Øksfjordjøkelen
1,191 m
Norway
Also known as OksfjordjoekelenAlso known as
Oksfjordjoekelen
- Elevation
- 1,191 m
- Prominence
- 1,119 m
- Difficulty
- 4/10
- Alpine hike
- Best Season
- Apr–May
- Routes
- 2
Routes
2Sources differ: YDS class 2 (prominent-mountains.no)
Mostly a spring ski tour: from the Øksfjord–Tverrfjord ferry, along Tverrfjordvatnet and up Tverrfjorddalen, a steeper slope to about 490 m and a stepped valley south to a short steep corner at 850 m, then onto the broad ice cap near Loppatinden (1,175 m) and a gentle GPS-guided traverse west to the highest ice dome.
About 92% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 8 check notes
- 92% approximate geometry
- ascent 1514 m vs net gain 1187 m (+28%)
- DIN time down 5.62 h vs published 2.25 h (+150%)
- Sletta (Tverrfjord) → Tverrfjordvatnet: bridge (snap_failed; one off-graph gap, 1.4 km)
- Tverrfjordvatnet → Tverrfjorddalen: dem (snap_failed, 2.0 km)
- Tverrfjorddalen → Top of the lake 580 slope: dem (snap_failed, 1.8 km)
- Top of the lake 580 slope → Corner below the cliff: dem (snap_failed, 1.6 km)
- Corner below the cliff → Loppatinden: glacier (snap_failed, 2.4 km)
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 12.0 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,514 m
- −327 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,191 m
- Time Up
- 7h 13m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 37m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Take ferry route 510 from Øksfjord to Tverrfjord (about 10 minutes) and drive or walk the short road towards Sletta at the end of the road (sea level). Cross the bridge over the outlet of Tverrfjordvatnet, follow the south side of the lake and climb gradually into Tverrfjorddalen to lake 278 and on south to about 380 m. A steeper slope, drained by the stream from lake 580, leads slightly east of south; start on its far right and make an ascending traverse leftwards to gentler ground at about 490 m. Continue south up a natural valley with small steps, with the glacier on the right, to about 710 m and then 850 m below a cliff. Turn the corner and climb a short, steeper slope (skis may need to be carried) onto the very broad glacier. Head for the cairn on Loppatinden (1,175 m), long taken as the highest rock in Finnmark, then traverse west across the plateau, keeping a slight southern arc to hold height, to the highest point of the ice. The summit dome is almost flat and invisible in fog; navigate by GPS. On the variant described by a 2012 party, the valley rises to a col where some height is lost before a snow-covered glacier arm, longer and steeper than it looks, leads onto the plateau. Bjørstad's party took 5½ hours up on ski from the road end and 2¼ hours down. In summer the lower glacier is bare ice with visible crevasses; rope up, and carry crampons.
Start
Sletta (Tverrfjord)4 m
- Ferry route 510 Øksfjord–Tverrfjord; check the timetable, as some sailings do not run on public holidays.
Waypoints
- Trailhead: Sletta (Tverrfjord)4 m
A short drive or walk from the Tverrfjord ferry quay; road may be snow-blocked in spring
- Feature: Tverrfjordvatnet18 m
Follow the south side of the lake
- Feature: Tverrfjorddalen487 m
- Feature: Top of the lake 580 slope448 m
- Crux: Corner below the cliff851 m
Short steeper climb onto the glacier
- Feature: Loppatinden1,168 m
Cairn on rock at the edge of the ice cap
- Summit: Øksfjordjøkelen1,191 m
Key Passages
- Ascending traverse up the steep slope below lake 580
- Short steep corner at about 850 m onto the glacier
- Broad ice cap between Loppatinden and the summit dome
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 51%Overview
The highest point of Finnmark: an almost flat ice dome of about 1,191 m on the Øksfjordjøkelen ice cap, Norway's ninth-largest glacier, on the Loppa–Kvænangen border. Usually climbed as a long spring ski tour from the Tverrfjord peninsula, reached by ferry from Øksfjord.
Øksfjordjøkelen is a plateau glacier of about 36 km² on the border of Loppa and Kvænangen municipalities in western Finnmark. Its highest ice dome is the county high point and rises about 1,120 m above its key col. To the south the ice falls over a cliff to form a regenerated glacier, Jøkelfjordbreen, above Jøkelfjorden; it was once the only place in Norway where a glacier calved into the sea, and its ice was harvested to chill fish, but the front retreated onto land during the 1990s.
The summit itself is unremarkable: a broad, gently rising ice surface where the highest point cannot be seen and a GPS is needed to find it. The interest lies in the approach, from sea level on the roadless side of the Øksfjord ferry, through boggy valleys and up a glacier arm onto a white plateau ringed by rock tops such as Loppatinden (1,175 m), with wide views over the Arctic coast when the frequent fog lifts.
Most ascents are made on touring skis in April–May, when snow covers the bog and the crevasses. Summer ascents cross bare blue ice with open crevasses.
Climbing Notes
A full day of 5–6 hours up and 2–3 hours down on ski, covering 15–19 km and 1,200 m of ascent from sea level. Plan around the Øksfjord–Tverrfjord ferry (route 510, about 10 minutes): check sailings, especially at weekends and on public holidays, and the time of the last boat back. Wait for a settled weather window; fog on the ice cap is common and turns the top into a whiteout. The steepest slopes (30–35°) are short but avalanche-prone, and slab avalanches have been seen on east-facing slopes. In summer the glacier is bare and crevassed, so rope, harness, crampons and crevasse-rescue skills are needed. Parties without glacier experience can hire a local guide; a 2021 report recommends Spor Guiding, which ran guided ascents from Fjorddalen.
History
The height of the summit has fallen with the glacier: a survey before the mid-20th-century melt reportedly gave 1,218 m for a dome on the ice cap (possibly a mismeasurement), the long-quoted figure was 1,204 m, recent GPS readings give about 1,191–1,193 m, and the official figure is now 1,191 m. Loppatinden (1,175 m) was long recorded as the highest point on solid rock in the area until, in summer 2012, a 1,177 m nunatak west of the highest dome was found to be higher.
Season
Best Apr–May- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Good
- April: Best (best window)
- May: Best (best window)
- June: Good
- July: Good
- August: Good
- September: Possible
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Jan
- Polar night
- Feb
- Short days, cold and stormy
- Mar
- Ski touring; cold, check varsom.no
- Apr
- Best ski-touring month
- May
- Ski touring with midnight sun from mid-May; wet snow low down
- Jun
- Late ski tours; bog melts out in the valleys
- Jul
- Summer glacier ascent: bare ice and open crevasses
- Aug
- Summer glacier ascent: bare ice and open crevasses
- Sep
- Autumn storms; new snow over crevasses
- Dec
- Polar night
Access & Permits
- Fees
- Ferry fare Øksfjord–Tverrfjord (route 510)
- Getting There
Øksfjord
Alta Airport (ALF)
- By car from Alta (about 1 h 40 min) along the E6 to Langfjordbotn, then road 882 to Øksfjord
- Ferry route 510 Øksfjord–Tverrfjord (about 10 minutes); then the local road to Sletta for Tverrfjorddalen or to Botn for Fjorddalen
- From Tromsø the drive is long, via the Breivikeidet–Svensby and Lyngseidet–Olderdalen ferries or via Nordkjosbotn and the E6
Hazards
- Glacier
- Crevasses
- Avalanche
- Weather
- Remoteness