ISFJORDEN (Panorama): Have you also wondered what Norwegians might be up to during the Easter holiday?

By BENJAMIN MOEYERSONS (text & photo)

Getting closer and closer to Easter, we got acquainted with the fact that during those days the whole country of Norway is down completely. That of course raised the question: What are they up to during these days? Besides going to their cabin, spending time with the family or flying to a warm southern European country, you can find a lot of people in the outdoors! Especially when you get treated with a crazy good weather day as on this Good Friday!

Seeing the weather forecast for these days, you couldn’t do anything else but to go outside. Therefore we decided to go for another topptur! This time the place to be was Kirketaket (translates to The Church Roof). Only one ferry ride, and in total about 45 minutes of travel, away from Molde you can find this amazing topptur. Being named the King of Toppturs in the Møre and Romsdal area, we had to figure out ourselves what that would imply!

Located on the other side of Åndalsnes in the Rauma municipality alongside the beautiful fjord of Isjforden, Kirketaket – with its 1439 meters above sea level – is already visible from far away! Another reason which makes it even more exciting to drive towards it.

You have a 6.93km tour ahead in distance, with a total of 1350 vertical meters. The whole tour together takes you approximately six hours, providing you not only with a wonderful view, but also with a very broad and long surface to ski down, and for us probably one of the best toppturs of the season.

Starting off on the parking lot, since it is already spring, you have to hike the first part through the forest. Once you have managed to get through the forest, the second part of the tour takes you over a very broad ridge, providing you with the opportunity to have a look around, have a chat with your friends and even talking to other people on their way up.

Talking about what Norwegians might be up to during Easter, it really felt like as if half the population of Norway was going up that mountain. Never have I seen so many people going up for a tour. This, of course, gives another dimension to the trip, you get to meet locals, families going on a cabin trip, tourists on their holidays, and just a lot of like-minded and fun people.

After the very long and broad ridge, you might think that you’ve made it already. But it is then the “real stuff” starts. A zig zag of about 500 vertical meters all the way up to the top is the last piece of the puzzle to the final enjoyment of your tour up to a 360 panorama view, where you can even see all the way back to Molde.

Moreover, the best part has yet to come. The descent starts off with an enormous playground of a couple hundred meters broad where everybody, even after a whole day, still gets to choose their own lines to ski or snowboard all the way down. One of the longest descents we personally have done so far, it takes you all the way down to the valley where you can continue your journey back to the car on cross country ski tracks, enabling you to relax, cheer about what an amazing experience you’ve just had and look further upon the beauty of Isfjorden!

Also want to give it a try? Make sure to check out the start-up guide to touring! Already experienced and looking for another top location on the list, then definitely give this one a go!