Bitihorn 1607m asl

After finishing the Knutshøe tour, I had a few more hours until sunset. And since I was planning to spend the night in a tent in this area, I had to do something about this excess time. Waiting in one of the parking lots along the road 51 was a rather poor option due to the amount of passengers passing both ways that day and stopping at every possible piece of land. I decided that despite the tiredness, it would be better if I go somewhere else.

Bitihorn (1607m above sea level) offered a fairly short route, which also turned out to be very spectacular. The parking lot by the trail turned out to be paid, but 60kr per day, seems not an exorbitant amount. I left the car, took my backpack and set off. At the very beginning I started to pass people coming back from the tour. No wonder, the second half of the day is the time to come back from the mountain trails and not the time to start hiking. But I hoped that I would be able to come back before sunset.

The path to Bitihorn is under the care of DNT, so it is well marked and well-trodden. And the amount of people I passed also shows how popular this tour is. It is located right on the main road, not far from the popular Bygdin Høyfjellshotell hotel, and it is not particularly demanding, so it is hardly surprising that such crowds are going there.

At some point there is a crossing the trails. One leads west towards the Yksendalsbu hut, the other one goes directly to the Bitihorn peak. The trail to the summit from here gets steeper, and the higher you go, there are more stones along the way. And during breaks to catch your breath you can admire the views. Lakes Raudfjorden and Kjelda, connected in the north by an isthmus with Lake Bygdin and the peaks surrounding from everywhere make an electrifying impression. And the higher the view, the better.

The summit of Bitihorn is already one large cluster of stones and a spot of big telecommunications antenna. There is also a modest hut, probably used for serving the antenna installation.

Wikipedia gives some interesting information about this mountain. Its name consists of two words: ” bite’’ and ‘’horn’’. The whole therefore means a bitten mountain or a bitten horn. In 1811, the first ascent to the Bitihorn peak was recorded, by the botanist Christen Smith, who conducted research in the Jotunheimen mountains. With its 1,607 meters high, Bitihorn rises over the surrounding peaks, making it a symbol of the tourism industry, especially in the nearby tourist resort of Beitostølen, just a few kilometers to the south.

During World War II, the steep eastern side was used by the German Alpine troops for training. On the southern slope you can find small single-person shelters with openings for cannons. Some of them are built later as replicas, but some are from 1941-1942.

There is one more trail leading to the top from the south side. However, it is very steep and it is recommended that you only use it in the presence of someone who knows the route well.

As planned, I returned to the parking lot before sunset. So I had time to find a suitable place to pitch a tent.

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