Sognefjellet Mountain Road

The Sognefjell road runs 108 kilometres between Skjolden at the head of the Sognefjord and Lom in Gudbrandsdalen, climbing to 1,434 metres at its highest point, which makes it the highest mountain pass road in northern Europe. It follows the line of an old drove route across the mountains, upgraded into a road in the 1930s using labour employed during the Depression. The top section runs through a bare landscape of rock, snow patches and small lakes with the Hurrungane peaks close to the south, and rest stops designed as part of the Norwegian Scenic Routes programme sit along it. The road closes with the first heavy snow, usually from late October to May, and can shut in summer storms.

What you actually see

• The high pass - a crossing at 1,434 metres through bare mountain terrain.
• The Hurrungane peaks - the sharp Jotunheimen summits close to the road.
• The scenic route stops - designed rest areas along the crossing.
• The snow walls - cut drifts standing beside the road in early summer.

When to go

June to September, the reliable open season; the road usually opens in May and closes with autumn snow. Early summer gives snow walls along the roadside. Fog and sleet occur at the top in any month.

Honest expectations

The road is narrow in sections with tight bends and is not suited to large vehicles. It closes without much notice in bad weather, including in summer. There is no fuel on the high section and phone coverage is patchy.

Nearby

Lom stave church is at the eastern end; Skjolden, the Lustrafjord and Turtagro lie west and south.