Torfinnstindene
Encyclopedia
Torfinnstindene is a mountain with three summits in Norway, the highest at 2120 m above sea level. It is located within the municipality of Vang, (in Oppland
) in the southernmost part of the Jotunheimen
mountain area. It is situated on the northern shore of lake Bygdin
on the western side of the Svartdalen Valley and is the southernmost and most prominent summit on a rather long ridge containing twelve more 2000 m peaks. The summit can be observed from most of the mountain areas south of Jotunheimen
.
The mountain consists of three summits, named Østre, Midtre and Vestre Torfinnstind (Eastern, Middle and Western). The name probably derives from the Norwegian male name Torfinn, but some sources claim that the name derives from the local name of a type of grass and has during the last 100 years been transformed into Torfinn, which is close to the name of the grass, Turfing. The name is also found in the valley due west of the summits, the small glacier covering parts of the extremely steep north wall, the sharp ridge pointing northwards from the Western summit and the tourist lodge situated on lake Bygdin
south of the mountain.
The Eastern summit was reached for the first time in 1876 by Emmanuel Mohn, William Cecil Slingsby
and Knut Lykken. The two first being mountaineers from Christiania
and Great Britain
, and the third the local expert. In 1894 the middle summit was climbed by, Andreas Saxegaard, Therese Bertheau
, Antonette Kamstrup and Tostein Røine, the last one being the local expert. The western summit, which is the easiest to climb, was visited for the first time in 1912 by Rolv Ødegaard
The summits are the southernmost 2000 m peaks in Norway, but one, and is made of the extremely hard gabbro
rock. The gabbro in Torfinnstindene is partly of the normal "gray-with-black-specs" variety, but parts of the eastern summit are of a red variety. The view from the summits, particularely the Eastern, is one of the best in southern Norway
. On a clear day, you can see almost as far as Oslo
.
The Eastern and Western summits can be reached after a rather strenuous hike, but the Middle summit can only be climbed - normally as part of a traverse of all the summits. The following is a brief description of the trip. The first part of the hike follows the grass- and flower-covered slope on the southeast flank of the Eastern summit. A number of ravines, dug out by meltwater from the Ice Age on, leads towards the summit. Only one of them leads all the way to the eastern shoulder of the summit. This is a steep climb, but with good weather conditions no equipment is needed.
From the eastern summit, a long rappel is needed to reach the very steep and narrow pass between the two summits. The climb to the middle summit needs no equipment. From the middle summit three rappels are needed to get all the way down to the even more steep and narrow pass between the two last summits. The climb up the lowest, western summit, is quite easy, but many would prefer to use a rope on a short part of the climb. From the western summit, a sharp edge leads down to the long ridge turning northwards towards lake Gjende
. The rest of the descent is long talus slopes.
The climb of the eastern summit has gained popularity in the last years of increased peak bagging
in Norway, and guided tours are arranged. The traverse is also popular, but the number who completes it is much lower than the number of visitors on the eastern summit. The western, easist and lowest summit is visited rather rarely except by those traversing.
Oppland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sør-Trøndelag, Møre og Romsdal, Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Akershus, Oslo and Hedmark. The county administration is in Lillehammer. Oppland is, together with Hedmark, one of the only two landlocked counties of Norway....
) in the southernmost part of the Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen is a mountainous area of roughly 3,500 km² in Southern Norway and is part of the long range known as the Scandinavian Mountains. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are all in Jotunheimen, including the very highest - Galdhøpiggen...
mountain area. It is situated on the northern shore of lake Bygdin
Bygdin
Bygdin is a lake in the Jotunheimen mountain range. Bygdin is regulated and its normal level lies between 1,048 and 1,057 meters above sea level. It has an area of 46 km². The lake is long 25 km, but is narrow. The greatest depth is 215 m.Bygdin lies to the southeast in...
on the western side of the Svartdalen Valley and is the southernmost and most prominent summit on a rather long ridge containing twelve more 2000 m peaks. The summit can be observed from most of the mountain areas south of Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen
Jotunheimen is a mountainous area of roughly 3,500 km² in Southern Norway and is part of the long range known as the Scandinavian Mountains. The 29 highest mountains in Norway are all in Jotunheimen, including the very highest - Galdhøpiggen...
.
The mountain consists of three summits, named Østre, Midtre and Vestre Torfinnstind (Eastern, Middle and Western). The name probably derives from the Norwegian male name Torfinn, but some sources claim that the name derives from the local name of a type of grass and has during the last 100 years been transformed into Torfinn, which is close to the name of the grass, Turfing. The name is also found in the valley due west of the summits, the small glacier covering parts of the extremely steep north wall, the sharp ridge pointing northwards from the Western summit and the tourist lodge situated on lake Bygdin
Bygdin
Bygdin is a lake in the Jotunheimen mountain range. Bygdin is regulated and its normal level lies between 1,048 and 1,057 meters above sea level. It has an area of 46 km². The lake is long 25 km, but is narrow. The greatest depth is 215 m.Bygdin lies to the southeast in...
south of the mountain.
The Eastern summit was reached for the first time in 1876 by Emmanuel Mohn, William Cecil Slingsby
William Cecil Slingsby
William Cecil Slingsby was an English mountain climber and alpine explorer.Slingsby first visited Norway in 1872 and fell in love with the country. He has been called the discoverer of the Norwegian mountains, and the father of Norwegian mountaineering...
and Knut Lykken. The two first being mountaineers from Christiania
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
and Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, and the third the local expert. In 1894 the middle summit was climbed by, Andreas Saxegaard, Therese Bertheau
Therese Bertheau
Therese Bertheau was a Norwegian mountaineer. She is noted as pioneering female climber, active from 1884 to 1910, and achieved many first ascents, as well as being the first woman on Store Skagastølstind in 1894. She is also known to be the woman in modern times that introduced trousers as an...
, Antonette Kamstrup and Tostein Røine, the last one being the local expert. The western summit, which is the easiest to climb, was visited for the first time in 1912 by Rolv Ødegaard
The summits are the southernmost 2000 m peaks in Norway, but one, and is made of the extremely hard gabbro
Gabbro
Gabbro refers to a large group of dark, coarse-grained, intrusive mafic igneous rocks chemically equivalent to basalt. The rocks are plutonic, formed when molten magma is trapped beneath the Earth's surface and cools into a crystalline mass....
rock. The gabbro in Torfinnstindene is partly of the normal "gray-with-black-specs" variety, but parts of the eastern summit are of a red variety. The view from the summits, particularely the Eastern, is one of the best in southern Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. On a clear day, you can see almost as far as Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
.
The Eastern and Western summits can be reached after a rather strenuous hike, but the Middle summit can only be climbed - normally as part of a traverse of all the summits. The following is a brief description of the trip. The first part of the hike follows the grass- and flower-covered slope on the southeast flank of the Eastern summit. A number of ravines, dug out by meltwater from the Ice Age on, leads towards the summit. Only one of them leads all the way to the eastern shoulder of the summit. This is a steep climb, but with good weather conditions no equipment is needed.
From the eastern summit, a long rappel is needed to reach the very steep and narrow pass between the two summits. The climb to the middle summit needs no equipment. From the middle summit three rappels are needed to get all the way down to the even more steep and narrow pass between the two last summits. The climb up the lowest, western summit, is quite easy, but many would prefer to use a rope on a short part of the climb. From the western summit, a sharp edge leads down to the long ridge turning northwards towards lake Gjende
Gjende
Gjende is a lake in the Jotunheimen mountains in Norway's Jotunheimen National Park. The proglacial lake shows typical characteristics of glacial formation, being long and narrow—in length 18 km and in breadth 1.5 km at the broadest point with steep walls...
. The rest of the descent is long talus slopes.
The climb of the eastern summit has gained popularity in the last years of increased peak bagging
Peak bagging
Peak bagging is an activity in which hillwalkers and mountaineers attempt to reach the summit of some collection of peaks, usually those above some height in a particular region, or having a particular feature.Peak bagging can be distinguished from highpointing...
in Norway, and guided tours are arranged. The traverse is also popular, but the number who completes it is much lower than the number of visitors on the eastern summit. The western, easist and lowest summit is visited rather rarely except by those traversing.