Skåla (Vestland)

Skåla is a mountain in the municipality of Stryn in Vestland county, Norway. The mountain is located about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) east of the village of Loen and about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of the lake Oppstrynsvatn. There are two summits to the mountain, one at 1,843 metres (6,047 ft) and one at 1,848 metres (6,063 ft) above sea level. The latter one is sometimes called Stryneskåla. Every year there is a race from the village of Loen up the mountain.[2]

Skåla
The tower at the summit
Highest point
Elevation1,848 m (6,063 ft)
Prominence330 m (1,080 ft)
Coordinates61.8684°N 6.9658°E / 61.8684; 6.9658[1]
Geography
Map of the location
Map of the location
Skåla
Location of the mountain
Map of the location
Map of the location
Skåla
Skåla (Norway)
LocationVestland, Norway
Parent rangeBreheimen
Topo map1318 I Stryn (west) and
1418 IV Lodalskåpa (east)

Skålatårnet/Kloumantårnet

The tower at the top of the 1,843-metre (6,047 ft) tall summit is built from rocks. It is called Skålatårnet ("Skåla tower") or Kloumantårnet ("Klouman tower"). The construction of the tower was initiated by Doctor Hans Henrik Gerhard Klouman from the nearby village of Innvik. According to what seems to be a widespread legend, the tower was built as a means to cure tuberculosis, which was widespread in the late 19th century. However this myth has been falsified by local historian Ove Eide.[3] According to Ove Eide, no references to tuberculosis exist in any written records before 1991, i.e. one hundred years after the tower was completed. Furthermore, it would have been very difficult to use the tower for such use since no houses for doctors or nurses exist, and the transport of sick people to the top would have been extremely challenging. Other sanatoriums for tuberculosis had huge verandas with beds for curing patients outdoors. The written sources show that the tower was built for mountain tourists.

The walls in the tower are 50 centimetres (20 in) wide, and there are two floors. Today, the tower is accessible to the public, with 22 beds. It is administered by Bergen Turlag, a subsidiary of the Norwegian Trekking Association.[4]

Name

The name of the mountain is the finite form of skål which means "scale" or "bowl". In the hillside that faces the lake Strynsvatnet has a large depression in it which is shaped like a bowl.

Skiing

Skåla is one of the best backcountry skiing mountains in Norway. The trail up is also possible to reach during the winter. It takes about five hours to reach the top and gives you a downhill experience to remember.

References
  1. "Skåla, Stryn (Sogn og Fjordane)" (in Norwegian). yr.no. Retrieved 2019-09-15.
  2. "La Sportiva Skaala 1848 m Uphill".
  3. "Går til åtak på Skåla-historia". 21 December 2012.
  4. "Skålatårnet (1843 moh.)" (in Norwegian). Archived from the original on 2012-07-22. Retrieved 2010-07-23.


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