Norway Huldra singing in front of Kjossfossen

Huldra performances are staged beside the Flåm Railway at Kjossfossen in western Norway, where a powerful cascade is viewed plunging through a steep gorge of dark rock and birch. Music is broadcast during summer train stops as a dancer in a red dress moves among rocks and mist, while spray is carried on the wind, sound is amplified by the cliffs, and shifting mountain light frames the scene.

The waterfall is fed by high-altitude catchments and seasonal snowmelt on the Hardangervidda side of the watershed; flow is carved through resistant Precambrian bedrock, where joints and weaker bands are exploited to cut the gorge. Repeated glaciations have over-deepened the main valley and left hanging tributaries, so a sequence of drops is produced, collectively descending well over 200 metres toward the Aurlandsfjord system.

A wide-angle lens would work better than the 24mm I carried that day. Even if I had the time (which I did not) to set up for a long exposure, I wouldn’t. In my untrained amateur opinion, a silky smooth depiction of the falls that in most cases implies serenity would be misleading. While I suppose most all waterfalls can be peaceful to the observer there’s nothing serene about this one. The water tumbles and crashes down the hillside in a deafening roar. Protect your gear and be sure to carry something to clear the spray from your lens. I had to hide my camera inside my jacket until the wind changed for an instant and allowed me to quickly bring my camera out and fire off a shot like a skeet shooter.

A train ride with the Flamsbana from Flåm to Myrdal takes you to this fantastic place. If there’s another way to reach the viewing platform other than the train, I didn’t see it. It stops for only a few brief minutes. The passengers disgorge onto the platform and jostle for an empty space to view the falls and snap a few pictures before hustling back aboard.