Snøhetta is the highest mountain in the Dovrefjell mountain range in Norway. The mountain is 2286 meters high and it is the 24th highest peak in Norway. The topographic elevation is the third largest in Norway. The higher the topographic elevation, the more the view opens up after climbing to the top of the mountain.
The mountain is located in the Dovrefjell mountains, in the northern county of Innlandet, in the municipality of Dovre. Snøhetta is located inside Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park and is the highest peak in the park. It is surrounded by several other mountains, including Brunkollen to the east, Einøvlingseggen to the south, Skredahøin Bruri, Nordre Svånåtinden and Storstyggesvånåtinden to the southwest and Store Langvasstinden, Larstinden and Drugshøi to the west.
Mount Snøhetta has several peaks:
Stortoppen – the highest peak – 2286 meters above sea level.
Midttoppen is the next highest peak, reaching 2,278 meters and a topographic elevation of 40 meters.
Hettpiggen is the third highest peak of the mountain, reaching 2,261 meters above sea level and having a topographic elevation of 50 meters.
Vesttoppen is the fourth highest peak at 2,253 meters and has a topographic elevation of 70 meters.
Vesttoppen and Stortoppen are easily accessible on foot or on skis. The Midttoppen via Hettpiggen to Vesttoppen requires a rope climb.
At the top of Stortoppen is a radio station, originally set up by the Norwegian Army, but now primarily serving civilian purposes. The station and its emergency diesel generator, as well as the nearby helipad, somewhat detract from the mountaintop’s aesthetics. For this reason, many recommend Vesttoppen as a better location.
Near the summit of Vesttoppen there is a small monument to the Norwegian philosopher, humorist, writer and mountaineer Peter Wessel Zapffe.
In good conditions, both in summer and winter, the ascent is relatively easy. Frequent starting points are the DNT tourist huts: Reinheim, Snøheim or Åmotdalshytta.
Snøhetta was first visited in 1798. as part of a research trip to the area. At the time, it was believed to be the highest peak in Norway, as the Jotunheimen area with higher peaks was relatively inaccessible and unexplored, and Snøhetta is visible from the traditional travel route Oslo-Trondheim via the Dovrefjell mountains. The expression “til Dovre faller” (Norwegian: “til Dovre faller”) was used in the oath given at the Constituent Assembly of Norway in 1814, when Norway, after hundreds of years of union with Denmark, formed an independent nation.
The name is a combination of the Norwegian word snø, meaning “snow”, and the finite form hette, meaning “elm”, so the name translates as “snow-capped mountain”.
Altitude 2286 m. above sea level.
Prominence in 1675
Insulation 82.2 km.
3 in Norway by popularity
24th in Norway by height
Coordinates: 62°19′11″N 9°16′04″E
First climbed by Jens Esmark in 1798.
