Tjornadalsfossen

Oddadalen, Hordaland County, Norway

About Tjornadalsfossen

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Waterfall Safety and Common Sense

Tjornadalsfossen (Tjørnadalsfossen; pronounced “TYURD-nuh-dahls-foss-un”) was a waterfall that we almost missed out on for we weren’t really aware of its presence.

Indeed, it took an accidental stop, which we did to improve our view of Strondsfossen (on the other side of the lake Sandvinvatnet) before this waterfall caught us by surprise!

Oddadalen_119_06232019 - Unobstructed and elevated view of Tjørnadalsfossen as seen in June 2019
Unobstructed and elevated view of Tjørnadalsfossen as seen in June 2019

This falls turned and twisted its way down the eastern wall of Oddadalen making it very tall.

I had some trouble trying to find a satisfyingly full contextual view, which got me to do a little exploring to see if there was a better way to experience it.

Over the years, I managed to find two very different approaches to better appreciate Tjørnadalsfossen.

Experiencing Tjørnadalsfossen – getting closer to its bottom

The most straightforward way that I know of to get a more intimate look at Tjornadalsfossen was by getting a bottom up look at it.

Oddadalen_082_06232019 - The barricade preventing any vehicular access onto this old road leading up towards Tjørnadalsfossen
The barricade preventing any vehicular access onto this old road leading up towards Tjørnadalsfossen

To do that, I had to go up the tractor road that quickly rose up the east end of Oddadalen Valley immediately from the car park or pullout (see directions.

This road only allowed pedestrians though I’m sure the barricade may be opened only for particular local uses since the road seemed to have some degree of recent (albeit very infrequent) use.

In any case, the road switchbacked at least a couple of times with several informal paths scrambling closer to the stream that Tjornadalsfossen was on.

However, I kept ascending this road until it started to flatten out about 600m from the trailhead.

Oddadalen_166_06232019 - Ascending the road to get up closer to Tjørnadalsfossen
Ascending the road to get up closer to Tjørnadalsfossen

That was when I spotted a more obvious scrambling path on the left into the shaded forested area.

After a short scramble through to the opposite side of the narrow patch of woods, I then found myself at the banks of the stream responsible for Tjørnadalsfossen.

This was where I got satisfying bottom up views of Tjørnadalsfossen though getting a full photo of it either required stitching or a decent wide angle.

After having my fill of the falls, I then turned back and went back downhill to the trailhead.

Tjornadalsfossen_009_jx_06242005 - Tjørnadalsfossen as seen from our first visit in June 2005
Tjørnadalsfossen as seen from our first visit in June 2005

Overall, this short excursion would probably take around 30 minutes total.

By the way, the road continued further to the south towards Hildal as well as Bygdeborg (the location of an old fort).

I didn’t keep going on this path so I can’t say anything more about it.

Experiencing Tjørnadalsfossen – hiking the Saga Trail to Bygdeborg

On my second visit to this part of Norway in late June 2019, I noticed Bygdeborg signs, and I decided that I ought to take a look to see what it’s about.

Oddadalen_087_06232019 - Signs pointing the way to get to Bygdeborg near Tjørnadalsfossen
Signs pointing the way to get to Bygdeborg near Tjørnadalsfossen

I believe the word means “hillfort” and apparently Norway had quite a few of these back in the day.

According to the signs here, the Bygdeborg of Sandvin was believed to have been in use from the Iron Age to the Viking Age.

This fort took advantage of its favorable hillside position so it was easy to defend, and it blended in with the surroundings so it was well concealed.

It’s this aspect of the excursion to Bygdeborg that ultimately translated into a fairly demanding and nearly vertical hike to get there.

Oddadalen_089_06232019 - Just to give you an idea of how steep and tricky the hike up to Bygdeborg was, here's a photo of the slope as well as the red Ts on the trees that I had to really look for in order to not get lost
Just to give you an idea of how steep and tricky the hike up to Bygdeborg was, here’s a photo of the slope as well as the red Ts on the trees that I had to really look for in order to not get lost

So starting from the trailhead, I went up the tractor road, but at the first switchback, I noticed a sign and arrow pointing the way about 1km to Bygdeborg.

Taking this smaller path, it immediately disappeared right into the thicket of trees and started to climb very steeply.

The path was easy to lose because there was a combination of pine needles and moss all over the ground (concealing what would otherwise be a discernable trail of use).

Often times, I’d have to look for red Ts to assure myself that I hadn’t lost the path.

Oddadalen_101_06232019 - Once above the initial climb, I was able to get this partial view of Strondsfossen.  The view would have been really nice if the trees weren't in the way because the lake Sandvinvatnet wouldn't look so flat from up here
Once above the initial climb, I was able to get this partial view of Strondsfossen. The view would have been really nice if the trees weren’t in the way because the lake Sandvinvatnet wouldn’t look so flat from up here

In any case, this path steeply climbed for maybe the next 200-250m, but it seemed like it was a lot longer than that.

Indeed, this Saga Trail really made me experience how difficult it was to access these hillforts.

Eventually, when the initial climb flattened out somewhat, I had a brief flat or gently climbing stretch where I started to get some partial elevated views back across Sandvinvatnet towards Strondsfossen.

However, it didn’t take long before I reached the next obstacle.

Oddadalen_104_06232019 - The pair of local women who didn't hesitate when they scaled this wall obstacle to continue towards Bygdeborg
The pair of local women who didn’t hesitate when they scaled this wall obstacle to continue towards Bygdeborg

At this point, I encountered a bit of a rock wall, where further progress required scaling it.

Unfortunately, I didn’t see any red Ts or cairns in the immediate area, and it wasn’t until I saw some locals who knew what they were doing unhesitatingly scaling this wall.

Whatever you do at this point, don’t make the mistake I made and follow the other trails of use that avoided this climb.

They quickly degenerated into an overgrown scramble anyways.

Oddadalen_108_06232019 - Direct elevated view from an informal trail of use spur path off the Bygdeborg Saga Trail towards Tjørnadalsfossen
Direct elevated view from an informal trail of use spur path off the Bygdeborg Saga Trail towards Tjørnadalsfossen

After scaling the rock wall, the narrow path became obvious to follow once again.

Along the way, I spotted some informal trails of use to the left, which actually afforded me some unsanctioned-but-nice views of Tjørnadalsfossen.

The Bygdeborg Trail continued onwards on a ridge before making another very steep climb.

It was only at the top of the secondary climb did I finally start to see some signs of civilization (in the form a sign as well as some kind of register (or geocache?).

Oddadalen_141_06232019 - Looking back towards Tjørnadalsfossen from the clearing where Bygdeborg used to be
Looking back towards Tjørnadalsfossen from the clearing where Bygdeborg used to be

Indeed, up at this small clearing, where I could get a nice angled view back towards Tjornadalsfossen, there really wasn’t much in the way of any visible evidence of the hillfort being here.

I noticed merely lots of stones since this fort focused more on blending in with the surroundings while also taking advantage of its lofty position for defense.

After having my fill of this location, I had a choice of continuing on the trail towards Hildal (another kilometer away) before backtracking on the tractor road for 2km back to the trailhead (for a 4km loop).

However, I opted to go back the way I came, which meant having to go back through the rough terrain to regain the first switchback near the trailhead.

Oddadalen_161_06232019 - Facing the steep descent back down to the tractor road after having returned from Bygdeborg
Facing the steep descent back down to the tractor road after having returned from Bygdeborg

Overall, this hike was said to be 2km round trip, but it took me a little over 90 minutes to do it given the rough hiking conditions.

Authorities

Tjornadalsfossen resides near the town and municipality of Odda in Hordaland 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: odda, hordaland, sorfjorden, sorfjord, tyssedal, oddadalen, fjord, norway, waterfall, sandvevatnet, strondsfossen, sandvinvatnet, strandsfossen, tjornadalsfossen



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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.
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