Kråktindan
1,045 m
Norway
Also known as Kraktinden, KråktindenAlso known as
Kraktinden · Kråktinden
- Elevation
- 1,045 m
- Prominence
- 1,011 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
AdvisoryReported 21 Jun 2025
A Peakbook trip report from 21 June 2025 describes heavy late snow below Klypa: the party turned back without crampons and ice axe and locals were not going to the summit because of the conditions. After snowy winters expect old snow on the ridge into early summer.
peakbook.org
Routes
1Sources differ: YDS class 4 (two short moves in Klypa) (prominent-mountains.no (Bjørstad)) · Klypa: easy-to-moderate scramble (lett-middels klyving) (Peakbook)
A good path from Hustoft (25 m) to the Skarbua cabin (575 m), then an unmarked, blocky ridge over Snøtinden to the rock step below the 1,017 m north top, climbed by the exposed gully Klypa (an old fixed rope is often in place), and an easy plateau walk to the trig cairn. About 11–12 km and 1,200–1,300 m of ascent return.
Elevation Profile
- Distance
- 5.7 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,089 m
- −60 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,045 m
- Time Up
- 4h 28m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 3h 06m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Start at Hustoft by Brennvika (about 25 m; roadside parking where the Skarbu sign is) or from the turning area at Brennviksanden; the two paths merge after a few hundred metres. The partly marked path climbs through birch forest beside a stream, past a waterfall (192 m) and the viewpoint Skåla (278 m, trail register), then steepens on the wide, well-trodden 'Fjellvegen' and zigzags above the treeline to the pass Mømaurskaret (583 m). Just below lies Skarbua, a small open cabin in Skarbotn (575 m). Allow 1–2 hours to here; Visit Bodø suggests a detour to the viewpoint Hestøyra on the way. Above Skarbotn there are only sporadic tracks and no marking. Climb steeply up a grassy ridge to Snøtinden (about 815 m), then follow the blocky crest south-east towards Kråktinden's north top; Lev i Steigen warns that the ridge feels airy and steep for some, has awkward sections and that local knowledge helps. Below the 1,017 m north top a steep rock wall stops progress. Bjørstad notes a first exposed class 3 step at a notch with a distinct cairn, then broader rolling ground before the final steep step. Most parties climb Klypa (about 950 m): cairns lead towards a large, distinct crack blocked by a rock near its base, which is not the route; instead enter the narrower parallel crack on its left, climb out of it on the left and up one more slightly overhanging step. Bjørstad rates these two moves YDS class 4 but well protected with little exposure; in recent years a blue rope has been fixed here, and Peakbook reports describe a narrow, airy ledge above. Trip reports and Bjørstad mention a technically easier bypass, descending left and traversing further ahead to reach the summit plateau at its lowest point, but none describes it in detail. From the north top it is an easy 700 m walk across the large, almost flat plateau, first gently down and then up to the 2 m high cylindrical trig cairn on the summit. Descend the same way, taking care reversing Klypa. Peakbook trip reports give 4.5 hours return for fast parties and about 7 hours including breaks (5.4 hours moving); Lev i Steigen gives 10 km return and about 5 hours. Early in summer old snow can make the approach to Klypa impractical without crampons and an ice axe: in June 2025 a party turned back at the gully and locals reported nobody was going up because of the snow.
Start
Hustoft14 m
- Local bus along the Steigen coast road stops at Hustoft and Brennvik; express boat from Bodø to Helnessund connects with buses (timetables not checked).
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hustoft → Kråktindan | 5.7 | 1,089 | 60 | 4h 28m |
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Hustoft14 m
Park on the grass by the trail sign for Skarbu, off the Brennvika road (Bjørstad GPS); alternative start at the turning area at Brennviksanden
- Feature: Skåla417 m
Viewpoint with trail register; firewood for Skarbua is stacked here
- Hut: Skarbua556 m
- Crux: Klypa983 m
Narrow, steep gully left of the main cleft below the north top; fixed rope often present
- Shoulder: Kråktinden nord1,014 m
- Summit: Kråktindan1,045 m
Key Passages
- Fjellvegen, the steep built path above Skåla
- Steep grassy ridge to Snøtinden
- Blocky ridge crest towards the north top
- Klypa gully and the airy ledge above it
- Plateau walk to the trig cairn
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 70%Overview
The 1,045 m high point of the Brennvik mountains in Steigen, Nordland, rising almost straight out of the Vestfjorden above the white beach at Brennviksanden. A good path to the little Skarbua cabin, then an unmarked ridge and one steep, exposed gully lead to a broad summit plateau with an 1881 survey cairn.
Kråktindan (also written Kråktinden) is the highest summit on the outermost peninsula of Steigen, north of Bodø, and one of the few Norwegian peaks with more than 1,000 m of prominence: from its top the ground falls to sea level in every direction. Locals call the jagged coastal range 'Steigen Himalayas'. The views take in the Lofoten wall across the Vestfjorden, the Sjunkhatten area and the fjords of Salten.
The normal route starts almost at sea level at Hustoft by Brennvika. The first 575 m are on a good, popular path to Skarbua, a cabin run by volunteers in the cirque of Skarbotn. Above it the character changes: a steep grassy ridge to Snøtinden, a blocky crest and then a rock wall below the 1,017 m north top, usually climbed by the exposed gully Klypa. From the north top an easy plateau leads to the summit.
Expect a 5–7 hour day with about 1,200–1,300 m of ascent. The scrambling is short but needs a steady head, there is no marking above Skarbotn, and the coastal weather can bring cloud down onto the ridge quickly.
Climbing Notes
Fitness for 1,200–1,300 m of ascent from sea level and confidence on exposed rock are the main requirements. Klypa is a short, steep gully with an airy ledge at the top; an old fixed rope has been in place in recent years, but nobody maintains it, so less experienced partners may want a short rope. Without snow the ridge needs no technical kit; with old snow, often into early July after snowy winters, crampons and an ice axe are needed or Klypa becomes impractical (a party turned back there in June 2025).
Go in clear weather: above Skarbotn there is only an occasional trodden line, and hikers have turned back at about 910 m when the summit was in cloud. The ascent is a long day trip; Skarbua can be booked for a night to split it. Winter and spring ascents on foot or skis with crampons are made but are serious undertakings in avalanche-prone, steep terrain.
History
Kråktindan was built up as a first-order triangulation point in 1881, part of the 'Nordlandsrekken' chain that carried the Norwegian survey network north from Trøndelag in the 1880s. The cylindrical cairn, measured in 2008 at 2.85 m in diameter and 2.02 m high, is a protected monument. Skarbua was built by volunteers in 1999–2000 on the remains of a 1960s hunters' stone hut.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Possible
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Possible
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Polar night until mid-January; winter conditions
- Feb
- Winter conditions, short days
- Mar
- Experienced ski-mountaineers only; crampons and ice axe; avalanche risk
- Apr
- Spring ski/crampon ascents have been made; avalanche risk
- May
- Much old snow on the ridge; midnight sun from late May
- Jun
- Snow often still blocks the approach to Klypa
- Jul
- Usually snow-free from mid-July; midnight sun until mid-July
- Sep
- Shorter days, first snow possible late in the month
- Oct
- Early snow and icy rock
- Nov
- Winter conditions, very short days
- Dec
- Polar night
Access & Permits
- Hut Booking
- Book Skarbua through inatur.no or directly with Skarbuas Venner (contact details on the inatur listing); open cabin, no key.
- Fees
- Skarbua overnight stays: NOK 300 per night for members of Skarbuas Venner, NOK 600 for non-members (inatur.no listing)
- Rules
- Skarbua is open to everyone for daytime shelter; overnight use must be booked in advance
- The 1881 survey cairn on the summit is a protected monument: do not dismantle or rebuild it
- Park considerately at Hustoft or the turning area at Brennvika; the path starts across private land behind the houses
- Getting There
Leines (Steigen); Bodø for most services
Bodø (BOO)
- Car: E6 to Steigen, then the county road to Leines and Brennvika; park at Hustoft or the turning area at Brennviksanden
- Public transport: express boat from Bodø to Helnessund, then local bus towards Leines; bus stops at Hustoft and Brennvik (timetables not checked)
Hazards
- Exposure
- Weather
- Avalanche
Huts & Shelters
1- 575 m
SkarbuaHutUnstaffedBooking required
4 beds · All year; open for daytime shelter, overnight stays by booking