Brufossen

Brufossen is a tall, formerly very significant waterfall located near the famous Bondhusbreen on the west side of Folgefonna National Park. The falls drop a total of approximately 640 meters (2,100 feet) in a linear run of about the same distance. The final 250 meters of the falls is quite steep, approaching nearly vertical at times, while the upper half is a more gradual series of cascades. There appear to be at least two distinct tiers to the falls, with a pause between the two drops of only a few dozen meters or so, otherwise the falls are essentially continuous. The Brufosselva has unfortunately been almost entirely diverted into a hydroelectric system near the top of the falls. The first 64 meters of the falls still exist, but the stream is funneled into a diversion tunnel after that point, leaving the rest of the cliff face essentially bare. Because the stream is fed directly by meltwater from the a glacier, the flow in the warmer months is quite consistent and it is unlikely that an excess volume of water would overwhelm the diversion tunnel and allow the remainder of the falls to flow. Not many photographs of the falls prior to the diversion seem to exist (online at least), but the few that we've been able to find suggest Brufossen could have at one time been among the most significant waterfalls in Norway.