Reiarsfossen

Setesdal Valley, Aust-Agder County, Norway

About Reiarsfossen

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Reiarsfossen (or Reiårsfossen; I think is pronounced “RYE-ors-foss-un”) was probably the one seemingly major waterfall that Julie and I targeted and visited while in the Setesdal Valley (Setesdalen).

It wouldn’t surprise us if this waterfall was about 200m tall because it was a pretty thick twisting band of water coming down the steep mountain wall spilling into Setesdalen and ultimately feeding into the Åraks Fjord (Åraksfjorden).

Reiarsfossen_040_07252019 - Reiårsfossen seen from across a small 'inlet' on the Åraksfjorden Lake
Reiårsfossen seen from across a small ‘inlet’ on the Åraksfjorden Lake

We managed to see this falls both from alongside the highway, from a short scramble near its base, and from a grassy camping area (see directions below).

Since this was an east-facing waterfall, we had to contend with the late afternoon light on our first visit.

However, we timed it perfectly when we made a morning drive from Rysstad to Kristiansand on a subsequent visit many years later.

Experiencing Reiårsfossen from the official viewpoint

In my mind, this was the most obvious way to experience Reiarsfossen due to its proximity to the Rv9 (see directions below).

Setesdal_034_06192019 - Reiårsfossen seen from the official car park and viewpoint along the Rv9 in Setesdalen
Reiårsfossen seen from the official car park and viewpoint along the Rv9 in Setesdalen

It also featured a spacious car park with plenty of signage to ensure you don’t miss it.

While the views from this roadside stop put us quite close to its impressive drop, it left quite a bit to be desired, especially since trees tended to obstruct the line of sight to its bottom.

However, after doing a quick recon of the area, I noticed a path that started towards the south side of the car park.

Once on that path, it climbed briefly towards an informal junction, where the footpath on the left led up an even more overgrown and rocky ascent right up to Reiarsfossen’s base.

Setesdal_058_06192019 - Looking up at Reiårsfossen after scrambling closer to its base from the official viewpoint area
Looking up at Reiårsfossen after scrambling closer to its base from the official viewpoint area

Along the way, I managed to get commanding views across Setesdalen, and after a few minutes more, I managed to scramble onto the rocks right at the base of the falls.

I’m sure scrambling closer to the falls was possible, but I didn’t feel the need to take any further risks to go further.

Experiencing Reiårsfossen from the camping complex

Across the Rv9 we also managed to get satisfying full views of Reiarsfossen as you can see from the photos at the top of this page.

Once within the camping complex, we could turn left at the fork to a clearing where we could get out of the car and walk towards the river for an unobstructed view of the falls reflected in the water.

Setesdal_098_06192019 - Contextual view of Reiårsfossen backing the camping area from which the photo was taken
Contextual view of Reiårsfossen backing the camping area from which the photo was taken

Deeper into the camping complex, I managed to get contextual views where the camping buildings fronted the waterfall.

For all intents and purposes, this waterfall didn’t require any exertion as it was visible from just about anywhere on site.

Indeed, you could camp or rent a cabin here, and you’ll likely score a nice view of Reiarsfossen.

Authorities

Reiarsfossen resides near Rysstad in the Bygland Municipality in Agder County (formerly Augst-Agder), Norway. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website or their Facebook page.

Maps and Routing Content are for annual subscribers. See Membership Options.
Content is for subscribers. See Membership Options.
Tagged with: bygland, setesdal, aust-agder, southern norway, scandinavia, norway, waterfall, kristiansand, byglandsfjord



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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.