from the other two saddles on the Styggedals ridge and Maradals ridge involve slightly harder climbing and these saddles are also difficult to get to. The ascent from the saddle with Styggedalstind is used when making a traverse of the whole Styggedals ridge with the usual continuation to Skagastøls ridge too.
This saddle is gained from the east by passing over both Gjertvasstind and Styggedalstind, a trip that is likely to take a day one way. For information about these two mountains please refer to the Gjertvasstind and Styggedalstind pages.
At the west end of this long saddle with the small tower in the middle of it the steep ridge of Sentraltind begins sharply. The first (grade IV) of 4 pitches begins with a very exposed traverse across the north face across broken terrain for about 10 metres before climbing up cracks and broken corners, which may be snow and ice filled making it harder, for another 20 metres to gain a flat area which is 20 metres long.
The second pitch (grade III) starts at the end of the short flat section and goes up the north edge of the arête on some solid flakes for about 25 metres. The third pitch (grade II) continues up the northern edge of the arête for about 30 meters up a set of natural steps. The final pitch (grade III) goes up the south side of the arête, initially on a debris filled shelf for 5 metres and then up solid rock for the remaining 25 metres, to gain the flat rock plateau of the summit. Protection is essential up this ascent especially on the first pitch.
The ascent from the saddle with Nordre Maradalstind on the Maradals ridge is also grade IV. This route is usually done in conjunction with Nordre Maradalstind from Skagastølsbu shelter or Turtagrø Hotel. From Skagastølsbu shelter descend into Midtmaradalen for a very short section and then locate a wide shelf which heads east under the south face of Storen. This shelf called "Berges chausée" runs for about a km almost horizontally to the edge of the Slingsbybrean glacier, and has a couple of grade II sections.
Slingsbybrean Glacier
At the edge of the glacier rope up don crampons and start to head up the fissured glacier. When on Slingsbybrean try to locate a rake descending from just to the south of the twin Nordre Maradals peaks in a north westerly direction down to the east side of Slingsbybrean. Head over the glacier which is significantly crevassed at this level for the bottom of this rake.
Once over the glacier follow snowfields and slabs up to the rake and ascend it to the top of the ridge on the south side of Nordre Maradalstind southern peak. The climb up the southern peak is quite straight forward, however the route up to the higher northern top goes over a short grade III crag, a grade III slab and the a grade IV crag, which is most easily climbed via a crack on the east side.
From the top of Nordre Maradalstind descend steeply and then follow the arête north to the foot of Sentraltind. There are two choices for the final climb up to Sentraltind either via the west side of the main arête where there is a steep and loose rake (grade III ) which can be followed all the way to the upper part of the west arête from Skagastøls ridge and is easily followed to the top. Alternatively the Maradals ridge can be followed where there is about 200 metres of scrambling and climbing up to grade IV.
Classic Traverse
Sentraltind is often climbed as part of the classic traverse from Skogadalsbøen lodge to Turtagrø over both Styggedals ridge and Skagastøls ridge which takes 2 long days and a nights bivouac. If it is ascended this way you climb the east ridge from the saddle with Styggedalstind as described above and descend the west ridge to the saddle with Vetle Skagastølstind as described in the main section. It is common to bivouac at one of these saddles if doing the entire traverse. The western saddle offers better escape options should the weather deteriorate. The best escape option is down Slingsbybrean glacier and the ascent up this is in the main section.