Veten (503m, prominence 400m) 20th July 2009

A rain-soaked Rødvenfjorden

Once again I got the 9.50 am bus to Molde, and got off at Lerheim. It was a horrible morning with heavy rain, which continued all day. From Lerheim I walked down the road towards Eidsbygda, and despite the rain I thought Rødvenfjorden was pretty and charming. Forested slopes rose into the mist and I knew I would see nothing from today's summit. I turned off onto the road to Oravatnet but before I reached the lake I turned onto a track. This track led around Hamrevågen before heading towards Gyldenås, soon after which the track turned into a faint path. This all seemed well and good and conformed to the path marked on the map as leading to the top. However, the path disappeared. I entered the forest anyway and started climbing the steep slopes, coming on to paths here and there. I ended up climbing the steep, trackless forested slopes, clambering over vegetated crags, thick bracken, fallen trees as well as the mass of living trees. This was done in heavy rain, the vegetation was soaking wet and soon so was I, despite wearing waterproofs. I climbed up a steep vegetated cleft between two sets of crags, crawling up on my knees because I kept slipping on the wet vegetation, and with bracken up my nose. It was terrible. I saw a deer but the thrill of this didn't make up for the unpleasantness I was suffering.

The cleft I scrambled up



The summit of Veten

After what seemed like an age the terrain levelled off I came upon a path on a ridge. In one direction this led to what I took to be the summit, marked by a metal rod in the ground, and in the other to the communications tower which is prominently seen from the hostel. The whole of the top of the hill was shrouded in mist and I saw nothing. By the tower was a hut and I sat on the veranda and ate a quick lunch out of the rain. After lunch I followed the path in the opposite direction and when I got below the clouds I saw Setnesfjellet across Romsdalsfjorden. Its head was in the clouds but I saw a tremendous waterfall thundering down its flanks. I realised that I was descending the opposite side of the hill. The path led to Klungnes after only an hour of descent, and I walked along the road to the bus stop at Torvik. The bus was late and I was cold, wet and miserable but a beer in Åndalsnes, a shower and some dry clothes cheered me up.

The waterfall thundering down Setnesfjellet

Skarven (1048) seen on the road to Torvik

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