Mongefossen

Mongefossen is situated on the north side of the E136 about 20 km east of the junction with Highway 64 in Åndalsness. The falls, should they be flowing, can be seen almost in entirety from the highway but there is limited room to park. Potentially better views might be had by crossing the Rauma River at the nearby Remmembrua and finding a view from the opposite side of the valley.Under its natural conditions Mongefossen is one of the tallest waterfalls in the world, and is among the most noteworthy waterfalls in Europe. The falls have a total drop of 773 meters (2,535 feet) as it veils down the immense cliffs lining the famous Romsdalen in Rauma. The Mongeelva which forms the falls drains from a basin which harbors five modest lakes and two small glaciers, and covers approximately 20 square kilometers in area. Historical photographs show that in the past the volume of the stream could swell to quite immense levels, rivaling nearby Mardalsfossen in terms of power. In 1977 the Mongeelva was diverted into the Grytten hydroelectric project, which also incorporates water from nearby Mardalsfossen, and Mongefossen has been a functionally dry waterfall since. We have seen one or two rare photographs taken since then which show Mongefossen flowing with a modest volume of water, however for this to happen the basin of the Mongeelva needs to have received a considerably higher than average winter snow pack and the Mongevatnet needs to be at capacity so that any excess melt water can drain to the falls instead of into the diversion tunnels. Mongefossen has been claimed to be the tallest waterfall which is visible from a railway station. This claim however likely dates back to a time when there was actually a rail station in the nearby town of Marstein, as the closest station under current use is in the town of Åndalsnes, which is about 22 kilometers from Mongefossen. If there was indeed a station in Marstein, it wouldn't have been Mongefossen that was visible, but rather Ølmåfossen on the opposite side of the valley and several kilometers further to the west. Other similar claims suggest Mongefossen is the tallest waterfall which can be seen from a passenger railway line, and this may very well be an accurate claim.