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with its ramifications the Hestebræ, Tværdalsbræ, Vasdalsbræ,
and Reikedalsbræ, while the E. half is formed by the Spørtegbræ
and numerous snow-clad ‘Næser’. The sides of the plateau
enclosing the narrow Jostedal, which is watered by the Jostedals-Elv, are
usually almost perpendicular. The sides of the valley, sometimes
attaining a height of 3000 ft., are generally wooded, and are often
broken up by transverse rifts and crevices, from which
mountain-streams and waterfalls descend into the valley; at intervals they
recede, forming wider basin-like openings in the valley, which are
accompanied by barriers of rock running athwart the stream and
indicating the different zones of the valley. The glaciers (‘Jøkler’)
and snow-fields (‘Fonner’) are, however, scarcely visible, till we
reach the head of the valley, where parts of the Jostedalsbræ come
into view. The JSigardsbræ in particular projects far into the
valley near Kroken, and having been long known and frequently
explored by Forbes, De Seue, Durocher, Bohr, Naumann, and others,
has made the Jostedal the most celebrated of the glacier-valleys
of Norway. — The whole valley forms a single parish with a
population of about 900 souls. Grain is cultivated as far as the
Nigardsbra-. The heat in midsummer is excessive, and in winteT
the thermometer sometimes falls 30° below zero (Fahr.).
Mari fjæren, see p. 104. The road skirts the base of the
precipitous mountains on the W. bank of the Gaupnefjord.
3 Kil. Røneid (*Jacob Moland’s Inn), which we may also reach
by small boat ((’2 hr.). Carriages may generally be procured here.
The delta which the Jostedals-Elv here forms as it falls into the
fjord contains several farms and the church of Gaupne. Above
it rises the Raubergsholten (2675 ft.).
The road ascends the Jostedal on the right bank of the river,
which is turbulent and muddy. Until late in the afternoon the
road is quite exposed to the sun. The bottom and slopes of the
valley are here carefully cultivated. The road skirts an old moraine
and crosses the Kværne-Elv. At this point begins a series of huge
and shapeless rocks, which flank the road all the way to Leirmo.
In front of us rises the Leirmohovd. After crossing the Fondøla,
the road turns to the right to the gorge of Ilausadn (‘Hausane’, the
houses), whence a view is obtained of the twin peaks of the
Asbjern-naase (5270 ft.) to the W. From the rocky wall on the right the Ryfos
falls into the valley. A little farther on we reach the first of the
curious basin-like expansions of the Jostedal (see above), which
takes its name from the hamlet of Leirmo, on the hill to the left.
(From Leirmo we may visit the grand * Tunsbergdalsbrce, 8 Engl.
M. in length.) Our route crosses the foaming Tunsbergdals-Elv near
a picturesque saw-mill. To the right towers the precipitous
Kol-naase. The river now expands and a little farther up fills the
whole floor of the valley.
14 Kil. Alsmo, situated upon an old moraine (‘mo’). Soon
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