Jutulhogget

Jutulhogget is one of the largest canyons in northern Europe, about two and a half kilometres long, up to 240 metres deep and 150 metres wide, and unlike most canyons it was not cut slowly: at the end of the last ice age a lake dammed by the retreating glacier in Osterdalen broke through, and the flood tore the gorge out of the rock in a matter of days. Folklore explains it as two giants, jutuls, fighting with axes across the mountain. A viewpoint sits near the road at the eastern end, and a marked path runs along the rim and down into the canyon floor, where the scale becomes apparent among enormous fallen blocks. The descent and return take about two hours.

What you actually see

• The canyon walls - rock faces up to 240 metres deep.
• The floor route - a path down among enormous fallen blocks.
• The rim viewpoint - an accessible overlook near the road.
• The flood evidence - scoured rock showing a catastrophic origin.

When to go

June to September, when the paths are clear; the descent is unsafe in ice and snow. Morning light reaches into the canyon better than afternoon. Autumn colour on the birch slopes is good in September.

Honest expectations

The descent into the canyon is steep with chains at some steps and hard work on the return. The rim path runs close to unfenced drops. Facilities are limited to a car park and information board, with no cafe or toilets in some seasons.

Nearby

Alvdal and the Osterdalen valley lie west; Rendalen and Femundsmarka are east.