Helvete Potholes

The potholes at Espedalen, known as Helvete, hell, were drilled during the last ice age when meltwater plunged through shafts in the glacier and spun stones against the bedrock beneath, boring cylindrical holes some of which go down more than twenty metres. Around a hundred are known in the area, making it the largest concentration in northern Europe. A marked route with bridges, ladders and railings runs through the boulder terrain past the main shafts, and torches are needed to look into the deeper ones. The name comes from the sense of the ground opening. A cafe and information point operate at the entrance in summer, and the site is on the Peer Gynt road through Espedalen.

The landscape

• The deep shafts - cylindrical holes bored into bedrock, some over twenty metres.
• The marked route - bridges, ladders and railings through the boulders.
• The grinding stones - rocks left in the bottoms of some holes.
• The boulder terrain - broken ground shaped by ice and meltwater.

When to go

June to September, when the route is clear and the facilities open; the terrain is unsafe in ice or snow. A torch is worth bringing regardless of weather, as the shafts are dark.

Before you go

The route involves ladders, narrow gaps and uneven rock, unsuitable for anyone with mobility limits or claustrophobia. Some holes are fenced but the ground is broken throughout. There is an entry charge and the site closes outside the summer season.

Nearby

Espedalen and the Peer Gynt road run through the valley; Rondane and the Gudbrandsdal lie east.