Tyttebærtinden (1177), the Lyngen peninsula, Norway


 

Tyttebærtinden as seen from Karltinden.

First ascent by Elizabeth Main (a.k.a. Aubrey Le Blond) (UK),
Josef and Emil Imboden (CH), August 2nd. 1898.

"August 1st was a truly pictorial day. Masses of mist floated in the valleys and occasionally
enveloped the mountain-tops. A deep-blue sky spread over all, and a hot sun lit up the
spires of rock and made the snow brilliantly white and glistening. We had made a start
from Lyngseidet at 9.15 P.M., bound for the Urtind, a conspicuous rocky peak which looks
well from everywhere in the neighbourhood.
We ascended the slopes above the Kjosenfjord for a long distance diagonally, till we struck
the beginning of a broad shelf which sloped back again across the mountain. Following
this till immediately below the summit, we went straight up a useful ridge, over a snow
patch, and, without requiring to put on the rope, reached the top at 2.45 A.M. There was
no sign of a previous ascent. While Emil carried out building operations, Imboden and
I decided that our next move should be an attempt to follow the long ridge which connects
the Urtind with the Tytteboertind, another new peak, and one which looks very well from
Lyngseidet
.
Tying ourselves together, we set off about 3.45 A.M., and had a very pleasant scramble
along the ridge. In more than one place we had to descend a little and traverse on the
face to our right, to avoid precipitous drops on the aréte. About midway along the ridge
a curious seam of what I imagine is yellow sandstone occurs, and the surface of this is very
smooth. A scratch on it is easily made, and is as conspicuous as the mark of a pencil on a slate.
 The aréte continued to be pleasant and interesting till
near the final spring of the Tytteboertind. Then, as there was a bit we were not quite
sure of, we traversed again to our right and completed the ascent by another ridge. We
saw afterwards that had we kept straight on, we should have got up all the same.
We spent some time on the top, resting and eating and building. The mist always
hung persistently over the side of the peak we wished to descend, so we had finally to
move off without a clear view. I gave my opinion as to the identity of a certain aréte.
Imboden positively asserted that the one we had seen previously from below was another.
I was so used to being in the wrong whenever I differed from Imboden, that I started
off quite contentedly down his ridge, well satisfied that it was not necessary to take mine,
which was much steeper and harder. However, after descending about 300 feet Imboden
declared he was puzzled, and having explored a little the order was given to traverse sundry
couloirs till we gained my ridge, if gain it we could from there. This necessitated some
rather awkward work, especially a few steps across a precipitous face where everything
one touched came away in one's hands. But at last we topped the aréte, and from here,
with the exception of several doubts as to possible "drops," all went well. The length
of that ridge was preposterous. It seemed to stretch for miles ahead, and what with the
inordinate distance and the fact that it was so rotten that close attention to hands and
feet was unceasingly needed, we were mightily glad when a mossy knoll was reached when
the rope could be removed and a pleasanter surface obtained for walking. Having had
no very definite plans on starting, we did not order a boat to meet us, so when we reached
the border of the fjord at the mouth of the Tytteboerdal, a long tramp home of two hours
or more still awaited us. As this led all the time beneath the arete we had passed along,
the view of the latter interested us, and afforded some help in passing the time."

(Aubrey Le Blond: Mountaineering In The Land of the Midnight Sun, 1908)




Urdkjerringa, Store Kjostinden and Tyttebærtinden as seen from Karltinden.




Tyttebærtinden as seen from Kjosen




The North West face (left) and West ridge of Tyttebærtinden as seen from Kjosen.



© Geir Jenssen 2009

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