Rondane and the Fjords of Norway - Tuesday, August 14, 2007, Norway
Martin Aas visits Rondane National Park, the oldest national park in Norway, established on December 21, 1962. The park contains ten peaks above 2,000 metres (6,560 ft), with the highest being Rondeslottet at an altitude of 2,178 m (7,146 ft). The park is an important habitat for herds of wild reindeer.
The park was extended in 2003, and now covers an area of 963 km² (372 sq mi) in the counties Oppland and Hedmark. Rondane lies just to the east of Gudbrandsdal and two other mountain areas, Dovre and Jotunheimen are nearby.
Rondane is a typical high mountain area, with large plateaus and a total of ten peaks above 2000 metres (6560 ft). The highest point is Rondeslottet ("The Rondane Castle") at an altitude of 2178 metres (7146 ft). The lowest point is just below the tree line, which is approximately 1000 to 1100 metres (about 3300 to 3600 ft) above sea level. The climate is mild but relatively arid. Apart from the White Birch trees of the lower areas, the soil and rocks are covered by heather and lichen, since they lack nutrients. The largest mountains are almost entirely barren; above 1500 m (5000 ft) nothing but the hardiest lichens grow on the bare stones.
The mountains are divided by marked valleys through the landscape; the deepest valley is filled by Rondvatnet, a narrow lake filling the steep space between the large Storronden-Rondeslottet part and Smiubelgen ("The Forge"). The central massif is also cut by "botns": flat, dead stone valleys below the steep mountain walls of the peaks. Generally, Rondane does not receive enough precipitation to generate persistent glaciers, but glacier-like heaps of snow can be found in the flat back valleys.
Martin Aas visits Rondane National Park
The centre of the Park is the Rondvatnet lake, from which all the peaks beyond 2,000 metres (6,560 ft) of altitude can be reached in less than one day's walk. In this central region and north of it, the altitude is quite high compared with the flatter plateaus of the south. Rondane has ten peaks over 2,000 m, Rondeslottet (2,178 m), Storronden (2,138 m), Høgronden (2,114 m), Midtronden western summit (2,060 m), Vinjeronden (2,044 m), Midtronden eastern summit (2,042 m), Trolltinden (2,018 m), Storsmeden (2,016 m), Digerronden (2,015 m), and Veslesmeden (2,015 m).
In many parts of the park, there are spread-out holes (kettle holes) created by small remains of ice age glaciers, and peculiar small hills called "eskers" made by ground moraine released by melting glaciers.
4 hours drive from Rondane, you will find Geiranger, the crowing glory among Norway's fjord district's pearls of natural beauty. Majestic, snow-covered mountain peaks, beautiful and wild waterfalls, lush, green vegetation and the deep blue waters of the fjord - yes, it really is like something taken from a fairy tale.
The fjords of Norway was a great inspiration to Hans Fredrik Gude (March 13, 1825 – August 17, 1903), a Norwegian romanticist painter. He was a student of Andreas Achenbach. Most of his paintings are of Norwegian landscapes, where he celebrates the magnificence of Norwegian nature. His best known painting is perhaps Brudeferden i Hardanger — The Bridal Journey in Hardanger — which was made in cooperation with Adolph Tidemand.
The Bridal Journey in Hardanger, Fredrik Gude (March 13, 1825 – August 17, 1903)
Martin Aas visits Kvitskriuprestin - a film project
Martin Aas visits Rondane National Park
The Bridal Journey in Hardanger, Fredrik Gude (March 13, 1825 – August 17, 1903)