Store Trolla
1,842 m
Norway
Also known as TrollaAlso known as
Trolla
- Elevation
- 1,842 m
- Prominence
- 1,283 m
- Difficulty
- 5/10
- Easy alpine
- Best Season
- Jul–Aug
- Routes
- 1
Routes
1Sources differ: Peakbook difficulty 4.5 of 5 (peakbook.org) · DNT 'ekstra krevende' (black) hike (ut.no)
The easiest way up the highest peak in Trollheimen, and still a serious day: about 1,750 m of ascent from Hoås in Sunndalen, steeply on a path to Fossa (900 m), across the hanging valley Fossbotnin, up scree and a loose gully to the main ridge, then airy scrambling with a 10–15 m exposed down-climb just below the summit. No climbing gear needed when dry; 8–9 hours return.
About 87% of this line is approximate (no mapped trail; drawn from the terrain). Check it against a map before relying on it.
Why? 4 check notes
- 86% approximate geometry
- low confidence 0.47
- Fossa → Store Trolla: dem (snap_failed, 6.2 km)
- unresolved waypoints: Fossbotnin, Store Trolla S3, S1 down-climb
Elevation Profile
approximate line- Distance
- 7.4 km
- one way
- Ascent
- +1,960 m
- −222 m lost on the way up
- High Point
- 1,842 m
- Time Up
- 7h 54m
- DIN 33466
- Time Down
- 5h 35m
- DIN 33466 · same way back
Leave Fv70 between Oppdal and Sunndalsøra at Fale and drive Hoåsveien about 4.5 km to the parking at Hoåsbrekka (about 115 m). Follow the tractor road between the Hoås farm and Hoåsbrekka, then a good path that climbs a long, steep (30–40°) slope through forest, grass and heather to the post box at Fossa (about 900 m), usually 1.5–2 hours. There is little water on this section; drink and fill bottles before starting. In winter, spring and early summer avalanches and rockfall can come down from the cliffs and Hoåsnebba's south flank. The ground eases into Fossbotnin: about 1 km of gentle ascent to the foot of the Trolla massif. The visible path ends in scree at about 1,100 m. Most parties climb to the right of the deepest stream gully, below a large, light-coloured slab, and at about 1,400–1,500 m pick up a clear path used by people and sheep that traverses north-west into a gully. A slanting gully below the slab, easy but full of loose gravel and stones, leads to the main ridge at the S3 top. Follow the narrowing ridge with easy but increasingly airy scrambling over S2. Just before S1 a pinnacle bars the way: down-climb a 10–15 m gully on its south-west side (the crux for many, because of the exposure rather than the difficulty), traverse about 20 m and regain the ridge for the short, exposed finish. The modest summit cairn sits half a metre from a 300–400 m drop to the south. The lichen-covered rock is slippery when wet: go only in dry weather. Descend the same way; ut.no gives 12.6–14.4 km and 8–9 hours return.
Start
Hoåsbrekka104 m
- Not confirmed. Fale is on Fv70 between Oppdal and Sunndalsøra; check entur.no for buses. From Fale it is about 4.5 km up Hoåsveien to the trailhead.
- Parking at the trailhead
Stages
| Day | Stage | km | m ascent | m descent | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hoåsbrekka → Store Trolla | 7.4 | 1,960 | 222 | 7h 54m |
Waypoints
- Parking: Hoåsbrekka104 m
Parking at the end of Hoåsveien, about 4.5 km from Fale; coordinates are those of the Hoås farm
- Feature: Fossa66 m
Trim post / post box at the top of the steep path
- Summit: Store Trolla1,842 m
Key Passages
- Steep path to Fossa (30–40°)
- Fossbotnin
- Loose slanting gully to the main ridge
- Ridge over S3 and S2
- Exposed 10–15 m down-climb before S1
- Summit above a 300–400 m drop
Equipment
0/6 packedDownloads
Route confidence 47%Overview
Store Trolla (1,842 m), the highest summit of the Trolla massif and of Trollheimen, rises 1,700 m above Sunndalen in a chain of jagged tops. Even its easiest route is a long, steep day finishing with exposed scrambling and a short down-climb above a big drop; dry weather is essential.
Trolla is a ridge of rock peaks in Sunndal municipality on the western edge of Trollheimen, about 10 km east of Sunndalsøra and 3.5 km north of Grøa. Its tops are Store Trolla (the main summit), Nordre Trolla (about 1,800 m) to the north-west and Søre Trolla (about 1,740 m) to the south-east, with the ridge continuing north to Skarfjellet. With about 1,280 m of prominence Store Trolla ranks around 14th in Norway. It was surveyed properly only in 2019, at 1,842 m, about 2 m higher than Tåga, which had long been thought the highest point in the area; older maps and Wikipedia give 1,850 m.
The usual ascent comes from Hoås in Sunndalen. It is relentless rather than technical: a steep path to the hanging valley Fossbotnin, pathless scree and a loose gully to the ridge, then increasingly airy scrambling to the summit, which sits on the edge of a 300–400 m drop. On a clear day the view ranges from the Romsdal peaks and Innerdalen to Snøhetta, Jotunheimen and the sea.
The full Trolla traverse (Snøskar to Pinakkelskar) is a classic Norwegian alpine ridge, and the large south-west slope is a serious ski descent in stable spring conditions.
Climbing Notes
Expect 1,700–1,800 m of ascent and 8–9 hours return, much of it on steep ground. You need to be comfortable scrambling unroped on exposed rock, including a 10–15 m down-climb just below the summit; many parties bring a short rope for less experienced members. Choose a dry day: the lichen-covered rock becomes slippery in the wet.
Carry plenty of water for the lower path. Early in the season snow fills the gullies and avalanches or rockfall can come off Hoåsnebba's south flank, so July to mid-September is the reliable window. The loose gully to the ridge makes a helmet sensible.
In spring Store Trolla is an expert ski-mountaineering objective: from Hoås up a steep south-west face of about 800 m (up to about 50° near the top) with crampons and two axes, along the exposed ridge and down the north-east side via the S-renna couloir to Storvatnet and Nerdal near Innerdalen. It needs completely stable snow and two cars; conditions are right only a few days a year.
History
Before Innerdalshytta was built in 1893 few people paid attention to the supposedly unclimbable Trolla. The first ascent was made on 9 August 1895 by Lieutenant Kåre S. Klingenberg and Gabriel T. Meisterlin with companions, from Giklingvatnet (now Storvatnet) by a gully to the notch at S3; they found no cairn. The Fossbotnin route was first climbed in 1912 by Bjerknes, Tønsberg and Skjølsvik, who called it the easiest line. Other early routes came via Giklingdalen and Søre Trolla (1921) and via Skarfjellet and Nordre Trolla (1927). The full traverse from Snøskar over Nordre, Store and Søre Trolla to Pinakkelskar was done in 1952 by Bersås and Simenstad, and the first winter ascent at Easter 1951.
Season
Best Jul–Aug- January: Not advisable
- February: Not advisable
- March: Possible
- April: Possible
- May: Not advisable
- June: Possible
- July: Best (best window)
- August: Best (best window)
- September: Good
- October: Not advisable
- November: Not advisable
- December: Not advisable
- Mar
- Expert ski-mountaineering in completely stable conditions only
- Apr
- Expert ski-mountaineering in completely stable conditions only
- May
- Avalanche and rockfall from Hoåsnebba; snow in the gullies
- Jun
- Snow in the upper gullies; avalanche and rockfall risk on the lower path early in the month
- Sep
- Early snow and ice possible on the ridge late in the month
Access & Permits
- Rules
- Right of access (allemannsretten) applies; respect the farm at Hoås and grazing sheep
- Getting There
Sunndalsøra
Kristiansund Kvernberget (KSU); Molde Årø (MOL)
- Car: Fv70 between Oppdal and Sunndalsøra, turn off at Fale and drive Hoåsveien about 4.5 km to the parking at Hoåsbrekka
- Public transport to the trailhead was not confirmed; check entur.no
Hazards
- Exposure
- Rockfall
- Avalanche
- Weather