Riding the South Face of Blåbærfjellet

With the day prior being the first warm day of spring and a natural avalanche cycle we decided head out for the South Face of Blåbærfjellet. Being one of the more asthetic lines in the Tamokdalen valley from just below the summit it offers a 3,000 foot fall line run down to the valley. Since the day was calling to be warm we needed to be there early. In the end we agreed on a starting time of 7 a.m. with the hope of summiting and riding at 11:00 just before the heat of the day.

Exploring the Tamokdalen Backcountry

I’ve had numerous powder days on Blåbærfjellet but this definetly wasn’t one of them. The snow under our feet was bullet proof ice and it was decided to start cramponing just above the avalanche barriers. Being early in the day still the snowpack held us up as we climbed towards the upper bowl. Making sure to space out on the steep lower slopes we zig zagged to stay near the rocks before making our way to relative safety on the mellower slopes above.

Taking a moment to rest we had a clear view of the South face of Blåbærfjellet. We were happy to see that the chute we were interested in hadn’t slid the day before leaving avalanche debris in the apron. From our perspective it looked smooth and if timed it just right it would ride perfect.

When it was time to get moving we decided to keep cramponing to a higher flat bench. Once there we switched over to ski touring and made a long traverse over to the Southeast Ridge. We had gone a bit higher then the standard route but it went perfectly smooth.

Making our way up the ridge we got to a small section that was rocky and only a meter wide so we switched back over to crampons. From there we were so close to the summit we decided to keep them on for the last hundred feet. With each step the terrain became more and more scenic with Lemmetfjellet on the left, Tamokfjellet in the Middle and Nerotinden on the right.

The plan was to ride at 11 but we were surprised when we looked at our watches and it was only 10. We had gone much faster then anticipated so we decided to rest behind a small sheltered area for a little bit before making the final few steps to our access point on the South Face.

Stepping onto the ridge I through a small rock onto the face and it tumbled down making small imprints as it rolled. We were 30 minutes early but the snow had already started to soften. There was a quick rock,paper, scissors between Jukkis and I and because he won he dropped in first.

In some ways being first is great but it allows for everyone else to get an idea of conditions before there descent. We were happy to see him riding perfect corn to the lower flats knowing not to expect firm snow or ice along the way.

With Jukkis in a safe spot below I dropped in a bit skiers left of his line having smooth corn turns on both the South Face of Blåbærfjellet as well as the flats below.

Before long we could see Titti and Ile dropping in the distance. By now what was a clean canvas 10 minutes before was covered in 4 snowboard tracks.

We had planned our trip so that we were descending before noon in hopes that the lower slopes hadn’t transitioned to slush. Even though it was only around 11 the lower slopes had warmed up quite surprisingly. For the final few for the final 600 meters we pointed it and although sticky it was still fast. In the end everything worked out and we were happy to have ridden the South Face of Blåbærfjellet.

Blåbærfjellet is a classic for a reason. From the easy access to some of the best storm tree skiing in Norway the mountain offers a lot of options for all ranges of conditions. It is perfectly situation behind Tamokhuset in the Tamokdalen Valley so if the snowbridge across the creek is still filled in you can be there after 5 minutes of skinning from the huset. Being a relatively easy ski tour it is one I highly recommend.

Thanks For Reading this and here is a link if you want to check out more

Ski Tours in the Tamokdalen area

Options for Other Ski Tours Tours Abroad

Snowboarding in the Cascade Mountains

Japan Powder Pilgrimage

Ski Tours in New Zealand

Exploring the Khibney Mountains of Russia

Lyngen and Lofoten in Northern Norway

And Other Random Places

Huge Thanks to Jarkko, Christel and Aadne for having me help take care of the Tamokhuset.