Trip to the Norwegian west coast

Boredom took me again today, so I set out around noon, heading for the mountains of Jotunheimen (Troll's Home). I made my first stop at Vang, about 90 mins northwest of Dokka. The pictures you see underneath represent pretty much the landscape all the way to the coast; tall hillsides that could be taken for proper mountains, with the occasional waterfall cascading several hundred feet down into some fjord, usually with some impossibly green, luscious side vally somewhere in the picture. Driving from the inland valleys of the Hønefoss and Dokka areas is driving through postcard upon postcard.

View north.


Several hundred feet of water gushing down the mountainside.


Hillsides so tall they should be categorized as mountainsides.


Fodnes, where you take a ferry across the Atlantic Ocean. Yes, this is the longest salt water fjord in Norway (3rd longest in the world), the 127 miles long Sognefjord. In theory there's precious little between you and the Canadian east coast.


The fjord continues east and north (Lustrafjord) for miles.


This is from Fortun, just north of where the Sognefjord ends. About half way up the mountain, along winding, narrow roads, is a small layby where one can stop and take pictures.


I tried my hand at some arty-farty b & w pics.


These pics were taken once I reached the top of the hill and began driving across the mountain plateau. I had the wild, beautiful mountains of the Jotunheimen National Park to my right and the equally lovely Breheimen (Home of the Glacier) on my left. I can't remember what these were called, but there's tons of tops like these in Jotunheimen.


Looking back south.


Yet another nameless mountain.


South or possibly west. You get dizzy trying to maintain your bearings with huge mountains all around you and a general, dispersed sunlight to boot.


The last pictures are from Krossbu, a tourist cabin on the Oppland county side of Jotunheimen (the rest lies in Sogn og Fjordane). Here is a great view of Breheimen straight ahead with the cabin at Krossbu down on the right.


A waterfall just after Krossbu.


This scenery reminds me a lot of the Brooks Range in Alaska.