Store-SkagastølstindScandinavian Mountains over 2000 metres - James Baxter
Areas › Rauddalen Area › 4.8 Midtre Høgvalgtind (2066m)
Midtre Høgvagltind, 2066 metres, is the highest point of a massif which contains 2 glaciers and a few tops under 2000m. It is a relatively easy mountain to climb in the summer and a superb mountain to ski up in the winter/spring.
| The Route from Leirvassbu Lodge | |
|---|---|
 15km  870m  5-7hrs |
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Leave Leirvassbu lodge and follow the path Ra.2, to the south for past Leirvatnet lake and over the Høgvaglen saddle.
Descend the south side of this saddle on the rocky path above the Øvre Høgvagltjørnin lake passing its north shore to eventually reach the lakes outlet a good hour after setting off.
Leave the marked path here and cross the river as it leaves the lake. This can usually be jumped but when high will have to be waded. Head west across the short pleasant grassy meadow and start to ascend the grassy slope above the south side of the lake.
The pleasant grass is short lived and soon moraine and snowfields dominate the terrain, which is not steep. Pick a route up these mounds of glacial debris for ½ hour until bare rock starts to appear at the northern edge of the glacier.
Head south here up below the east side of the glacier across newly exposed rock for ¼ hour until it becomes much steeper. There is an obvious diagonal shelf here across a steeper rock bulge.
The shelf, which was caused by glacial scraping, is the best way to traverse across this bulge. Clamber up rock slabs and moraine to reach the northern and lower end of this shelf and follow it south up to the far end above the glacier.
When the shelf peters out follow the bare rock and scattered moraine up over easy undulating slopes on the east side of the glacier for another ½ hour, climbing slowly to reach Austre Høgvagltind.
From Austre Høgvagltind there is a pleasant, undulating ridge heading south west between the two different sections of the Høgvaglbreen glacier. Follow this open ridge over a knoll for ½ hour until you reach the shallow saddle at the bottom of the north east ridge.
From the saddle it is a short ascent up the bouldery slope to an outcrop on the ridge. Clamber over this easy outcrop and then continue up over the blocks and boulders of the ridge for another ¼ hour to reach the summit.
The Return
The return is by the same route. Alternatively it is possible to continue down the north west ridge to a saddle, then up Vestre Høgvagltind and return to Leirvassbu this way, allowing 5-6 hours for the whole trip.
The descent from Vestre Høgvagltind via the north ridge is quite steep and involves some easy scrambling as described in the alternative routes above.
