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Ramnefjellsfossen

Lovatnet, Sogn og Fjordane County, Norway

About Ramnefjellsfossen

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Ramnefjellsfossen was a very tall waterfall spilling into the beautiful but deceptively calm and dangerous lake Lovatnet (pronounced “LOO-vaht-nuh”; meaning “the napping or laughing lake”?).

Depending on how you measure the length of its run, it could have a drop of around 500m or even as high as 800m.

Kjenndalsbreen_236_07192019 - Ramnefjellsfossen and the head of the lake Lovatnet
Ramnefjellsfossen and the head of the lake Lovatnet

In my mind, this waterfall had more than just its height going for it, however.

Indeed, the Lovatnet lake with the Ramnefjellsfossen spilling into it provided one of the more stunning landscapes that Julie and I had ever witnessed.

And that was what made this waterfalling experience special.

Experiencing Ramnefjellsfossen

For all intents and purposes, this was essentially a roadside waterfall.

Kjenndalsbreen_226_07192019 - Kjenndalstova backed by Ramnefjellsfossen and the headwaters of Lovatnet
Kjenndalstova backed by Ramnefjellsfossen and the headwaters of Lovatnet

However, we primarily experienced it from a signed viewing area as well as from the Kjenndalstova by the head of the Lovatnet lake.

In between these spots, we did manage to pull over at a couple of rare pullouts with views across Lovatnet towards the falls.

That was pretty much the extent of our viewing Ramnefjellsfossen as it was really more of a backdrop waterfall as opposed to one that we would hike close to for a more intimate experience.

Nomenclature

Ramnefjellsfossen made its leap on the Utigardselva so I’ve also seen the falls called Utigordsfossen [Utigørdsfossen] or Utigardsfossen [Utigårdsfossen].

Kjenndalsbreen_348_07192019 - Focused on the cascades at the head of Nesdal Valley (Nesdalen), but depending on the map's zoom, Norgeskart actually called the river through this valley Utigardselva instead of Inigardselva!
Focused on the cascades at the head of Nesdal Valley (Nesdalen), but depending on the map’s zoom, Norgeskart actually called the river through this valley Utigardselva instead of Inigardselva!

Moreover, I’ve also seen the falls spelled as Ramnefjellfossen.

Nevertheless, you may have actually seen this waterfall in the literature under the premise of tallest waterfalls in the world as a result of these other names.

But Ramnefjellsfossen was its official name because it tumbled beneath the mountain Ramnefjellet, which supported the Ramnefjellbreen Glacier.

And it was ultimately the glacier that supplied this waterfall with its flow.

Lodalen’s Tragic History

Lovatnet_010_06302005 - Looking back towards Lovatnet from the lookout with the memorial plaque naming the victims of tragedy here as seen in our first visit back in 2005
Looking back towards Lovatnet from the lookout with the memorial plaque naming the victims of tragedy here as seen in our first visit back in 2005

I had mentioned that the lake Lovatnet was deceptively calm and dangerous.

The reason why was because we learned that this place was notorious for a pair of deadly landslides in 1905 and 1936.

Mt Ramnefjell featured prominently in these tragedies because it was the source of the rockfalls that dropped into Lovatnet.

This resulted in the tidal waves that had wiped out the lakeside communities of Nesdal and Bødal.

Kjenndalsbreen_353_07192019 - Ramnefjellsfossen and Mt Ramnefjell to the right of it. The giant scar you see on that mountain was where the rockfalls that caused the tsunamis had occurred
Ramnefjellsfossen and Mt Ramnefjell to the right of it. The giant scar you see on that mountain was where the rockfalls that caused the tsunamis had occurred

The second incident killed 74 people (even with mitigation measures since the 1905 incident) and became Norway’s biggest natural disaster in its recorded history.

This explained why the entire Lodalen Valley was so eerily quiet during our visits in both 2005 and 2019 as I’d imagine a lack of desire for any further developments in the valley.

It definitely reminded us of the forces involved that often result in such dramatic scenery that we behold today.

Regarding the fine balance between carving out a living in such dangerous landscapes and dealing with the risks.

Kjenndalsbreen_347_07192019 - Context of the headwaters of Lovatnet fronting Ramnefjellsfossen and the Nesdal Valley to the left of it. The cleared area in the flat was where I'd imagine the town of Nesdal once stood
Context of the headwaters of Lovatnet fronting Ramnefjellsfossen and the Nesdal Valley to the left of it. The cleared area in the flat was where I’d imagine the town of Nesdal once stood

I recalled a Hurtigruten guide really hit home the level of respect he has for people living with the realities of Norway’s nature.

He stated that there’s no how-to guide for how to live in Norway’s steep values, and it’s all trial-and-error.

And as you can see by the consequences, the “errors” are always a constant aspect of life here.

Authorities

Ramnefjellsfossen resides in the Stryn Municipality near Loen in Sogn og Fjordane County, Norway. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website or Facebook page.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: utigordsfossen, utigardsfossen, stryn, lovatnet, loen, olden, nordfjord, geiranger, sogn og fjordane, norway, waterfall, tragedy, kjenndalsbreen, glacier, kjenndal, nesdal, rauhella, lodalen



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Ramnefjellsfossen July 3, 2019 1:56 pm by John Lasher - For many years this underrated waterfall was listed as the third tallest in the book 'The Top Ten of Everything'. But, then, after Cascata de Yumbilla was discovered and measured [whereby it became third tallest], Ramnefjellsfossen dropped to fourth. Whatever? I viewed this waterfall on a clear day in early June 2017. A sublime experience… ...Read More

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Johnny Cheng

About Johnny Cheng

Johnny Cheng is the founder of the World of Waterfalls and author of the award-winning A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls. Over the last 2 decades, he has visited thousands of waterfalls in over 40 countries around the world and nearly 40 states in the USA.
Read More About Johnny | A Guide to New Zealand Waterfalls.