TARGET 111221

Jumping between "the Goat's Horns"

Making the jump

The jump, of course, is a very short one, and practically anyone can do it. It's only about four feet distance from one side to the other. So what's so spectacular about this to make it a weekly target? Well, it's not the jump, itself, but where it's located.

It's location

It's located in the very tiny village of Svolværgeita, Norway. Just a sleepy little fishing village sandwiched between the sea and some very high mountains. See the peak in the picture above? No, not the high one on the right, but the narrow one in the middle of the picture. That's where the "Goat's Horns" are.

First, there's a little bit of a climb

First, there is a climb up the side of a very steep slope to the base of Fløyfjellet mountain where the natural stone pillar,"The Goat", is located. Then, you have another 150 meters (492 feet) climb straight up the side of the pillar to the reach the Storhorn (big horn. From there, you only have to jump the extra 1.5 meters (4 feet)down to the Lillehorn (little horn).

Oh, by the way, there's one minor little thing: a few years back, someone landed wrong on the near edge of the little horn and a 3-foot wide section dropped away, so now, it is a seven foot jump. You should probably try to remember that before you leap.

The "Goat" pillar

Goat’s Horns peak was first climbed in 1910 by Carl Rubenson, Alf B. Bryn, and Ferdinand Schjelderup, a fantastic trio who managed to conquer two other virgin summits (Trakta and Stetind) on the very same trip. Climbers can go up Fløyfjellet mountain to the base of the pillar on the original route of its first climbers, just to see how good these three pioneers were in their time. There are several routes up the pillar, itself, and once at the top, many members of the mountaineering community follow the decades-old traditions of jumping from highest horn to the lower one. It’s considered the perfect mountain climbing stunt, because it’s possible to make, but hard enough to get your heart pumping. Even with the safety lines and harnesses, though, one wrong slip of nerves or foot, and you are in for a pretty rough fall, probably slamming against the side of one of the "horns".

The view from the top

Once you've reached the little horn, there is a good amount of sitting room (well, there was before the 3 foot section fell off). You are free to rest and enjoy one of the rarest and most beautiful views in the world: the village >>directly<< beneath your feet.

There is the custom, however, that if the other climbers come after you, you should help catch them as they land on the little horn. Be sure that you still have your safety harness in place, though..... just in case you're holding on to them when they don't make it. Would you like to see that happen? watch the video below.

A long and very satisfying day!

Well! That was a great climbing experience, wasn't it! Now... all you have to do is get back down before the darkness of night sets in.

FEEDBACK MAP

If you got impressions for which this feedback is insufficient, please take a look at the following web sites for more:

Northern Alpine Guides
Summit Post
Oddity Central
Wikipedia