Sunnmore Alps

The Sunnmore Alps are a cluster of steep, pointed peaks between Alesund and the Hjorundfjord that rise from sea level to around 1,700 metres in a single sweep, which gives them an alpine profile unusual outside Jotunheimen and a vertical range that skiers value more than absolute height. From February to May the range is the centre of Norwegian ski touring, with summit-to-sea descents and boat-based trips that drop skiers at the fjord shore. In summer the same peaks give hard walking: Slogen, Saudehornet, Kolastinden and Randers Topp among them. The DNT lodge at Patchellhytta and the historic Hotel Union Oye serve as bases, and the Hjorundfjord ferries connect the trailheads.

What you actually see

• The pointed peaks - alpine summits rising directly from fjord level.
• The ski-touring season - spring descents from summit to shore.
• The Hjorundfjord - the deep fjord dividing the range.
• The mountain lodges - DNT huts and historic hotels as bases.

When to go

February to May for ski touring, with April usually the best combination of snow and daylight; June to September for hiking once the snow clears. Weather off the Atlantic is wet and changeable in every season.

Honest expectations

These are serious mountains with avalanche terrain in winter and exposed scrambling in summer, and guides are advisable for ski touring. Approaches involve narrow roads and ferries running to timetable. Accommodation in the area is limited and books out in the spring season.

Nearby

Slogen and Norangsdalen are on the fjord's western side; Alesund lies north on the coast.