Botnafjellet
1,572 m
Norway
Also known as BlåeggaAlso known as
Blåegga
- Elevation
- 1,572 m
- Prominence
- 1,338 m
- Difficulty
- 1/10
- Easy walk
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2A marked (red T) path from the summer farm Ytre Kandalsstøylen (about 480 m) above Breimsvatnet climbs the east side of the valley to Øykjeheia and the lake Øykjeheivatnet (887 m), then the north-east ridge to the broad summit plateau. About 6.5 km and 1,100 m of ascent one way; signed 3 hours to the top, about 6 hours return.
About 100% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 5 check notes
- 100% approximate geometry
- low confidence 0.4
- Ytre Kandalsstøylen → Øykjeheivatnet: dem (snap_failed, 2.9 km)
- Øykjeheivatnet → Botnafjellet: dem (snap_failed, 2.7 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Øykjeheia
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 5.6 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,090 m
- start → summit
- High Point
- 1,572 m
- Time Up
- 4h 20m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 2h 54m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Turn off the E39 between Sandane and Breim at the sign for Kandal and follow the road along the west side of Breimsvatnet to Ytre Kandal. Just after the river crossing in the hamlet, take the toll road (self-service payment) to Ytre Kandalsstøylen/Nesstøylen at about 480–500 m. Just before the road crosses the river, a signpost (1.5 hours to Øykjeheia, 3 hours to Blåegga, the local name for the mountain) marks the start. The red-T-marked path follows the east side of the river a short way south into the valley, then climbs steadily to Øykjeheia and Øykjeheivatnet (887 m), a good place for a break. Pass along the west side of the lake on easy ground, then climb the north-east ridge/shoulder to the large, flat summit plateau and the cairn on the trig point. In clear weather walk a little north of the cairn for the view straight down into Sørsendalen. Return the same way.
Start
Ytre Kandalsstøylen487 m
- Buses rarely run to Kandal (ut.no).
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ytre Kandalsstøylen → Botnafjellet | 5.6 | 1,090 | 7 | 4h 20m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Ytre Kandalsstøylen487 m
End of the Kandal toll road; trail sign for Øykjeheia and Blåegga
- Feature: Øykjeheivatnet887 m
Pass on the west side
- Summit: Botnafjellet1,572 m
Key Passages
- Climb to Øykjeheia
- North-east ridge onto the summit plateau
Equipment
0/4 packedDownloads
Route confidence 40%Overview
A broad, flat-topped massif with small glaciers rising west of Breimsvatnet in Gloppen, with more than 1,300 m of prominence. Locally called Blåegga, it is reached by a marked path from the Kandal summer farms in about 3 hours, and is a serious spring ski tour through avalanche-prone Sørsendalen.
Botnafjellet stands in Gloppen municipality in Nordfjord, Vestland, between Breimsvatnet and the Sandane valley. With about 1,338 m of prominence it is one of about 85 Norwegian summits with more than 1,000 m of prominence and carries a first-order trigonometric point. The summit is a large plateau above steep north walls; small glaciers such as Blåbreen and Sørsendalsbreen lie in the cirques around it, and the sharper ridge of Blåegga (about 1,530 m) runs south. Locally the whole mountain is often called Blåegga.
The usual summer ascent starts at Ytre Kandalsstøylen, reached by a toll road from the hamlet of Ytre Kandal on the west shore of Breimsvatnet. A red-T-marked path climbs to Øykjeheia and the lake Øykjeheivatnet, and the north-east ridge leads onto the plateau; the trailhead sign gives 3 hours. The route is steep but non-technical, and the plateau edge gives a view straight down into Sørsendalen.
In spring the mountain is a long, committing ski tour up Botnen and Sørsendalen, where large avalanches from the north slopes regularly sweep the valley floor, often extended over Blåegga and the glaciers to the south.
Climbing Notes
In summer allow about 3 hours up and 6 hours return for 13 km and about 1,100 m of ascent; carry a map and GPS for the flat plateau in cloud. The Kandal toll road is paid at a self-service box. For spring ski tours, stable snow is essential: both detailed accounts describe valley-wide avalanche debris in Botnen, so avoid the valley after snowfall or in warming, and treat the small glaciers as crevassed. No guide is needed in summer for experienced mountain walkers.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Possible
- March: Possible
- April: Good
- May: Good
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Serious avalanche terrain
- Feb
- Ski touring only in very stable snow
- Mar
- Ski touring in stable snow
- Apr
- Spring ski season
- May
- Spring ski season
- Jun
- Late ski tours early in the month; snow on the summer path
- Oct
- First snow
Access & Permits
- Fees
- Toll road from Ytre Kandal to Ytre Kandalsstøylen (self-service payment)
- Getting There
Sandane
Sandane Airport, Anda (SDN)
- Car: E39 between Sandane and Breim; turn off at the sign for Kandal (near Trebo-hus), follow the road along the west side of Breimsvatnet to Ytre Kandal and take the toll road to Ytre Kandalsstøylen
- Bus: services to Kandal are rare (ut.no)
Hazards
- Avalanche
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Weather