Date: 25/05/2015
Map:
Time and Path:
“The sleeping queen”, the highest mountain in Narvik region with its 1576 meters. The name came from its shape; looking at this mountain from Narvik you can definitely see the pofile of a women.
Italian – Russian expedition (Mish – Ilya)
Target: wake up The Sleeping Queen.
We left Narvik at 7:00 and by bus we reached the Sondre Hokvik (the closest bus stop to go to the sleeping queen). Equipped with sticks and snowshoes in the backpacks we walked along a road for 1 hour to Silvatnet (a lake from where the path starts). Then 1 hour more walking up across the wood till we needed to wear snowshoes. At this point we were in front of the mountain, extremely smart mountain covered by a mantle of snow. Impossible attack it from the front side, so we chosed to try it from the back side. Without any path, and any tracks we started turning around the mountain.
We walked 2 hours more turning around a mountain called “Litletind” till we reached the neck (a sort of crest between the Litletind and the Queen)
Then again 2 hours more turning behind the Queen on very steep slopes. In the meantime sun arrived and we were almost sure to be able to reach the top. We stopped for lunch in a safe area watching the wonderful landscape in front of us and resting a bit legs and feets.
After lunch we were ready to do the last effort to get to the top. We saw a good channel going up towards the top. It was good but there was a lot of snow. The snowshoes started to be useless and the height of snow was increasing. At the end we arrived at something like 100 meters from the top but there weren’t any more the safety conditions to go on. (too much accumulation of snow, avalanche danger and high exposure level). With a bit of bad taste in mouth we turn back on the way home (without snowshoes).
Just to reach a top we decided to go on the Litletind on the way back and we stopped there eating something and enjoying the fantastic view on the fiord.
Nevertheless the Queen is still sleeping, it has been a awesome trip and this can be the reason to come back in Narvik in future!
Pysical state: Trained
Notes: Maybe with Avalache equipment and rampones it would have been possible to achieve the top. To go in safety on the top we should wait the second half of June.