Svøufallet

Åmotan is found approximately halfway between Sunndalsøra and Oppdal. Take Highway 70 for 33km east of Sunndalsøra or 35km west of the E6 in Oppdal and turn south onto Route 314 (Fjellgardsvegen) where signs points to Åmotan. Follow Route 314 for 3.7km to a fork in the road. To view the falls from the top, stay right and continue another 2km to a sharp bend to the left and park. The viewpoint is right along the road and affords spectacular views over the top of the falls and over the gorge. To reach the base of the falls and more head-on views, stay left at the previously mentioned junction and continue another 2km to the Jenstad Farm. There are designated areas where the public is allowed to park, please ensure you park in one of them. There is also a modest fee for parking. We would suggest taking a map from the signboard at the tolling station as well. Trails to the base of the falls are somewhat poorly signed to start, but one begins in the grassy field below the road next to the picnic areas and the other involves walking through the Jenstad Farm itself (including through two electrified cattle gates) and contouring the fence where signs indicate. The base of the falls is reached in about 10 minutes of moderately steep walking.Åmotan is a serendipitous geologic formation in central Norway where four major rivers all meet at almost the exact same spot within a network of deep gorges and canyons, and three of those four rivers harbor significant waterfalls. Svøufallet is the largest, most prominent and most impressive of the bunch, with an aggregate drop of 162 meters (530 feet) in four main steps with minor interstitial cascades in between each. The falls begin in a series of small back-to-back-to-back tumbles over steps of 10, 11, and 7 meters respectively as the river slowly and steadily accelerates toward the canyon with vast farmland on either side. After dropping through this shallow gorge section, the river reaches the rim of the canyon and hurtles 128 meters (420 feet) over nearly sheer plunge which twists to the right as it falls after having impacted on the side of the canyon. Immediately upstream from the base of the falls two of the three other rivers converge, creating a very dynamic fork-like system in the canyons which can be looked down upon from near the top of Svøufallet. The gorges are preserved in the Åmotan-Grøvudalen Nature Reserve, which is attached to Døvrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park, but not afforded quite the same restrictions as National Park status would convey. Part of the reason for this is the presence of the Jenstad Farm, which is still actively used and cultivated. Visiting many of the best locations throughout Åmotan requires traversing parts of the farm and visitors are more than likely to encounter livestock in the process.The proper name of this waterfall is Svøufallet, the suffix –fallet having the same meaning as –fossen. That said, the falls have sometimes been incorrectly referred to as Svøufossen and misspellings such as Svøuyfallet or Svufallet are common. The falls are also often referred to as Åmotanfossen or Åmotfossen – both incorrectly – by visitors who may not otherwise be familiar with the proper name (despite the copious signage through the trail system in the area).