Hermannsdalstinden
1,029 m
Norway
Also known as ХермансдалстинденAlso known as
Хермансдалстинден
- Elevation
- 1,029 m
- Prominence
- 1,029 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: YDS class 3 (rope section and summit block; class 2 bypass to the left of the rope) (prominent-mountains.no (Bjørstad))
A long day or an overnight trip from Sørvågen (sea level) over the lake plateau to the Munkebu hut (410 m), down to the Tennesvatnet–Fjerddalsvatnet gap, past Krokvatnet and up a steep ridge with fixed ropes and chains, then loose boulder ground and a short gully to the top. About 20 km and 1,880 m of ascent return; 9–12 hours, or 6–8 hours return from Munkebu.
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 11.1 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,481 m
- −483 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,029 m
- Time Up
- 7h 17m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 58m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Park at the paid car park on the west side of Sørvågvatnet near the school (or at the road end east of the lake) and follow the signed Munkebu path, the lit trail round the lake, to the waterfall at the back. The well-worn trail climbs to Stuvdalsvatnet and follows its eastern shore; beyond the small bay and last hut it turns steeply up to the right, with chains on steep rock that is slippery when wet. This is where many hikers lose the path and end up in steep ground above Tridalsvatnet: keep right at every fork and climb more or less directly up the broad ridge from south to north. Boggy ground leads past the Kjølvatna ponds, a rocky, cairned slope (several lines) and a worn path to the top of Djupfjordheia (512 m), from where it is about 20 minutes down to Munkebu, roughly halfway. Behind the hut the path descends to the ridge separating Tennesvatnet and Fjerddalsvatnet, passes under power lines and climbs again; once it levels out it turns north to hill 448. Here the route from Forsfjord (ferry from Reine) joins. From hill 448 a short, steep and muddy descent leads towards Krokvatnet, the last reliable water. The path traverses steep slopes on the left (west) side of the lake with some exposure, passes a few ponds and reaches the foot of the steep ridge ahead. The ridge is the crux: fixed ropes and chains help on several sections of steep, often muddy rock and slabs with loose stones, followed by a second steep rock step onto a small plateau. Many hikers turn round here. Bjørstad rates the short section with a thick green rope YDS class 3 and describes a class 2 bypass: leave the path a little below the rope, follow a natural passage up and left, then go right to regain the ridge just above the rope's anchor block. About 350 m of ascent remain: the path zigzags up the right side of the plateau and through boulder fields, marked by cairns and red paint, with easy scrambling through the maze of summit blocks (red paint marks a line up, left along a ramp and through a small gully to the crest, then between two blocks onto the north side of the summit ridge). The final move steps onto a narrow rock and up onto the summit block, which has room for only one person at a time. Descend the same way, reversing the ropes carefully. 68 North recommends a traverse: ferry to Forsfjord, up via Tennesvatnet and hill 448, and out to Sørvågen via Munkebu.
Start
Sørvågen26 m
- Buses along the E10 stop in Sørvågen (limited departures); ferries from Bodø to Moskenes, 2 km away.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sørvågen → Munkebu | 5.5 | 552 | 171 | 2h 52m |
| 2 | Munkebu → Hermannsdalstinden | 5.7 | 929 | 313 | 4h 26m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Sørvågen26 m
Paid car park; often full on sunny summer days, overflow near the football pitch
- Feature: Stuvdalsvatnet48 m
Path along the eastern shore; chains on the steep climb beyond the small bay
- Feature: Kjølvatna319 m
not on route line
- Shoulder: Djupfjordheia506 m
- Hut: Munkebu408 m
- Feature: Tennesvatnet187 m
- Feature: Krokvatnet313 m
Last reliable water; path traverses the west side of the lake
- Summit: Hermannsdalstinden1,029 m
Key Passages
- Chained steep rock above Stuvdalsvatnet
- Steep, muddy descent from hill 448 towards Krokvatnet
- Exposed traverse on the west side of Krokvatnet
- Rope and chain section on the ridge
- Summit boulder field and final loose gully
Equipment
0/7 packedDownloads
Route confidence 69%Overview
At 1,029 m the highest mountain on Moskenesøya and the only 1,000 m summit in western Lofoten, rising from Lofotodden National Park west of Reine. A long, rough hike past the Munkebu hut and a steep ridge with fixed ropes lead to a boulder-strewn top with views over the whole Lofoten wall.
Hermannsdalstinden stands in the roadless interior of Moskenesøya, the outermost large island of Lofoten, about 6.5 km west of Reine and inside Lofotodden National Park. Rising from sea level on every side, it overtops everything around it by a clear margin, and its prominence equals its height.
There is no short way up. The usual approach is the popular, signed path from Sørvågen across a granite lake plateau to the Munkebu hut, followed by a second, much rougher half: down to the lakes Tennesvatnet and Krokvatnet, then up a steep ridge with fixed ropes and chains on often muddy rock, and finally a long boulder field and loose gully to the top. Return from Sørvågen is about 20 km with nearly 1,900 m of ascent, because the route crosses several ups and downs. Many people split it with a night at Munkebu or in a tent nearby; a shortcut from Forsfjord, reached by the Reine–Vindstad ferry, saves distance but starts very steeply.
The reward is a panorama over the jagged peaks and fjords of Moskenesøya and Flakstadøya, the open sea to the west and, in June and July, the midnight sun.
Climbing Notes
Plan for 9–12 hours return from Sørvågen, or 6–8 hours return from Munkebu if you stay overnight. You need good fitness, sure feet on slippery slabs and mud, and a head for exposure on the rope and chain sections; most of the difficulty is in the steep ridge above Krokvatnet, where many hikers turn back. Above that, careful route-finding through boulders follows faint cairns and red paint.
Go between late June and September in a settled spell: wet rock makes the ropes section much harder, and cloud makes the summit boulder field confusing. Fill water bottles at Krokvatnet, the last reliable source. Munkebu must be booked in advance (DNT members only, 6 beds, key from Sørvågen); otherwise camp near the hut following national-park rules. Early in the season snowfields linger near the summit.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Not advisable
- April: Not advisable
- May: Possible
- June: Good
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Winter; polar night until early January
- Feb
- Winter conditions
- Mar
- Winter conditions; avalanche terrain on the approach
- Apr
- Snow on the route
- May
- Much snow left; midnight sun from late May
- Jun
- Snowfields near the summit; Munkebu opens 15 June
- Jul
- Midnight sun until mid-July; busiest month
- Sep
- Munkebu closes 15 September; shorter days, wetter weather
- Oct
- Early snow and short days
- Nov
- Winter conditions
- Dec
- Polar night
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Munkebu (Lofoten Turlag) is booked online through DNT's cabin booking system, up to 14 days ahead; no phone or email bookings. Collect and return the key at Matkroken in Sørvågen.
- Fees
- Parking at Sørvågen skole (Moskenes municipality, 2026): NOK 36 per hour 07:00–23:00, NOK 10 per hour overnight, maximum NOK 499 per day (excl. VAT); first 30 minutes free
- Munkebu overnight stays are paid when booking through DNT's cabin booking system (member prices)
- Rules
- Lofotodden National Park: drones are banned; camping is allowed (at least 150 m from inhabited houses or huts, maximum 2 nights in one place); general fire ban 15 April–15 September except where a fire obviously cannot cause a wildfire
- Dogs must be on a lead from 1 April to 20 August
- Organised or guided groups may need a permit from the national park board
- Munkebu is not open for day visits or drop-in; at least one person in the group must be a DNT member to book
- The Lofoten outdoor regulation (friluftsforskrift) restricts camping in some areas outside the national park, including around villages such as Sørvågen
- Getting There
Sørvågen / Reine (Moskenes)
Leknes (LKN); Bodø (BOO) via the Bodø–Moskenes ferry
- Car: E10 through Lofoten to Sørvågen; park at the paid car park by Sørvågvatnet near the school (often full on fine summer days)
- Bus: E10 buses stop in Sørvågen (limited departures)
- Ferry: Bodø–Moskenes car ferry lands about 2 km from Sørvågen; the Reine–Vindstad boat stops at Forsfjord on request for the alternative start
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather
- Rockfall
- Remoteness
Huts & Shelters
1- 410 m
MunkebuHutUnstaffedBooking required
6 beds · Self-service, about 15 June–15 September (2026); closed outside the season