Info About the South Face of Blåbærfjellet
the South Face of Blåbærfjellet of one of the more prominent lines within the backcountry of Tamokdalen. Being right across the road from Tamokhuset it is in clear view on any sunny day. With road side access and over 1,200 meters of fall line turns it is one of the bigger lines within the area. The crux section of this line is actually a mouse trap near the bottom and needs to be climbed carefully as you can’t avoid exposure to avalanches.
Why the South Face of Blåbærfjellet
After a day on Sjufjellet and not seeing any signs of snow instability we focused our attention on Blåbærfjellet. The plan was to start early in the morning and get to the summit before the heat of the day. The top of the South face was steep so we needed to ride it before it warmed up.
Exploring the Terrain Behind Tamokhuset
Standing outside of Tamokhuset the South face of Blåbærfjellet dominated the landscape. Being one of the tallest peaks in the area we wanted to make the most out of the weather window. Earlier in the day Aadne had groomed a track so we were able to skin over to the base from the hut.
Looking closer at the South face of Blåbærfjellet the complex slopes were near the bottom. Just above the trees was a gully we would have to climb to get into the alpine.
Making it past the crux a person at a time the upper slopes mellowed out. Making a low angle traverse east we gained a mellow ridge that would take us all the way to the summit.
The slopes dropped off to the East and West but the ridge was wide. Every few minutes we couldn’t help but stop to take in the views. Before long we could see the Southern section of the Lyngen Alps in the distance.
Just below the summit the slope angle got steep and we switched to bootpacking. The ridge became unclimbable so we traversed over to the Northeast bowl climbing the last 50 meters.
Arriving on the Summit
Once on the summit we were an hour early so we sat around. Being one of the higher peaks in the area we could see mountains as far as the eyes could see. Directly to the west of us was the complex South Face of Lille Russetinden.
After around 30 minutes on the summit we decided to start snowboarding. Dropping into the Northeast bowl we needed to do a traverse to gain access to the South face of Blåbærfjellet. Riding fall line for a few turns we started doing a hard heel side traverse.
Dropping into the South Face of Blåbærfjellet
Standing on top of the South Face of Blåbærfjellet we could see all the way down the line. We were all excited as it was over 1,000 meters of fall line turns all the way to the road. The three of us chatted for a second over who would drop in first. Before long Jarkko dropped in and was making huge turns.
After seeing him ride down so confidently we knew that it was in prime conditions. He rode down to the upper flats and waited for us to drop in one at a time. Once all was good it was time for us to ride as a group all the way back to the road. The lower we got the heavier the snow was but all in all it was an amazing trip.
If you are interested in this ski tour here is the topo route below
