Manafossen

Manafossen drops ninety-two metres into the Frafjord valley, and the path to see it properly climbs steeply from the car park for about twenty minutes with fixed chains on the rock steps, gaining height fast to a viewpoint level with the fall. Above it the terrain flattens completely into Mana, a hidden upland valley with an old mountain farm, restored and open in summer, that supported a family in near-isolation until the twentieth century. The contrast between the vertical climb and the gentle valley above it is the point of the walk. Continuing further leads to Mansamdammen lake and, for stronger walkers, onward to Refsvatnet. Frafjord itself is a narrow arm at the end of a winding road.

What you actually see

• The 92-metre fall - a powerful drop viewed from a platform alongside.
• The chained climb - a steep rock path with fixed chains.
• Mana farm - a restored upland farm in the valley above the fall.
• The hidden valley - flat upland terrain opening above the vertical climb.

When to go

May to September; flow is strongest with the spring melt and after rain, and the path is safest when dry. The farm is open in summer only. Autumn colour in the valley is good in late September.

Honest expectations

The climb is short but genuinely steep, with chains needed and slippery rock in wet weather, so it is not an easy family walk despite the modest distance. Parking is a small paid area that fills on summer weekends. The road into Frafjord is narrow and winding.

Nearby

Preikestolen and the Lysefjord lie north; Stavanger and the Jaeren coast are west.