Loen Skylift

The Loen Skylift opened in 2017 and climbs from near sea level at Loen to the summit of Mount Hoven at 1,011 metres in about five minutes, with a maximum gradient of around 60 degrees, which places it among the steepest cable cars in the world. At the top are a restaurant with glass walls, a viewing platform, and a view over the Nordfjord, the Lovatnet valley and the Jostedalsbreen ice cap. Walking routes lead from the summit station along the ridge and down, and a via ferrata, one of the longest in Norway, climbs the face from the valley with a suspension bridge across a gorge. In winter the lift serves a small ski area and aurora viewing.

History

Construction began in 2015, and Queen Sonja inaugurated the cable car on 20 May 2017, the first aerial tramway built in Norway since Hangursbanen in 1963, at a cost of 300 million NOK. The owners expected some 55,000 visitors in 2017, but by the end of that year it had carried 92,000 passengers (Wikipedia, Loen Skylift).

What you'll find

• The steep ascent - a cable car climbing a thousand metres in five minutes.
• The Hoven summit - a restaurant and platform with fjord and glacier views.
• The via ferrata - a cabled climbing route up the face with a suspension bridge.
• The ridge walks - marked routes from the top station.

When to go

May to September for walking and the clearest weather; the lift runs year-round with weather closures and offers aurora trips in winter. Cloud on Hoven is frequent and removes the view.

Things to know

Tickets are expensive and the ride is short. Cloud sits on the summit often, and the lift runs regardless. The restaurant is costly and busy at midday when coaches arrive.

Nearby

Lovatnet and Kjenndalsbreen are up the valley; Briksdalsbreen lies south and Stryn north-west.

Key facts