Store Memurutinden

Store Memurutinden

Store Memurutinden rises deep within Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park, where glaciers, high ridges, and some of Scandinavia’s tallest mountains create one of northern Europe’s great alpine landscapes.

The mountain is particularly interesting because its summit measurements require a little explanation. Store Memurutinden consists of several closely spaced high points. Modern Norwegian peak databases generally identify Store Memurutinden Østtoppen, the eastern summit, as the highest at about 2,366 meters (7,762 feet). Some widely used references round or map this point at 2,367 meters (7,766 feet), while older descriptions sometimes give 2,364–2,365 meters for the western summit traditionally called Store Memurutinden.

Whichever convention is used, Store Memurutinden ranks among the ten highest mountains in Norway and is one of the dominant summits of the Memurutindan massif.

🏔️ Overview

Store Memurutinden is a major summit in the eastern-central portion of Jotunheimen, Norway’s highest mountain region.

It stands in Lom Municipality in Innlandet county, entirely within Jotunheimen National Park. The mountain forms the northern high point of the Memurutindan, an extensive system of ridges wrapped around glaciers and high valleys.

Store Memurutinden is especially notable for its complicated summit ridge. The western and eastern high points are separated by an exposed ridge roughly a kilometer long. The eastern summit is now generally regarded as the highest point.

At approximately 2,366 meters, Store Memurutinden is only a few meters lower than nearby Surtningssue, which reaches 2,368 meters.

Despite its lofty elevation, Store Memurutinden receives far less attention than Norway’s two best-known giants, Galdhøpiggen and Glittertinden. Its relative remoteness and the glaciers surrounding the massif give it a distinctly wild character.

⚡ Fast Facts

Fact	Details
Continent	Europe
Country	Norway
State/Province	Innlandet
County/Region	Lom Municipality
Range	Jotunheimen, Scandinavian Mountains
Parent Peak	Surtningssue
Elevation	About 2,366 m / 7,762 ft at Østtoppen
Prominence	About 331 m / 1,087 ft using Peakbagger data
Isolation	About 5.81 km / 3.61 mi
NHN	Surtningssue
Coordinates	Approx. 61.5673° N, 8.4884° E for the eastern high point
Mountain Group	Memurutindan / Memurutindene
Protected Area	Jotunheimen National Park
Highest Major Summit	Store Memurutinden Østtoppen
Nearby Glaciers	Veobrean and Austre Memurubrean
Typical Activities	Hiking, scrambling, mountaineering, glacier travel, ski touring

🏔️ Field Guide Tip: Store Memurutinden is one of those mountains where elevation figures vary depending on exactly which summit point and dataset are being referenced. Peakbagger currently gives the eastern summit at about 2,365.4 meters, Peakbook lists 2,366 meters, and several other references use 2,367 meters. DNT descriptions using 2,364 meters generally refer to the traditional western summit. For a modern general profile, approximately 2,366 meters is a useful figure, while recognizing the mapping variation.

📍 Location

Store Memurutinden stands in the heart of Jotunheimen National Park, within Lom Municipality in Innlandet, southern Norway.

It is surrounded by an extraordinary concentration of high mountains.

Nearby summits include:

• Surtningssue
• Austre Memurutinden
• Veotinden
• Leirhøe
• Veobreahesten
• Veobreatinden
• Store Hellstugutinden
• Midtre Hellstugutinden
• Blåbreahøe

Glaciers are equally important to the geography.

Veobrean spreads immediately north of the mountain, while Austre Memurubrean occupies the basin to the southeast. Farther south and west are additional glaciers and permanent snowfields associated with the Memurutindan and Hellstugutindan massifs.

This combination of high peaks, glaciers, moraines, and broad alpine valleys makes the area considerably more remote than heavily traveled portions of Jotunheimen such as Besseggen.

Store Memurutinden lies roughly 30 kilometers south of the village of Fossbergom, the administrative center of Lom.

📏 Elevation & Prominence

Store Memurutinden’s elevation is unusually interesting because several measurements appear in modern sources.

Elevation

Peakbook currently lists Store Memurutinden Østtoppen at 2,366 meters.

PeakVisor and several general references give:

2,367 meters / 7,766 feet

Peakbagger’s current dataset gives approximately:

2,365.4 meters / 7,761 feet

These differences are small—less than two meters—and largely reflect different survey datasets, rounding methods, and treatment of the closely spaced summit points.

The older western summit is commonly listed at roughly 2,364–2,365 meters.

The eastern summit is therefore the highest point of the Store Memurutinden complex.

Prominence

Peakbagger currently calculates approximately:

331 meters / 1,087 feet

Other databases give values around 335–337 meters.

That is substantial prominence for a summit located among so many of Norway’s highest mountains.

Isolation

Store Memurutinden has a topographic isolation of approximately:

5.81 kilometers / 3.61 miles

This means higher ground is found relatively nearby—a reflection of Jotunheimen’s exceptional concentration of lofty summits.

Nearest Higher Neighbor

The nearest higher mountain is Surtningssue, about 5.8 kilometers to the southeast.

Surtningssue reaches approximately 2,368 meters (7,769 feet), making it only a couple of meters higher than Store Memurutinden.

It is therefore both Store Memurutinden’s logical parent peak and its nearest higher neighbor.

🏔️ The Store Memurutinden Summits

One of the most important things to understand about Store Memurutinden is that it is not simply a single isolated point.

The mountain contains a series of closely connected summits along an alpine ridge.

Eastern Summit — Østtoppen

The eastern summit is the highest, at approximately 2,366 meters.

It is this point that places Store Memurutinden among Norway’s highest mountains.

Western Summit — Vesttoppen

The western summit reaches approximately 2,365 meters in current Peakbook data and has only a small amount of prominence relative to the eastern summit.

Historically, the name Store Memurutinden was often associated more specifically with this western top, helping explain why some older hiking descriptions give the mountain an elevation of 2,364 meters.

Connecting Ridge

Between the summits lies an airy, rugged ridge.

Experienced mountaineers sometimes continue along this ridge as part of longer traverses of the Memurutindan massif. These outings are considerably more serious than simply reaching one of the summits and can involve exposed scrambling, route-finding, and potentially climbing equipment.

🪨 Geology

Store Memurutinden belongs to the ancient geological landscape of the Scandinavian Mountains.

Much of Jotunheimen contains extremely resistant crystalline rocks associated with the Jotun Nappe Complex. Gabbroic rocks are especially widespread in parts of the region.

Gabbro is a dark, coarse-grained igneous rock composed principally of minerals such as plagioclase and pyroxene. The Geological Survey of Norway notes that large quantities of gabbro occur in Jotunheimen.

The present mountain landscape, however, is the result of far more than the original formation of the bedrock.

Major geological processes have included:

• Ancient igneous activity
• Metamorphism
• Caledonian mountain building
• Long periods of erosion
• Later uplift of the Scandinavian landscape
• Repeated Pleistocene glaciations

Glaciers were particularly important in producing the scenery seen today.

Ice carved broad valleys and steep-sided basins while sharpening mountain ridges. Modern glaciers such as Veobrean and Austre Memurubrean are remnants of a much more extensive glacial landscape.

Moraines and expanses of loose rock surrounding the Memurutindan provide visible evidence of continued glacial erosion and retreat.

🧊 Glaciers

Store Memurutinden is closely associated with several glaciers.

Veobrean

Veobrean lies north of the summit ridge and forms one of the defining features of this part of Jotunheimen.

Routes approaching Store Memurutinden from the Glitterheim and Veodalen side may involve travel across or beside Veobrean.

Austre Memurubrean

Austre Memurubrean occupies the great basin enclosed by the Memurutindan ridge system.

The glacier gives the massif much of its characteristic horseshoe-shaped geography.

Glacier Safety

Anyone contemplating a route that crosses a glacier should treat it as mountaineering rather than ordinary hiking.

Crevasses may be concealed by snow, and conditions vary tremendously through the season.

Jotunheimen National Park authorities specifically warn visitors that glacier crossings can be dangerous and recommend appropriate ropes, safety equipment, glacier knowledge, or qualified guiding.

🌿 Flora & Fauna

The upper slopes of Store Memurutinden are extremely harsh.

Rock, scree, snow, and ice dominate near the summit, and vegetation becomes scarce at these elevations.

Lower terrain within Jotunheimen supports a surprisingly rich alpine flora.

Plants adapted to the wider national park include:

• Dwarf willow
• Roseroot
• Saxifrages
• Alpine gentian
• Mountain heath vegetation
• Snowbed plants
• Lichens and mosses

Roseroot has been recorded at elevations reaching approximately 2,300 meters in Jotunheimen, illustrating how remarkably high some hardy plants can survive.

The wider mountain ecosystem also supports a variety of animals.

Reindeer

Reindeer are one of Jotunheimen’s defining animals.

The eastern parts of Jotunheimen support domesticated reindeer herds, while wild reindeer occur farther west, particularly toward the Hurrungane region.

Hikers should avoid approaching or disturbing reindeer.

Wolverine

Wolverines roam the Jotunheimen mountains and are among the major predators most likely to leave tracks or other signs in the high country.

Actual sightings remain uncommon.

Birds

Jotunheimen National Park supports a rich bird community, including ptarmigan and several birds of prey.

Approximately 75 breeding bird species have been recorded within the national park itself, with still greater diversity in the broader protected landscape.

The highest terrain immediately around Store Memurutinden is naturally much less biologically productive than the lower valleys and slopes.

🥾 Hiking & Climbing Routes

Store Memurutinden is a serious high-mountain objective.

Although its easiest approaches do not demand the sustained technical climbing associated with peaks such as Store Skagastølstind, the combination of distance, elevation, rough terrain, glaciers, navigation, and rapidly changing weather should not be underestimated.

From Spiterstulen

One of the principal approaches begins at Spiterstulen in Visdalen.

The route heads south through Visdalen before entering the Hellstugudalen area. Before reaching Hellstugubreen, climbers leave the main trail and ascend steeply toward Veoskardet.

From the high saddle, the route continues toward Store Memurutinden.

Spiterstulen describes this as the easiest general approach to the mountain.

Even so, this is a long outing through serious mountain terrain rather than a conventional maintained summit trail.

From Glitterheim and Veodalen

Store Memurutinden can also be approached from Glitterheim.

DNT describes a ski ascent that follows Veodalen toward Veobrean, continues up the glacier, and reaches the Memurutindan ridge before the final summit ascent.

Light scrambling may be required near the top.

Because the route involves glacier terrain, appropriate glacier-travel knowledge and equipment are essential.

Memurutindan Traverse

Far more ambitious climbers may undertake sections—or even a complete traverse—of the Memurutindan ridges.

The greater massif contains numerous summits above 2,000 meters arranged around Austre Memurubrean.

A full traverse can involve:

• Long distances
• Narrow ridges
• Exposed scrambling
• Steep rock
• Glacier travel
• Complex route-finding
• Rope work on harder variations

The ridge between Store Memurutinden’s principal summit points is considerably more exposed than the mountain’s easiest ascent.

🏔️ Field Guide Tip: Do not assume that because Store Memurutinden has a comparatively straightforward normal route it is an easy mountain. The approaches are long, much of the terrain is unmarked, and some variations cross glaciers. For visitors without glacier and alpine navigation experience, using a qualified local guide is the safer option.

🌤️ Best Time to Visit

The best general period for hiking in Jotunheimen is July through August, when trails and high-country routes are most likely to be free of seasonal snow.

Conditions on Store Memurutinden can remain wintry much longer.

Snowfields may persist well into summer, and fresh snow can fall at high elevations even during the normal hiking season.

Summer

July and August generally provide:

• The longest practical hiking season
• Relatively mild temperatures
• Long daylight hours
• Better access to mountain lodges
• Reduced snow cover on many ridges

Weather can still deteriorate very rapidly.

Fog is particularly important because Store Memurutinden lies in complex terrain where losing sight of ridges, glaciers, or descent routes can create serious navigation problems.

Early Autumn

September can offer clear air and quieter mountains, but temperatures fall rapidly and snow becomes increasingly likely.

Daylight hours also shorten.

Winter and Spring

Store Memurutinden is a ski-mountaineering objective during the snow season.

Spring can provide excellent ski-touring conditions from Glitterheim, but avalanche awareness, glacier skills, navigation experience, and winter equipment are essential.

🧭 Nearby Mountains & Attractions

Store Memurutinden occupies one of the most impressive mountain neighborhoods in Scandinavia.

Surtningssue

Surtningssue rises to approximately 2,368 meters southeast of Store Memurutinden.

Only a few meters separate their summit elevations, and Surtningssue is Store Memurutinden’s nearest higher neighbor.

Store Hellstugutinden

Store Hellstugutinden rises southwest of Store Memurutinden.

At approximately 2,345–2,347 meters depending on the mapping source, it is another of Norway’s highest mountains and dominates the adjoining Hellstugutindan ridge.

Glittertinden

Glittertinden lies to the north.

At approximately 2,452 meters of permanent ground elevation, it is Norway’s second-highest mountain and one of Jotunheimen’s best-known summits.

Galdhøpiggen

Farther west stands Galdhøpiggen, the highest mountain in Norway and all of northern Europe at 2,469 meters.

Austre Memurutinden

Austre Memurutinden rises east of Store Memurutinden and forms another major component of the Memurutindan massif.

It reaches roughly 2,300 meters and is separated from the highest Store Memurutinden summits by a complex landscape of ridges and glacial terrain.

Gjende

South of the massif lies the famous Gjende area.

The long turquoise lake is one of Jotunheimen’s signature landmarks and provides access to Memurubu, Besseggen, Bukkelægret, and many other hiking routes.

💡 Fun Facts

• Store Memurutinden is one of the ten highest mountains in Norway.
• Its highest summit is the eastern top, or Østtoppen.
• Depending on the mapping source, its elevation is listed between approximately 2,365 and 2,367 meters.
• Its nearest higher neighbor is Surtningssue, only about 5.8 kilometers away.
• Surtningssue is only a few meters higher.
• Store Memurutinden has roughly 331–337 meters of topographic prominence depending on the database.
• The mountain rises between major glaciers, including Veobrean and Austre Memurubrean.
• The Memurutindan massif contains numerous summits exceeding 2,000 meters.
• Store Memurutinden’s principal summit points are linked by a narrow and exposed ridge.
• DNT promotes Store Memurutinden as a spring ski-touring destination from Glitterheim.
• The summit provides extensive views across Jotunheimen, including toward Galdhøpiggen and the Gjende region.
• Store Memurutinden is significantly less visited than Norway’s most famous high peaks despite ranking among the country’s tallest mountains.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How high is Store Memurutinden?

The highest summit of Store Memurutinden is approximately 2,366 meters (7,762 feet) above sea level.

Some references give 2,367 meters, while Peakbagger’s current dataset gives approximately 2,365.4 meters.

Why are there different elevations for Store Memurutinden?

Several closely spaced summits form Store Memurutinden.

Older descriptions frequently use approximately 2,364 meters for the western summit, while modern peak lists identify the eastern summit—Store Memurutinden Østtoppen—as the highest at approximately 2,366–2,367 meters.

Small differences between mapping datasets add further variation.

Is Store Memurutinden one of Norway’s highest mountains?

Yes.

Using the highest eastern summit and the commonly applied Norwegian 50-meter prominence standard, Store Memurutinden ranks among approximately the eight to ten highest independent summits in Norway, depending on the dataset and treatment of closely connected summits.

What is Store Memurutinden’s prominence?

Peakbagger currently gives approximately 331 meters (1,087 feet) of prominence.

Other mountain databases calculate approximately 335–337 meters.

What is Store Memurutinden’s nearest higher neighbor?

The nearest higher neighbor is Surtningssue, approximately 5.8 kilometers away.

Surtningssue reaches about 2,368 meters.

What mountain range is Store Memurutinden in?

Store Memurutinden lies in Jotunheimen, which forms part of the larger Scandinavian Mountains.

Is Store Memurutinden inside a national park?

Yes.

The mountain is entirely within Jotunheimen National Park in Norway.

Can you hike Store Memurutinden?

Yes, but it is a demanding high-mountain ascent rather than an ordinary recreational hike.

Routes involve long distances, steep off-trail terrain, navigation, scrambling, and—depending on the approach—glacier travel.

What is the easiest route up Store Memurutinden?

Spiterstulen describes an approach from Visdalen and Hellstugudalen toward Veoskardet as the easiest general ascent.

Another well-known approach comes from Glitterheim through Veodalen and Veobrean, particularly as a ski tour.

Are glaciers involved in climbing Store Memurutinden?

They can be.

Some approaches involve Veobrean or other glaciated terrain. Glacier crossings require proper equipment and experience because hidden crevasses can occur.

When is the best time to climb Store Memurutinden?

For summer mountaineering, July and August generally offer the most favorable conditions.

Spring is popular for ski touring, although snow, glaciers, and avalanche terrain make specialized skills necessary.

Where is Store Memurutinden located?

Store Memurutinden is located in Lom Municipality, Innlandet county, Norway, within Jotunheimen National Park.

🔗 Related Articles

• Jotunheimen
• Surtingssue
• Store Hellstugutinden
• Glittertind
• Galdhøpiggen
• Mountains in Norway
• Scandinavian Mountains

📚 Sources

• Peakbagger — Norway Mainland 2,000 m Peaks — Peakbagger’s current dataset lists Store Memurutinden Østtoppen at approximately 2,365.4 meters, with about 331.3 meters of prominence and 5.81 kilometers of isolation.
• Peakbook — Store Memurutinden Østtoppen — Current Norwegian peak data lists the eastern summit at 2,366 meters with approximately 337 meters of vertical separation.
• Norwegian Mapping Authority — Store Memurutinden — Official place-name record confirming Store Memurutinden as the adopted Norwegian name in Lom Municipality, Innlandet.
• Store Memurutinden — PeakVisor — Lists the highest eastern summit at 2,367 meters and approximately 335 meters of prominence.
• Store Memurutinden — Wikipedia — Cross-check for location, elevation, prominence, isolation, parent peak, and surrounding mountains.
• Scandinavian Mountains — Store Memurutind — Detailed description of the Memurutindan massif, its glaciers, summit ridge, and approaches.
• Spiterstulen — Advanced and Extreme Hikes — Describes the principal Store Memurutinden approach from Spiterstulen through Visdalen and Hellstugudalen.
• UT.no — Ski Tour to Store Memurutinden — DNT route description for approaching Store Memurutinden from Glitterheim through Veodalen and Veobrean.
• Jotunheimen National Park — About the Protected Area — Official information on Jotunheimen’s landscape, hiking season, glaciers, flora, fauna, and glacier safety.
• Jotunheimen National Park — Wildlife — Official information on reindeer, wolverines, small mammals, and other wildlife within Jotunheimen.
• Jotunheimen National Park — Flora — Information on characteristic high-mountain plants including dwarf willow and roseroot.
• Geological Survey of Norway — Gabbro — Geological background on gabbro and its widespread occurrence in Jotunheimen.