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Skrikjofossen and Opofossen

Lofthus, Hordaland County, Norway

About Skrikjofossen and Opofossen

Rating: 3
Difficulty: 2
Hiking Distance: roadside; 2.2km round trip (to bridge)
Suggested Time: 1 hour
Date first visited: 2005-06-24
Date last visited: 2019-07-24
Waterfall Latitude: 60.30603
Waterfall Longitude: 6.69084
Directions: Get to the waterfall
Vicinity: Find nearby waterfalls
Jump to: Photos, Videos, Other Info
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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Skrikjofossen and Opofossen were a waterfall pair that made their plunge and tumble from the highlands of the Hardanger Plateau (Hardangervidda) towards the South Fjord (Sørfjorden) by the town of Lofthus in the Ullensvang municipality.

Actually, it was Skrikjofossen (I’ve also seen it spelled Krikjofossen) that was much more visible during our visit in June 2005 as well as in Summer of 2019.

Skrikjofossen_019_06242005 - Skrikjofossen on right and Opofossen barely visible on the left
Skrikjofossen on right and Opofossen barely visible on the left

It made a pair of dramatic plunges, where the literature varies on its height which ranges from as little as 300m high or as much as 455m tall.

Thus, we were easily able to see it (especially if you’re heading south) from the main road through the center of Lofthus.

However, its lower sections were obstructed by a sloping cliff so it beckoned us to find a way to get closer for a better view.

That said, seeking out that better view was less straightforward than we thought, which we’ll get into later in this write-up.

Skrikjofossen_001_06242005 - Focused on Skrikjofossen towering over the valley as seen from the Rv13 back in June 2005
Focused on Skrikjofossen towering over the valley as seen from the Rv13 back in June 2005

Conversely, the other main waterfall was the cascading Opofossen.

This waterfall was the more forceful and northerly one across the head of the valley from Skrikjofossen.

Unfortunately, it was mostly hidden from us as it was almost exclusively facing Skrikjofossen before finally revealing a small glimpse of itself at its bottommost drop.

Opofossen was really a series of plunges and cascades that reportedly possessed a cumulative height of 650m though we can’t substantiate that until actually witnessing it better in the field.

Skrikjofossen_010_06242005 - Looking at the lowermost drops of the Opofossen as seen from the bridge in Elvedalen during our June 2005 visit
Looking at the lowermost drops of the Opofossen as seen from the bridge in Elvedalen during our June 2005 visit

According to Norgeskart, the hidden uppermost tiers was called Rjukande (or Rjukandefossen meaning the “Smoke Falls”) while the barely-visible lowermost drops were called Bjørnabykset (“bear’s leap”).

It wouldn’t surprise me if there were many other names or understandings revolving around this system of cascades.

Experiencing the Skrikjofossen and Opofossen Waterfalls

While it may be possible to experience these waterfalls in a few different ways, the only ways that I’ve done it was either from seeing it within the town of Lofthus, or from further up the hill towards a car park at Elvedalen (see directions below).

On our first visit in late June 2005, Julie and I actually did a short hike in Elvedalen that took us to a bridge over the Opo River though I felt as if the views of the falls weren’t any better than the car park.

Lofthus_012_06232019 - Looking towards Skrikjofossen from the Rv13 as I was passing through Lofthus
Looking towards Skrikjofossen from the Rv13 as I was passing through Lofthus

That said, the trail was somewhat easy and straightforward as we passed by the school and walked alongside the northern bank of the Opo River deeper into Elvedalen.

According to our rough GPS track marks on our log, we walked about 1.2km in each direction to a bridge that crossed the Opo River.

Throughout the walk, we saw that Skrikjofossen’s two main tiers were separating from each other as it appeared more angled to us.

Meanwhile, Opofossen remained frustratingly elusive as the trail didn’t really reveal much more about itself other than some intermediate cascades between the bridge and the lowermost tiers of Bjørnabykset.

Lofthus_037_06232019 - This was the view of Skrikjofossen on right and Opofossen barely visible on the left from the Elvedalen Trailhead in late June 2019
This was the view of Skrikjofossen on right and Opofossen barely visible on the left from the Elvedalen Trailhead in late June 2019

We had found an informal trail that continued scrambling alongside the northern bank of the Opo River hoping it might get us to better views of Opofossen.

However, it eventually ended with a direct view of the outflow of the creek Skrikjo as well as a slightly more angled view of Skrikjofossen itself.

According to our maps, the track on the other side of the bridge only curved back around and followed the southern banks of Opoelva.

It eventually went back towards Lofthus so we decided to turn back to the trailhead in Elvedalen from this point.

Skrikjofossen_017_06242005 - Just to give you an idea of how much has changed over the years, here's the same Elvedalen Trailhead view from back in June 2005. Notice the construction vehicle and mounds of dirt, which was adjacent to the other court that was established here
Just to give you an idea of how much has changed over the years, here’s the same Elvedalen Trailhead view from back in June 2005. Notice the construction vehicle and mounds of dirt, which was adjacent to the other court that was established here

Overall, it took us around an hour to do this hike, which behaved more like a leisurely stroll except for those moments we had scrambled to improve the views.

Speculating on improving the Opofossen Experience

So based on this experience, I’m thinking that in order to get any decent glimpse of Opofossen, it would require a hike up one of the strenuous trails that would climb above Lofthus and Elvedalen towards Hardangervidda.

I say this based on my recollections on having seen one obscure partial photo from near its top on the interwebs in the past.

One such trail was said to contain the Monk Stairs or Munkestreppene.

We weren’t about to try these trails during our late evening visits (each time we’ve started after 9pm) so I personally can’t guarantee that it would yield a better view of it.

Besides, I’m on the fence about trying such a hike, but I’ll need to do more research before I decide to give it a go on a future Norway trip (if it happens).

Why Skrikjofossen lacked fanfare

Rv13_030_07242019 - Skrikjofossen barely visible against the sun while driving through Lofthus in late July 2019
Skrikjofossen barely visible against the sun while driving through Lofthus in late July 2019

The first two times that I had witnessed Skrikjofossen, I thought it was legitimate and ought to get more recognition than it did.

However, on a recent visit in 2019, we got to see this waterfall a month after our repeat June visit in late July.

When we came back to see it, we couldn’t help but notice how much lighter flowing the waterfall was.

So that made us believe that perhaps it wasn’t as significant as other named waterfalls in the country.

Indeed, in general, we tend to realize that named waterfalls in Norway tended to be more permanent or on major rivers and streams.

Perhaps Skrikjofossen was a borderline case, but our observations in 2019 certainly didn’t help its status in our minds.

Authorities

Skrikjofossen and Opofossen reside in Lofthus in the Ullensvang Municipality in Hordaland County, Norway. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, visit their website or Facebook page.

Lofthus_002_06232019 - Around Lofthus, the narrow Rv13 passed through some extensive sloping fields of sweet fruits like cherries and apples, which was the Ullensvang municipality's main export. This shot was taken in late June 2019
Lofthus_007_06232019 - As I was driving south on the Rv13 through Lofthus, I could easy see Skrikjofossen towering over the head of Elvedalen. Note that in June 2019 (when this photo was taken), it seemed to have a bit less flow than in June 2005
Lofthus_011_06232019 - Context of the Rv13 passing through Lofthus as I was headed south on it during my visit in late June 2019. As you can see, Skrikjofossen is easily seen in this direction
Lofthus_015_06232019 - As of June 2019, the sentrum of Lofthus seemed to have a large parking space to go shopping (where the buildings are in this photo)
Lofthus_018_06232019 - However, you can also see Skrikjofossen right from that car park, which tells you just how conspicuous it was from town. This photo was taken in late June 2019
Lofthus_019_06232019 - I was also able to see glimpses of the Folgefonna Glacier from the same car park in Lofthus during my late June 2019 visit
Lofthus_020_06232019 - More zoomed in look at Skrikjofossen during my Summer evening visit in late June 2019
Lofthus_021_06232019 - The Lofthus sentrum car park was quite scenic in its own right. This photo was taken in late June 2019
Lofthus_024_06232019 - Barely visible in the distance was Opofossen from this car park for some facility on the drive up to Elvedalen during my visit in late June 2019
Lofthus_031_06232019 - Before the bridge (where I made the last turn up to the Elvedalen car park), there's a turveg (tourist road) in this direction though I didn't explore where it went. This was as of June 2019
Lofthus_038_06232019 - This was the trail that Julie and I did back in June 2005 to experience Elvedalen in the hopes of improving our Skrikjofossen and especially Opofossen experiences
Lofthus_039_06232019 - Looking back at Opofossen (a small bit of it) from the school that I think also doubles as a an accommodation in the Summer. This photo was taken in late June 2019
Rv_13_010_06242005 - On the eastern shore of Sørfjorden as we were near Lofthus as seen in late June 2005
Skrikjofossen_002_06242005 - View of both Skrikjofossen (right) and Opofossen (left) seen from behind a field belonging to what I think was the sports center (idrettsplass) in Elvedalen. This was shot in late June 2005
Skrikjofossen_003_06242005 - Focused in on just the two main drops of Skrikjofossen in late June 2005. Notice that it seemed to have a bit more volume back then than during our late June 2019 visit
Skrikjofossen_004_06242005 - On the walking trail as it went through a forest with Skrikjofossen still in sight up ahead during our visit in June 2005
Skrikjofossen_005_06242005 - We were now beyond the tall trees and Skrikjofossen's two tiers started to separate as the falls appeared more angled. This was seen during our June 2005 visit
Skrikjofossen_007_06242005 - On that first visit in late June 2005, we made it up to the bridge crossing over the River Opo with Skrikjofossen still visible in the distance
Skrikjofossen_008_06242005 - A more zoomed in look at Skrikjofossen's two main tiers from the bridge during our June 2005 visit
Skrikjofossen_011_06242005 - As we were trying to scramble for a better view of Opofossen further upstream from the north side of the bridge (during our late June 2005 visit), we ended up at a dead-end with this view of Skrikjofossen at the confluence of the creek Skrikjo and the River Opo
Skrikjofossen_002_jx_06242005 - The biggest threat to experiencing tall waterfalls like Skrikjofossen is the presence of clouds obscuring the views. This was what started to happen when we made our first visit in late June 2005 after having our fill of it
Skrikjofossen_021_06242005 - Back at the trailhead of Elvedalen at the end of our short hike in June 2005


While Skrikjofossen can be seen from the Rv13 in the town of Lofthus, I’m going to describe the driving directions to get to the Elvedalen Trailhead.

Lofthus_017_06232019 - This was the context of the large parking lot at the sentrum of Lofthus near the supermarket (Bunnpris at the time of my visit in late June 2019)
This was the context of the large parking lot at the sentrum of Lofthus near the supermarket (Bunnpris at the time of my visit in late June 2019)

I singled out Elvedalen because that’s where we noticed hiking options from the stroll deeper into Elvedalen to the possibility of much harder and vertical hikes scaling the cliff walls towards Hardangervidda.

So we’re assuming that you’re either driving north on the Rv13 towards the southern end of Lofthus, or driving through Lofthus from the north along the same main road.

At the southern end of Lofthus, we then turned inland (east; away from the fjord) at a signs for Hardanger Folkehøgskule and Hordatun Idrettspark.

We then followed this narrow road up the hill (eventually following signs for Elvedalen) for about 1.3km before reaching the public car park just on the other side of a bridge.

Lofthus_034_06232019 - The bridge before the final short stretch leading to the Elvedalen car park
The bridge before the final short stretch leading to the Elvedalen car park

For some geographical context, Odda is 32km (over 30 minutes drive) south of Lofthus, 41km (about 45 minutes drive) south of Kinsarvik, 42km (about 45 minutes drive) north of Røldal, 72km (about 90 minutes drive) south of Eidfjord, 134km (about 3 hours drive with a ferry crossing) east of Bergen, 179km (over 3 hours drive with some ferry crossings) north of Stavanger, and 323km (about 5 hours drive) west of Oslo.

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Brief 75% sweep starting with Sorfjorden before panning over to the Skrikjofossen


Brief sweep covering the Skrikjofossen and part of Opofossen from the Elvedalen car park

Tagged with: ullensvang, lofthus, kinsarvik, odda, hordaland, sorfjord, sorfjorden, norway, waterfall, krikjofossen, skrikjofossen, opofossen, rjukandefossen, bjornabysket, rjukande



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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.
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