Store Skagastølstind: Elevation, First Ascent, Climbing Routes & Fast Facts

Store Skagastølstind | Storen

Hurrungane mountains in the Jotunheimen National Park, Norway. | Santi Rodriguez

Rising to approximately 2,405 meters (7,890 feet) in the wild western mountains of Jotunheimen, Store Skagastølstind—better known simply as Storen—is Norway’s third-highest mountain and one of the most important climbing summits in Scandinavian history.

Unlike Galdhøpiggen and Glittertinden, Norway’s two higher mountains, Storen has no ordinary hiking route to the top. Every established summit route involves technical climbing, exposed mountain terrain, and the judgment required for a long day in one of Norway’s most alpine landscapes.

Storen is the highest mountain of Hurrungane, the jagged western section of Jotunheimen. Here the broad uplands found elsewhere in the Norwegian mountains give way to steep gabbro walls, narrow ridges, cirques, glaciers, couloirs, and sharp summits. Neighboring peaks include Vetle Skagastølstind, Midtre Skagastølstind, Sentraltind, Gjertvasstind, and Store Styggedalstind.

The mountain also occupies a special place in Norwegian climbing history. On July 21, 1876, British mountaineer William Cecil Slingsby made the first ascent. He had approached the mountain with Norwegian scholar Emanuel Mohn and local man Knut Lykken, but the other two turned back and Slingsby continued alone to the summit by the route now bearing his name.

That ascent became one of the defining moments in the development of Norwegian mountaineering. Slingsby is consequently remembered as one of the great pioneers of climbing in Norway, and Storen remains a symbolic mountain for generations of Norwegian climbers.

Today, the usual summer ascent starts at Turtagrø, follows Skagadalen toward Skagastølsbreen and the shelter at Bandet, then climbs increasingly steep terrain to Hjørnet. From there, climbers normally continue through the exposed Galleriet before choosing a line such as Heftyes Renne or Vigdals Sva for the final technical section. A complete round trip commonly requires about 12–15 hours, although conditions and party speed can make the day considerably longer.

⚡ Fast Facts

Fact	Details
Mountain	Store Skagastølstind
Common Name	Storen
Official Kartverket Main Name	Storen
Country	Norway
County	Vestland
Municipalities	Luster and Årdal
Mountain Area	Hurrungane
Larger Region	Jotunheimen
Mountain System	Scandinavian Mountains
Standard Elevation	2,405 m / 7,890 ft
Modern LiDAR Elevation	2,403.6 m / 7,886 ft
Prominence	Approximately 1,022 m / 3,353 ft
Isolation	Approximately 30.3 km / 18.83 mi
Key Col	Unnamed/terrain saddle at approximately 1,382 m
Nearest Higher Neighbor	Galdhøpiggen
Coordinates	Approximately 61.4612° N, 7.8720° E
Norway Elevation Rank	#3
Highest Mountain in Hurrungane	Yes
Principal Rock	Gabbro
Protected Area	Jotunheimen National Park
First Ascent	July 21, 1876
First Ascender	William Cecil Slingsby
First Woman to Summit	Therese Bertheau, July 30, 1894
First Winter Ascent	Easter 1923
First Winter Ascenders	Boye Schlytter and Fridthjof Lorentzen
Common Starting Point	Turtagrø
Turtagrø Elevation	Approximately 884 m
Mountain Shelter	Skagastølsbu / Hytta på Bandet
Bandet Elevation	Approximately 1,758 m
Popular Summit Lines	Heftyes Renne, Vigdals Sva
Typical Round Trip	Approximately 12–15 hours
Technical Summit?	Yes — climbing required

📍 Where Is Store Skagastølstind?

Store Skagastølstind stands in Vestland county in southern Norway, on the boundary between the municipalities of Luster and Årdal.

It is located in the Hurrungane mountains, the westernmost and most rugged part of Jotunheimen.

The mountain lies within Jotunheimen National Park, although the surrounding protected landscape also connects closely with Utladalen to the east.

The traditional approach begins from Turtagrø, an important historic mountain hotel beside the Sognefjellet road.

From Turtagrø, Skagadalen leads southeast into the heart of the Skagastølstindane.

The closer climbers travel toward Storen, the more dramatic the terrain becomes. Broad lower valleys gradually give way to glaciers, steep rock ribs, couloirs, and narrow ridges.

🏔️ Third-Highest Mountain in Norway

Store Skagastølstind is generally ranked as Norway’s third-highest mountain.

The country’s three highest principal summits are:

Galdhøpiggen — 2,469 m
Glittertinden — approximately 2,452 m bedrock
Store Skagastølstind — approximately 2,405 m

Storen is therefore only about 64 meters lower than Galdhøpiggen.

The experience of climbing the two mountains, however, is completely different.

Galdhøpiggen can be reached on established hiking or guided glacier routes.

Storen requires genuine technical climbing.

That distinction has made Store Skagastølstind one of Norway’s most coveted summits despite ranking only third by elevation.

📏 How High Is Store Skagastølstind?

Most Norwegian reference sources use:

2,405 meters / 7,890 feet

for the summit.

Modern Norwegian LiDAR analyzed by Peakbagger gives:

2,403.6 meters / 7,886 feet

using the NN2000 vertical datum.

Older national mapping has also produced figures around 2,405–2,406 meters.

These measurements are close enough that they do not represent any meaningful disagreement about the mountain’s position.

For a general mountain profile, 2,405 meters remains the most recognizable and widely used figure.

The LiDAR value is useful for more precise topographic calculations.

📐 Topographic Prominence

Peakbagger’s current LiDAR-based data give Storen approximately:

1,022 meters / 3,353 feet

of clean topographic prominence.

Its key col lies at approximately:

1,382 meters / 4,535 feet

Prominence measures how far the summit rises above the highest saddle connecting it with higher terrain.

More than one vertical kilometer of prominence is substantial.

It confirms that Store Skagastølstind is not merely a small high point attached to another Jotunheimen mountain.

It is a strongly independent summit.

🌍 Topographic Isolation

Storen has approximately:

30.3 kilometers / 18.83 miles

of true topographic isolation.

The nearest higher terrain lies toward:

Galdhøpiggen

to the northeast.

That means no mountain or ridge reaches Storen’s elevation for more than 30 kilometers.

Given the concentration of very high mountains throughout Jotunheimen, this is an impressive amount of isolation.

🧭 Nearest Higher Neighbor: Galdhøpiggen

Peakbagger identifies Galdhøpiggen as Storen’s Nearest Higher Neighbor.

Galdhøpiggen reaches:

2,469 meters / 8,100 feet

and is the highest mountain in Norway, the Scandinavian Mountains, and Northern Europe.

Despite both mountains belonging to Jotunheimen, their characters are remarkably different.

Galdhøpiggen is a broad high mountain surrounded by glaciers and rocky slopes.

Storen is a much sharper climbing peak defined by steep walls and narrow ridges.

👑 Highest Mountain in Hurrungane

Store Skagastølstind is the highest summit of Hurrungane.

Other major Hurrungane peaks include:

Store Styggedalstind — approximately 2,387 m
Gjertvasstind — approximately 2,351 m
Sentraltind — approximately 2,348 m
Vetle Skagastølstind — approximately 2,340 m
Midtre Skagastølstind — approximately 2,284 m
Store Austanbotntind — approximately 2,204 m

Hurrungane contains numerous mountains above 2,000 meters and possesses some of the most technically demanding terrain in Norway.

Store norske leksikon describes Hurrungane as the westernmost and wildest summit region of Jotunheimen.

Storen dominates this landscape.

🏔️ The Skagastølstindane

Store Skagastølstind belongs to the ridge system known collectively as the Skagastølstindane.

Important summits include:

Store Skagastølstind — Storen

The highest and most famous summit.

Vetle Skagastølstind

Approximately 2,340 meters.

Midtre Skagastølstind

Approximately 2,284 meters.

Nørdre Skagastølstind

Approximately 2,167 meters.

Skagastølsnebbet

Approximately 2,222 meters.

Together, these peaks form one of Norway’s great alpine ridge systems.

The complete Skagastøls traverse is substantially more difficult and committing than the normal climb of Storen alone.

🏷️ Storen or Store Skagastølstind?

Both names are used.

Interestingly, Norway’s official place-name register currently gives:

Storen

as the approved and prioritized main name.

Store Skagastølstinden appears as a secondary name form, while Store Skagastølstind is extremely common in mountaineering literature and modern usage.

The simple name Storen means approximately:

“The Big One.”

Given the mountain’s position as the dominant summit of Hurrungane, the nickname is appropriate.

🏷️ Where Does Skagastølstind Come From?

The longer name derives from:

Skagastølen

a traditional mountain-farm or summer-pasture name.

Store norske leksikon traces the name element to skage, referring to something that projects or sticks outward.

Tind means a pointed mountain summit or peak.

The full name therefore connects the mountain with both the local landscape and the traditional agricultural use of the valleys below.

🪨 Geology of Store Skagastølstind

Store Skagastølstind is a gabbro mountain.

That is an important correction to descriptions that loosely call the mountain granite.

Gabbro is a dark, coarse-grained igneous rock that forms when magma cools slowly beneath Earth’s surface.

It is compositionally different from granite.

Gabbro generally contains minerals such as:

Plagioclase feldspar
Pyroxene
Olivine in some varieties

Compared with pale granitic mountain landscapes, the dark rock of Hurrungane gives Storen a particularly severe appearance.

🪨 Why Gabbro Matters

The hardness and resistance of gabbro help explain why Hurrungane contains such sharp relief.

More easily eroded rocks can wear down comparatively quickly.

The resistant Jotunheimen rocks survived prolonged erosion while glaciers cut deeply around them.

The result was a landscape containing:

Sharp summits
Steep walls
Narrow ridges
Hanging valleys
Deep cirques

Store Skagastølstind is one of the finest examples.

🌍 The Jotun Nappe Complex

The rocks of Jotunheimen belong broadly to the Jotun–Valdres Nappe Complex.

A nappe is a large sheet of rock that has been transported over other geological units by major tectonic movement.

During the Caledonian mountain-building event, enormous sheets of crust were thrust across Scandinavia as ancient continental masses converged and the Iapetus Ocean closed.

The rocks themselves may be much older than the Caledonian deformation.

They were transported, stacked, faulted, and uplifted during the creation of the ancient Caledonian mountains.

🌍 The Caledonian Mountains

The Caledonian Orogeny occurred hundreds of millions of years ago.

It resulted from collision involving ancient Laurentia, Baltica, and intervening oceanic or continental fragments.

The original Caledonian mountains may have rivaled modern great mountain ranges in scale.

Over immense periods of time, those mountains were deeply eroded.

Later uplift raised parts of Scandinavia again.

Modern erosion and glaciation then carved the landscape visible today.

Storen is therefore not simply the unchanged remnant of a single ancient peak.

Its current form is much younger than the tectonic events recorded in its rocks.

🧊 Glacial Sculpture of Hurrungane

Ice has played an enormous role in shaping Store Skagastølstind.

During repeated Pleistocene glaciations, glaciers occupied the valleys on nearly every side of Hurrungane.

Moving ice:

Deepened valleys
Excavated cirques
Steepened mountain walls
Sharpened ridges
Removed fractured rock
Deposited moraines

Where glaciers eroded opposite sides of a ridge, narrow arêtes developed.

Where several cirques cut into one mountain mass, sharp peaks remained.

This process helped create the distinctive alpine form of Storen.

🧊 Glaciers Around Storen

Several glaciers are associated with the broader Skagastølstindane and Hurrungane landscape.

Important nearby ice bodies include:

Skagastølsbreen
Slingsbybreen
Styggedalsbreen
Gjertvassbreen

Climbing routes historically interacted much more directly with these glaciers.

Slingsby’s original route, for example, approached through terrain associated with the glacier now named Slingsbybreen.

Modern glacier retreat has changed portions of the terrain.

🧊 Skagastølsbreen

The normal approach from Turtagrø travels through Skagadalen toward Skagastølsbreen and Bandet.

Conditions around the glacier and snowfields vary greatly from year to year.

Early in summer, snow can simplify some terrain while creating other hazards.

Later in the season, snow and ice may become harder, thinner, or more broken.

Depending on conditions and route choice, climbers may need:

Crampons
Ice axe
Rope
Glacier-travel skills

Current local information is essential.

🧊 Slingsbybreen

Slingsbybreen lies beneath the mountain and preserves the name of the first ascender.

Slingsby’s original 1876 line approached the mountain differently from today’s most popular route.

The original route involved glacier travel and the north ridge rather than the now-standard climbing through Hjørnet, Galleriet, and Heftyes Renne.

Modern changes to the glacier have made the historical line less commonly used.

📉 Retreating Glaciers

Hurrungane’s glaciers are retreating.

The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate has monitored Styggedalsbreen since 1901.

Long-term measurements show substantial retreat.

By 2019, the glacier front had withdrawn more than 600 meters from its 1901 position, and retreat has continued in subsequent years.

Recent monitoring also documents major changes to other Hurrungane glaciers.

Although Styggedalsbreen is not Storen’s summit glacier, it provides strong evidence of the wider changes occurring throughout the massif.

These changes affect:

Glacier crossings
Snowfield access
Rockfall
Meltwater
Route conditions

Historic descriptions should therefore never replace current information.

🏆 First Ascent — July 21, 1876

The first ascent of Store Skagastølstind was completed on:

July 21, 1876

by British climber:

William Cecil Slingsby

Slingsby approached with:

Emanuel Mohn
Knut Lykken

but only Slingsby reached the summit.

He continued alone along the route now known as Slingsby’s Route or the north ridge route.

The achievement became one of the pivotal moments in Norwegian mountaineering history.

🇬🇧 William Cecil Slingsby

William Cecil Slingsby became one of the greatest early explorers of Norway’s mountains.

Between the 1870s and early twentieth century, he visited Norway repeatedly and participated in first ascents of dozens of peaks.

Store norske leksikon credits him with roughly 45 first ascents in Norway.

Storen remains his most famous achievement.

The climb was particularly important because the mountain had been regarded as extremely difficult or perhaps inaccessible.

Slingsby’s success demonstrated what was possible using technical climbing skills developed partly in the Alps.

🇳🇴 Emanuel Mohn

Emanuel Mohn was an important Norwegian mountain writer and scholar.

He played a significant role in developing Norwegian enthusiasm for high-mountain travel.

Mohn accompanied Slingsby during the 1876 attempt but did not continue to the summit.

His writings later helped popularize Jotunheimen and contributed to the developing culture of Norwegian mountaineering.

🧗 Knut Lykken

Knut Lykken was the third member of the 1876 party.

Like Mohn, he stopped below the summit while Slingsby continued alone.

Their collective approach remains an important part of the story because Slingsby did not begin the day as a completely solitary climber.

The final summit ascent, however, was his alone.

🧗 Slingsby’s Route

The original first-ascent line approached via glacier terrain and continued toward the north ridge.

It became known as:

Slingsbyruta — Slingsby’s Route

The route is still recognized today but is less commonly used than the modern Heftye/Vigdal lines.

Glacial change has affected the historical approach.

The route remains a serious mountaineering objective requiring glacier, snow, rock, and navigation experience.

🤔 Harder Than the Matterhorn?

Slingsby later climbed some of the great peaks of the Alps.

In 1879, he climbed:

Mont Blanc
Weisshorn
Matterhorn

After climbing the Matterhorn, Slingsby reportedly judged it less difficult than Store Skagastølstind.

Modern route grades should not be compared directly with nineteenth-century experience, equipment, or conditions.

Nevertheless, the remark shows how seriously Slingsby regarded Storen.

🧗 Second Ascent

The second ascent came only two years later.

Harald Petersen climbed Slingsby’s route alone on:

July 26, 1878

The climb demonstrated that the mountain was no longer regarded as impossible.

However, the technical difficulties and long approach meant Storen would remain a serious climbing summit rather than becoming an ordinary tourist mountain.

🧗 Heftyes Route

A major development occurred on:

July 14, 1880

when Johannes Thomassen Heftye, accompanied by guides Jens Klingenberg and Peder Melheim, climbed a new route.

The key feature became known as:

Heftyes Renne

or Heftye’s Couloir/Chimney.

This line eventually became the most famous and commonly used summit passage.

Modern variations near Heftyes Renne form the heart of Storen’s normal climbing route.

🧗 Vigdals Sva

In 1890, climber Hans Olsen Vigdal made a solo ascent using a new line beside Heftyes route.

The section became known as:

Vigdals Sva

or Vigdal’s Slab.

Today, climbers approaching from Hjørnet frequently choose between:

Heftyes Renne
Vigdals Sva

depending on conditions, preference, traffic, and guide judgment.

👩 First Woman on the Summit

Therese Bertheau became the first woman known to reach the summit of Store Skagastølstind on:

July 30, 1894

Her party included:

Joachim Holmboe Aarestrup
Andreas Saxegaard
Torstein Røine

Store norske leksikon lists their line as Vigdals Sva or Tandbergs Renne.

Bertheau became an important figure in Norwegian mountaineering during an era when technical climbing remained overwhelmingly male-dominated.

River stream coming down from the mountains of Hurrungane in Jotunheimen, Norway | Lillian Tveit

❄️ First Winter Ascent

The first winter ascent took place during Easter 1923.

The climbers were:

Boye Schlytter
Fridthjof Lorentzen

They climbed through the southwest wall using Andrews Renne, named after British climber Arthur Westlake Andrews.

The route later became one of the mountain’s important winter lines.

Winter on Storen adds snow, ice, avalanche hazard, cold, and short periods of stable weather to an already serious mountain.

🧱 South Face

In the summer of 1927, climbers:

Boye Schlytter
Ola H. Furuseth
Asbjørn Gunneng

completed the approximately 350-meter South Face.

For many years, this route was considered one of Norway’s hardest rock climbs.

Its ascent represented a shift in Norwegian climbing.

Early mountaineers were primarily trying to find any workable route to major summits.

By the twentieth century, climbers increasingly sought difficult direct lines on steep walls even when easier summit routes were already known.

🧱 West Face

Exactly one century after Slingsby’s first ascent, another milestone occurred.

In 1976, climbers:

Hans Petter Fernander
Ulf Geir Hansen

climbed the West Face.

The route contains steep, difficult climbing on generally solid rock and is regarded as one of the outstanding harder climbs in Jotunheimen.

Storen now contains around 20 recognized route alternatives, illustrating how much Norwegian climbing developed after Slingsby’s pioneering day.

🥾 Can You Hike Store Skagastølstind?

No.

Store Skagastølstind is not an ordinary hiking summit.

All recognized summit routes require technical climbing competence and broad mountain experience.

The normal outing may involve:

Steep scrambling
Snowfields
Glacier terrain
Exposed rock
Roped climbing
Rappelling
Route-finding
Long hours of sustained movement

Strong hiking fitness alone is not enough.

People without the required climbing and mountaineering skills commonly climb with a professional mountain guide.

🏨 Starting at Turtagrø

The normal ascent begins from Turtagrø Hotel, at approximately:

884 meters / 2,900 feet

Turtagrø has played a central role in Norwegian climbing culture for generations.

Its position beneath Hurrungane makes it a natural base for routes on:

Storen
Skagastølsryggen
Dyrhaugstindane
Austanbotntindane
Ringstindane

A Storen summit day normally begins very early.

Current guides may leave between approximately 4:00 and 6:00 a.m. depending on weather, conditions, and expected route traffic.

🥾 Skagadalen

From Turtagrø, climbers hike into Skagadalen.

The lower approach is straightforward compared with the mountain above, but the complete summit day is long.

The valley provides increasingly dramatic views of the Skagastølstindane.

The route passes the region of the Norwegian Alpine Club’s Skagadalshytta before continuing toward glacier and high-mountain terrain.

🛖 Hytta på Bandet

At approximately:

1,758 meters / 5,768 feet

lies Skagastølsbu, commonly called:

Hytta på Bandet

The original shelter was established by DNT in 1890.

Today, it is preserved as an emergency shelter rather than an ordinary staffed tourist hut.

Bandet marks an important transition.

Below it, the outing is predominantly a strenuous mountain approach.

Above it, the terrain becomes increasingly technical.

From Turtagrø, strong parties commonly take around three hours to reach Bandet.

🧗 The Svaene

Above Bandet, the route climbs steepening terrain.

One of the important sections is known as:

Svaene

Here, slabs and steeper rock often require rope protection.

Above the slabs, easier scrambling and route-finding lead toward Hjørnet.

This part of the route illustrates why Storen should not be described simply by the grade of its hardest climbing move.

Many hours of complicated terrain come before and after the crux.

📐 Hjørnet

Hjørnet, meaning “The Corner,” lies roughly 90–100 vertical meters below the summit.

This is the point where the modern normal route becomes unmistakably technical and exposed.

From Hjørnet, enormous views open down toward the glaciers and walls below.

Climbers often organize equipment here before entering the upper climbing section.

🧗 Galleriet

Beyond Hjørnet, the route traverses:

Galleriet — “The Gallery.”

This exposed ledge system crosses the mountain toward the upper climbing lines.

The terrain is airy and spectacular.

Eventually, climbers reach the area beneath Heftyes Renne and Vigdals Sva.

The exact line and rope strategy depend on:

Party experience
Conditions
Congestion
Guide preference

🧗 Heftyes Renne

Heftyes Renne is the best-known modern summit passage.

The route includes a short section of comparatively steep climbing.

Different guides and route descriptions give somewhat different grades depending on the exact line and grading interpretation, but the hardest moves are commonly placed around Norwegian grade 4 to 5-, while much of the surrounding climbing is easier.

The crux is short.

The consequences of a fall are not.

Proper rope protection is essential.

🧗 Vigdals Sva

Vigdals Sva provides another common alternative.

The route climbs slabby rock near Heftyes Renne.

Some guided parties now prefer this line depending on conditions and congestion.

Both options eventually reach easier upper terrain leading toward the summit.

Neither makes Storen a hiking peak.

The difference is simply which technical passage is used.

🏔️ The Summit

Once above the principal climbing difficulties, comparatively easier terrain leads toward the summit.

At 2,405 meters, climbers stand on the third-highest mountain in Norway.

The panorama can include much of western Jotunheimen:

Store Styggedalstind
Gjertvasstind
Sentraltind
Vetle Skagastølstind
Dyrhaugstindane
Austanbotntindane
distant Jotunheimen summits
surrounding glaciers and valleys

Reaching the top is only half the climb.

The technical descent still lies ahead.

🪢 Rappelling from the Summit

Modern guided descents commonly use a long rappel from just below the summit area back toward Hjørnet.

Turtagrø describes a rappel of approximately:

40 meters

while other route descriptions use somewhat longer figures depending on the exact anchor and line.

After reaching Hjørnet, climbers continue down the slabs and reverse the long approach toward Bandet and Turtagrø.

Rappelling is a serious part of the climb.

Errors involving anchors, rope length, knots, or communication can have severe consequences.

⏱️ How Long Does Storen Take?

Current Turtagrø guidance suggests approximately:

12–15 hours round trip

from Turtagrø.

Store norske leksikon gives a broader range of:

10–20 hours

depending on route, conditions, traffic, and climber speed.

The outing involves roughly:

1,500 meters of total ascent

over approximately:

18 kilometers

on typical modern guided itineraries.

A climber must therefore combine technical competence with strong endurance.

🧗 Why Storen Can Become Crowded

Fine summer weather in Hurrungane can be limited.

When a stable forecast finally arrives, many guided and independent parties may attempt the mountain simultaneously.

The upper normal route contains narrow passages where overtaking is difficult.

Queues can form around:

Galleriet
Heftyes Renne
Vigdals Sva
Rappel stations

A delayed party may spend much longer on the mountain than expected.

Early starts are therefore valuable for more than weather alone.

🌦️ Weather

Western Jotunheimen receives strong maritime influence from the Norwegian west coast.

Conditions can change rapidly.

Climbers may encounter:

Rain
Snow
Sleet
Fog
Strong wind
Cold
Thunderstorms

even during summer.

Wet gabbro can become significantly more difficult to climb.

Fog can make route-finding challenging.

A route that feels manageable in warm, dry weather can become serious in rain, wind, or fresh snow.

🌨️ Snow

Snow often persists on high sections well into summer.

Depending on the year and season, snowfields may require:

Crampons
Ice axe
Careful step-kicking
Rope protection

Late summer may expose more loose rock as snow disappears.

Conditions can therefore change the character of the route substantially during a single climbing season.

⚠️ Rockfall

Some sections of Storen contain loose rock.

Rockfall can be triggered by:

Climbers
Freeze-thaw
Melting snow
Rain
Natural instability

Helmets are essential.

Crowded gullies demand particular caution because stones dislodged by one party can threaten climbers below.

Andrews Renne is especially known for potential loose rock.

⚠️ Exposure

Storen is famous for exposure.

The upper mountain contains ledges and climbing passages with very large drops beneath them.

This can be psychologically demanding even when the technical moves themselves are moderate.

Climbers should be comfortable:

Moving on exposed terrain
Trusting rope systems
Climbing while carrying a pack
Rappelling
Continuing safely while tired

⚠️ Navigation

The mountain contains many ribs, slabs, gullies, ledges, and false lines.

Good route-finding matters.

This becomes especially important below Hjørnet, where the easiest path through the terrain may not be obvious.

Fog can make the problem considerably worse.

For broader route-finding skills, see Mountain Navigation: Maps, Compass, GPS & Route-Finding Guide.

🧗 Should You Hire a Guide?

Experienced climbers with appropriate technical skills can climb Storen independently.

For people without those skills, using a qualified mountain guide is the sensible option.

A guide helps manage:

Route choice
Rope protection
Rappelling
Snow conditions
Weather
Timing
Traffic
Emergency decisions

Several professional guiding operations run Storen ascents from the Turtagrø area during the summer season.

❄️ Winter Climbing

Winter Store Skagastølstind is a far more serious undertaking than the normal summer climb.

Potential difficulties include:

Deep snow
Avalanche conditions
Ice
Mixed climbing
Extreme cold
Short daylight
Buried route features
Cornices

The first winter ascent in 1923 demonstrated that the mountain could be climbed under snow and ice conditions, but winter Storen remains firmly within advanced mountaineering.

🏞️ Jotunheimen National Park

Store Skagastølstind lies within Jotunheimen National Park.

The park was established in:

1980

and protects approximately 1,151 square kilometers of high mountain terrain.

Jotunheimen contains:

Norway’s highest mountains
Glaciers
Alpine lakes
Deep valleys
High plateaus
Rich mountain ecosystems

Hurrungane forms the particularly wild western section of this protected landscape.

🌿 Flora and Fauna

The summit of Store Skagastølstind consists almost entirely of:

Bare rock
Scree
Snow
Ice

Vegetation is extremely limited near 2,400 meters.

Lower elevations are considerably richer.

Jotunheimen contains an ecological transition from lush mountain valleys through birch forest and alpine heath to nearly barren high peaks.

Approximately half of the national park has very little or no vegetation and consists mainly of rock, sediment, snow, and ice.

🌳 Mountain Birch

Lower valleys contain mountain birch forest.

Birch is particularly well adapted to the cold and snowy conditions near the Norwegian treeline.

Its flexible stems can tolerate:

Heavy snow
Wind
Short growing seasons

Above the forest, woody vegetation quickly becomes lower and more scattered.

🌱 Alpine Heath

Above the treeline, the landscape supports:

Dwarf shrubs
Heath
Lichens
Mosses
Snowbed vegetation
Alpine grasses

Plants must survive long winters and a very short summer growing season.

Snow distribution can be as important as elevation.

Wind-scoured ridges and deep snowbeds may support completely different plant communities only a short distance apart.

🌸 Glacier Buttercup

One of Jotunheimen’s most remarkable plants is the glacier buttercup, Ranunculus glacialis.

It is Norway’s highest-growing flowering plant.

Within Jotunheimen, it has been recorded as high as approximately:

2,370 meters

near Glittertinden.

Other high-elevation plants include:

Moss campion
Purple saxifrage
Roseroot
Dwarf willow

The exact flora around Storen depends strongly on the nutrient-poor gabbro terrain and local snow conditions.

🌿 Dwarf Willow

Dwarf willow, Salix herbacea, is sometimes described as one of the world’s smallest woody plants.

Most of the plant remains close to or beneath the ground.

This helps protect it from wind and cold.

Its tiny leaves appear in snowbeds as melting progresses through summer.

It also provides useful forage for reindeer.

🦌 Wild Reindeer

The western Jotunheimen landscape, including Hurrungane, provides habitat for wild reindeer.

The Western Jotunheimen wild-reindeer area currently supports a relatively small population, with the national park authority describing a winter herd of roughly 400 animals.

Reindeer are highly sensitive to repeated disturbance.

If animals are encountered, visitors should:

Keep substantial distance
Avoid approaching for photographs
Move quietly away
Keep dogs controlled

The mountain environment is their habitat rather than simply a recreational landscape.

🐾 Wolverine

Wolverines occur in Jotunheimen.

The national park authority describes them as the large predator visitors are most likely to encounter—or at least find tracks from—in the high mountains.

Actual sightings remain uncommon.

Wolverines have enormous territories and survive as both hunters and scavengers.

Their ability to live in severe high-mountain winters makes them one of Scandinavia’s most remarkable mammals.

🦅 Birds of Prey

Around 75 breeding bird species have been recorded within Jotunheimen National Park, and the protected landscape is important for several birds of prey.

Potential high-mountain species include:

Rough-legged buzzard
Golden eagle
Gyrfalcon in suitable areas

Rock ptarmigan also occupy barren upper mountain environments.

Vegetated valleys support a much wider range of birds.

🐦 Ptarmigan

Rock ptarmigan are particularly well adapted to high mountain terrain.

Their plumage changes seasonally to provide camouflage.

During winter, predominantly white plumage helps them disappear into snow.

In summer, mottled feathers blend with rock and tundra.

They survive at elevations and in conditions where few other birds remain year-round.

🌍 Why Store Skagastølstind Matters

Store Skagastølstind holds a position in Norwegian mountaineering that elevation alone cannot explain.

It is:

Norway’s third-highest mountain
The highest summit of Hurrungane
More than 1,000 meters prominent
Over 30 kilometers from higher terrain
Built from resistant gabbro
Sculpted into a sharp alpine peak by glaciers
The site of William Cecil Slingsby’s legendary 1876 first ascent
Closely connected with the birth of Norwegian climbing culture
A genuine technical summit rather than a hiking peak
Protected within Jotunheimen National Park

Galdhøpiggen may be higher.

Glittertinden may stand second.

But among climbers, Storen has a status completely its own.

Its summit must be earned through a long approach, exposed rock, technical climbing, careful descent, and enough endurance to remain focused for an entire mountain day.

That is why, almost 150 years after Slingsby first stood on top, Store Skagastølstind remains one of Norway’s defining mountains.

💡 Store Skagastølstind Fun Facts

Store Skagastølstind is commonly called Storen.
Storen means approximately “The Big One.”
Kartverket lists Storen as the prioritized official main name.
The mountain is Norway’s third-highest principal summit.
It is the highest mountain in Hurrungane.
Norwegian sources generally give an elevation of 2,405 meters.
Modern LiDAR gives approximately 2,403.6 meters.
Peakbagger gives about 1,022 meters of prominence.
The mountain’s key col is approximately 1,382 meters high.
Its true isolation is approximately 30.3 kilometers.
Its Nearest Higher Neighbor is Galdhøpiggen.
Storen is built primarily from gabbro, not granite.
Glaciers helped carve its sharp walls and ridges.
William Cecil Slingsby made the first ascent on July 21, 1876.
Emanuel Mohn and Knut Lykken approached with Slingsby but did not reach the summit.
Slingsby completed the final ascent alone.
The ascent became a landmark in Norwegian climbing history.
Harald Petersen made the second ascent in 1878.
Johannes Heftye established Heftyes route in 1880.
Hans Olsen Vigdal established Vigdals Sva in 1890.
Therese Bertheau became the first woman to summit in 1894.
Boye Schlytter and Fridthjof Lorentzen made the first winter ascent in 1923.
The South Face was climbed in 1927.
The West Face was climbed in 1976, exactly a century after the first ascent.
Around 20 recognized climbing-route alternatives now reach the summit.
The normal modern ascent starts from Turtagrø.
Turtagrø sits at approximately 884 meters.
Hytta på Bandet lies at approximately 1,758 meters.
Hjørnet lies roughly 100 vertical meters below the summit.
Heftyes Renne and Vigdals Sva are common final-route options.
The normal outing commonly requires 12–15 hours.
A complete trip gains roughly 1,500 meters.
There is no nontechnical hiking route to the summit.
Store Skagastølstind lies within Jotunheimen National Park.
Wild reindeer inhabit western Jotunheimen and Hurrungane.

❓ Store Skagastølstind FAQ

How high is Store Skagastølstind?

The commonly used Norwegian elevation is 2,405 meters (7,890 feet).

Modern Norwegian LiDAR gives approximately 2,403.6 meters (7,886 feet).

Where is Store Skagastølstind?

The mountain lies in Hurrungane in western Jotunheimen, Vestland county, Norway, on the boundary between Luster and Årdal municipalities.

What is Storen?

Storen is the common and officially prioritized name for Store Skagastølstind.

The word means approximately “The Big One.”

Is Store Skagastølstind the highest mountain in Norway?

No.

It is Norway’s third-highest mountain after Galdhøpiggen and Glittertinden.

Is Storen the highest mountain in Hurrungane?

Yes.

It is the highest summit in the Hurrungane massif.

How prominent is Store Skagastølstind?

Current LiDAR-based Peakbagger data give approximately 1,022 meters (3,353 feet) of clean topographic prominence.

What is Storen’s key col?

Peakbagger gives a key-col elevation of approximately 1,382 meters.

How isolated is Storen?

Its true topographic isolation is approximately 30.3 kilometers (18.83 miles).

What is its Nearest Higher Neighbor?

The Nearest Higher Neighbor is Galdhøpiggen.

What type of rock is Store Skagastølstind made of?

The mountain consists primarily of gabbro.

Is Storen granite?

No.

Although some descriptions casually refer to it as granite, Norwegian geological references identify the bedrock as gabbro.

Is Store Skagastølstind a volcano?

No.

It is an ancient crystalline mountain shaped by tectonics, uplift, erosion, and glaciation.

Was Storen glaciated?

Yes.

Ice Age glaciers were fundamental in sculpting Hurrungane’s steep valleys, cirques, ridges, and peaks.

Are there glaciers near Storen today?

Yes.

Nearby glaciers and ice bodies include Skagastølsbreen and Slingsbybreen, with larger glaciers elsewhere in Hurrungane such as Styggedalsbreen.

Are Hurrungane’s glaciers shrinking?

Yes.

Long-term NVE measurements document substantial glacier retreat throughout the region.

Who first climbed Store Skagastølstind?

British mountaineer William Cecil Slingsby made the first ascent.

When was Storen first climbed?

The first ascent occurred on July 21, 1876.

Did Slingsby climb alone?

He approached the mountain with Emanuel Mohn and Knut Lykken, but they stopped below the summit.

Slingsby completed the final summit ascent alone.

Who was the first woman to climb Storen?

Therese Bertheau became the first known woman to reach the summit on July 30, 1894.

When was the first winter ascent?

Boye Schlytter and Fridthjof Lorentzen completed the first winter ascent during Easter 1923.

Can you hike Store Skagastølstind?

No.

There is no nontechnical hiking route to the summit.

All established summit routes require climbing competence and substantial mountain experience.

What is the normal route?

The common modern route begins at Turtagrø, passes through Skagadalen and Bandet, climbs to Hjørnet, crosses Galleriet, and then uses a line such as Heftyes Renne or Vigdals Sva to reach the summit.

How difficult is Heftyes Renne?

The steepest climbing is commonly described around Norwegian grade 4 to 5-, depending on the exact line and grading source.

The overall climb is more serious than the short technical crux suggests.

How long does Storen take?

A typical modern guided round trip from Turtagrø takes approximately 12–15 hours.

Some parties may require substantially longer.

How much elevation gain is involved?

Typical guided itineraries involve roughly 1,500 meters of total climbing.

Do you need a guide?

Experienced climbers with appropriate technical mountain skills may climb independently.

People without climbing, rope, rappelling, and route-finding competence should use a qualified guide.

Where does the climb start?

The traditional starting point is Turtagrø Hotel.

What is Hytta på Bandet?

Skagastølsbu, commonly called Hytta på Bandet, is a historic emergency shelter at approximately 1,758 meters between Skagastølsdalen and Midtmaradalen.

What is Hjørnet?

Hjørnet is an important feature roughly 90–100 vertical meters below the summit where the normal route enters its more exposed technical climbing.

What wildlife lives around Storen?

The wider Hurrungane and Jotunheimen region supports wild reindeer, wolverines, ptarmigan, birds of prey, and many other mountain species.

Hurrungane in Jotunheimen, Norway | Lillian Tveit

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