Husedalen Waterfalls

The Kinso river drops from the Hardangervidda plateau to the Hardangerfjord through Husedalen, and it does so in four stages, each a substantial waterfall: Tveitafossen, Nyastolfossen, Nykkjesoyfossen and Sotefossen, the last and largest at around two hundred metres. A path climbs the valley past all four, following the route once used to drive cattle up to the summer farms on the plateau, and continues to Hardangervidda proper. Reaching the first fall takes under an hour; doing all four is a full day with about eight hundred metres of ascent, much of it on stone steps and ladder-like sections. Flow is heaviest in June with the snowmelt, when the spray on the path can be soaking.

What you actually see

• The four falls - Tveitafossen, Nyastolfossen, Nykkjesoyfossen and Sotefossen.
• Sotefossen - the highest of them, around two hundred metres.
• The old drovers' path - the route to the summer farms on the plateau.
• The plateau edge - Hardangervidda opening out above the last fall.

When to go

June for maximum water, July to September for the driest and safest footing; the upper valley holds snow into early summer. Autumn brings colour but shorter days for a full climb.

Honest expectations

The path is steep, wet and slippery in the spray zones, with chains and steps at the harder points, and the full round is a demanding day. Water levels drop noticeably by late August. Parking at the trailhead is limited.

Nearby

Kinsarvik and the Hardangerfjord are below; Hardangervidda National Park lies above the valley head.