Surtningssue (08.07.2025)
Skrevet av milese (Miles Elvidge)
| Startsted | Memurubu (1000moh) |
|---|---|
| Sluttsted | Memurubu (1000moh) |
| Turtype | Fjelltur |
| Turlengde | 5t 00min |
| Distanse | 23,0km |
| Høydemeter | 1584m |
| GPS |
|
| Bestigninger | Surtningssue (2367moh) | 08.07.2025 |
|---|
Following yesterday's drizzle, today looked to be the first of a potentially long streak of good weather days (the streak ended up lasting 2+ weeks!). We fancied a trip to Gjende and decided upon a trip up Surtningssue, booking onto the 9:30 Gjendebåten from Gjendesheim to Memurubu.
The smaller of the two ferries took us to Memurubu and was completely full, a testament to the popularity of the Besseggen tour. We were grateful to loose 99% of the crowds upon arriving Memurubu where our path diverged from the masses: Surtningssue 2367moh was written on an impressively large sign. Despite this signage, it looked as though we were the only people from our boat making the journey up the mountain. The route today was circular: we'd approach Surtningssue via the higher-level path towards Raudhamran and return via the Memurudalen valley, only doubling back on ourselves for the steep final push towards the summit.
The initial climb out of Memurubu unveiled stunning views across Gjende and the mountains to its south. Eventually the path levels off and the rock hopping synonymous with Jotunheimen terrain begins, although the sheer popularity of the trail meant this was never too tiresome. Surtningssue appears as a rocky massive and the path approaches the mountain through a staircase of steeper climbs and flatter sections. Quite a lot of snow was still lingering around and covered the path in some of the steeper sections, but really this made for a pleasant mix of terrain underfoot. As we gained yet more elevation, fine views across to the Memurubrean glacier captivated our attention. At one point we summited a small rocky crag only to see a very large herd of reindeer gathered on some snow, Alice even spotted that the herd sported some young. Not wanting to disturb them, we stood and watched as they moved gracefully across the landscape.
Eventually, the higher-level path and the path from Memurudalen meet, and it is from this intersection that the final ~500m Surtningssue are climbed. The path rises steeply to the east before levelling off for the final 200m, passing a small hut along the way. The day was hot, and the residual snow patches made for tricky walking as the slush seemed to absorb our every stride. We encountered a few people from the earlier ferries around here, and it wasn't long before we stood atop the summit. Surtningssue is well positioned amongst the fells of Jotunheimen, perched above the number of glaciers that surround it. Despite the 10km to the summit being a simple hillwalk, the views here made us feel as though we were immersed in somewhere more isolated and remote.
We took in some lunch before making our descent towards Memurudalen valley. After completing the steeper part of the descent and reaching the valley floor, we opted to change into some running clothes in an effort to cool down. The flatter part along the valley was about 8km long and the easier (rock-free) terrain combined with our new attire motivated us into a jog. It felt rather alpine in the valley, especially on such an unusually warm day. We covered the 8km in about an hour, arriving in Memurubu well ahead of the 16:55 ferry back to Gjendesheim. Alice craved a waffle so we purchased one from the DNT cabin; though she was disappointed and remarked that the waffles we'd enjoyed at the Peer Gynt-hytta the day prior were far superior!
At precisely 16:55 the returning boat disembarked towards Gjendesheim and was the larger of the two vessels, however this time the boat was near empty owing to the fact that most opt to do Besseggen in the same direction.
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