Breimegafossen

From the junction of Routes 62 and 660 in the town of Nesset, follow Route 660 south for almost 17km to the small town of Eresfjord and turn left onto Route 192, which is signed for Eikesdalen and Mardalsfossen. Follow Route 192 for 6km then bear left onto Route 191, still watching for signs for Eikesdalen and Mardalsfossen. Follow Route 191 for another 31km to where the road forks, the left crossing the Aura River and the right marking the beginning of the Aursjøvegen, a steep winding mountain road (with a toll) which traverses the high plateau of Døvrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park to Sunndalsøra. Breimegåfossen will be directly in front of the beginning of the Aursjøvegen. The best views of the falls we found were from the opposite side of the river from the fork in the road.Breimegafossen is one of the most significant waterfalls in Eikesdalen, but like many of the other waterfalls in the area, it has been dramatically reduced in stature due to a hydroelectric diversion. In its naturally occurring form, the stream Breimegå cascades down the side of Eikesdalen in a boisterous horsetail-style fall of about 525 meters (1,720 feet) total, with the most prominent and visible portion of the falls dropping about 450 meters (1,475 feet). Toward the bottom of the falls the stream veils out in a very eye-catching fan shape, which creates a powerful plume of mist when the stream is running strong. The Breimegå naturally is sourced in several small to modest lakes, as well as a tiny glacial remnant, and would flow well if the stream was not diverted into the nearby Aursjøen as part of the Aura hydroelectric system. Prior to the construction of the Aura hydroelectric system the falls were among the most spectacular in the area, perhaps bested only by the two falls of the Mardøla. With the diversion active, the falls are effectively turned off, potentially for significant periods of the year. However, as the basin feeding the Breimegå is significant in size, and a second diversion from the nearby Høvla redirects its flow into the Breimegå above the falls, the capacity of the diversion can easily be exceeded during the spring and summer and as a result the falls will still flow with force during the snow melt seasons, as we encountered during our survey of the site in June of 2011.