Gjegnen
1,670 m
Norway
Also known as Gjegnet, BlånibbaAlso known as
Gjegnet · Blånibba
- Elevation
- 1,670 m
- Prominence
- 1,457 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Aug–Sep
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Approximate line — not for navigation
An automated check found that parts of this line could not be matched to mapped trails, so it may stray far from the real route. Use it for planning only, with a map and a guidebook.
Why? 5 check notes
- danger scan: Nakkane → Gjegnabu: connector line 262 m (limit 200 m)
- ascent 2069 m vs net gain 1665 m (+24%)
- Gjegnabu → X-vatnet: bridge (snap_failed; one off-graph gap, 2.8 km)
- X-vatnet → Blånibba: dem (snap_failed, 5.5 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Lavesteinen (OSM match off-route), Gjegnalundsbreen (OSM match off-route)
Sources differ: Krevende (demanding), Gjegnabu–summit (ut.no) · YDS class 2+ (old Skordalen approach) (westcoastpeaks.com)
The classic two-day ascent: from Nakkane above Hope in Hyen (150 m) on a marked path via Lavesteinen to the DNT hut Gjegnabu (1,174 m), then roped, often with crampons, across the lower Gjegnalundsbreen to the flat summit plateau (1,670 m). About 1,750 m of ascent; 3.5 hours to the hut, then about 7.5 hours hut–summit–hut.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- ≈ 14.9 km
- one way
- Ascent
- ≈ +2,069 m
- −405 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,670 m
- Time Up
- ≈ 9h 34m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- ≈ 7h 21m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Drive Fv 615 to Hope in Hyen and follow the signs up the forest road to the Nakkane car park at about 150 m (or walk from Hope). Follow the forest road uphill to the start of the T-marked path, which climbs through easy deciduous woodland to Lavesteinen (about 700 m), a huge overhanging boulder visible from the village. From there T-marks and cairns lead to Gjegnabu by the lake 1147. Near the top a snowfield must be crossed: keep left, on the crest of the ridge towards the hut, because the snowfield ends steeply in the lake and is icy and dangerous; the marked line was moved higher, to the edge of the snowfield, in August 2025. The older approach up Skordalen and its gorge involves easy scrambling and is exposed to avalanches in snow. Allow about 3.5 hours to the hut (2.5 hours down). From Gjegnabu the route is partly marked and cairned. Go east across the ice at the north end of the lake (only if safe) or over the high ground north of it, climb north-east up a small hollow from the lake's north-east corner, then descend towards the dip in the ridge east of X-vatnet and aim for the lower part of Gjegnalundsbreen. Climb to just east of point 1106 on the left side of the glacier arm. A steep ridge to the north must be turned: either right across the lower Gjegnalundsbreen, roped and often with crampons, heading north-north-east and then west onto the ridge to the summit, or left along a ledge if it is snow-free. The summit cairn is at the north end of a long, flat, rocky plateau; a viewpoint above the 1,100 m west wall to Bjørndalsvatnet lies about 500 m away. Return the same way; ut.no gives about 7.5 hours and 15.9 km from Gjegnabu and back. Go only in clear weather: the glacier and plateau are serious in fog. In spring the glacier route can be skied, but the approach is avalanche-prone.
Start
Nakkane5 m
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nakkane → Gjegnabu | 6.6 | 1,229 | 61 | 5h 02m |
| 2 | Gjegnabu → Blånibba | 8.4 | 840 | 340 | 4h 31m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Nakkane5 m
Approximate: coordinates are those of the hamlet Hope; the car park is a short way up the forest road
- Hut: Gjegnabu1,167 m
- Feature: X-vatnet907 m
Aim for the dip in the ridge east of the lake
- Summit: Blånibba1,670 m
Key Passages
- Marked path via Lavesteinen
- Snowfield below Gjegnabu
- Crossing of lower Gjegnalundsbreen (roped)
- Long flat summit plateau
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 66%Overview
Gjegnen, or Blånibba (1,670 m), is the highest peak of Bremanger and the fifth most prominent mountain in Norway: a Devonian sandstone block above Nordfjord with a 1,100 m wall on its west side and the Gjegnalundsbreen glacier on its east.
Gjegnen/Blånibba stands in Bremanger municipality, Vestland, about 10 km south-east of Ålfoten and 22 km north-west of Sandane; the Gjegnabu hut on the normal route lies inside the Ålfotbreen landscape protection area. Its prominence of 1,460 m is the fifth greatest in Norway. Seen from the south it is a modest-looking long, flat plateau; to the west it drops more than 1,100 m almost vertically to Bjørndalsvatnet, and the Gjegnalundsbreen glacier lies immediately east. The rock is Devonian sandstone.
The usual ascent is a two-day trip from Hope in Hyen with a night at the small DNT hut Gjegnabu (1,174 m), then a roped crossing of the lower Gjegnalundsbreen to the summit plateau. A longer one-day route comes from the Yksneelvane power-station road in Ålfoten (ut.no: 31.5 km, about 11 hours, roped glacier crossing), and guides lead the exposed north ridge. The weather is maritime and can change fast; the ascent should only be made in clear weather.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for about 1,750 m of total ascent over two days, and basic glacier skills (roping up, crampons, crevasse rescue) are needed; the lower Gjegnalundsbreen must be crossed roped and often with crampons. Plan a night at Gjegnabu (6 beds, book via the hut contact) and go only in clear weather: the plateau and glacier are serious in fog and there is no mobile coverage at the hut. Wait until about the turn of July/August for the snow to clear, and take care on the icy snowfield just below the hut, which ends steeply in a lake. In spring the summit can be skied via the glacier, but the approach is avalanche-prone. Guided ascents of the exposed north ridge (short pitches of 'climbing grade 2–3') start from Ålfoten.
History
The name Gjegnen comes from the adjective gjegn, 'straight' or 'direct', because travellers used the summit to keep their bearings; Blånibba means 'the blue peak'. Both names are official, and Uksen and Gjegnalunden are approved alternatives; the spelling Gjegnet is not approved. Flora Turlag built the pyramid-shaped Gjegnabu hut in 1990, largely flown in by helicopter. No first-ascent record was found.
Season
Best Aug–Sep- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Possible
- July: Good
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Best (best window)
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; avalanche-prone approach
- Mar
- Ski ascents via the glacier for experienced parties
- Apr
- Ski ascents; serious avalanche risk on the approach
- May
- Spring snow
- Jun
- Much snow; Ålfoten route season starts
- Jul
- Better from late July when the snow has cleared
- Aug
- Best
- Sep
- Good; shorter days
- Oct
- Season ends; early snow
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Gjegnabu (Flora Turlag, unstaffed, 6 beds): reserve a bed online (held until 21:00 on the arrival day) or contact the hut supervisors; unbooked visitors always get a place to sleep and pay in the hut.
- Fees
- Gjegnabu overnight fee, paid on booking or in the hut (DNT members discounted)
- Rules
- Gjegnabu and the approach lie in the Ålfotbreen landscape protection area; general protection rules apply
- Dogs not allowed inside Gjegnabu; leash rules apply from 1 April to 15 October
- The construction road above Yksneelvane in Ålfoten is closed to cars by a gate
- Getting There
Sandane (Gloppen); Hyen for the Hope trailhead
Sandane Anda (SDN); Florø (FRO)
- By car: Fv 615 to Hope in Hyen, then follow signs up the forest road to the Nakkane car park (about 150 m)
- Alternative start: Ålfoten, via Førde in Ålfoten and about 7 km of power-station road to the Yksneelvane car park; a bike helps on the gated road beyond
- Public transport reaches Florø, Måløy and Nordfjordeid; a car is needed for the trailheads
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Avalanche
- Weather
- Exposure
Huts & Shelters
1- 1,174 m
GjegnabuHutUnstaffed
6 beds · Unstaffed; usable all year (snow permitting); best July to October