13-Aug-2011 -- Two years ago I visited the 60°N 6°E confluence SE of Bergen, in Rosendal, after driving my son Fredrik to start his studies in that city.

This year his sister Cathinka have been accepted by the same university so I drove her over the mountains with another carload of most of the gear a student needs for a 5-year MBA program.

On the way back I decided to drive the slightly longer route, along E16, both since this route avoids any need for ferries (for fjord crossings) and because it would allow me to pass close to two new (to me) confluences.

This was the first one, I started by driving 8.6 km uphill along RV52 towards Hemsedal, after leaving E16, the main Bergen-Oslo highway.

I parked at Breistølen Fjellstue, at very close to 1000 m elevation, with my target almost in sight, 4+ km away and just over 500 higher. The first half of the trip I could follow first a road that was put in during tunnel work for a hydro-electric power plant, then a DNT (The Norwegian Trekking Association) trail marked with small cairns and red "T"s.

Bringing just my cell phone, camera and GPS I spent 50 minutes climbing to the point. I probably lost about 5 minutes due to not seeing the DNT trail exiting from the road, so I had to climb straight up the hillside from the water intake at the end of the road in order to regain the trail. (It is possible that this is instead a safety valve, i.e. a location where overpressure waves in the tunnel can be safely contained.)

Up to about 1300 m elevation sheep were grazing, but above that point the land was just too barren, the only trace of animal life was a reindeer horn close to the confluence.

I spent about 10 minutes at the point, taking photos and hoping that the EGNOS corrections would allow a GPS fix with 2 or 3 m precision, but the geometry wasn't good enough so I had to settle for 4m.

The return trip took 30 minutes, making the total 1:30 for a 9 km round trip with 500+ m of ascent.

Next up was 61°N 9°E one degree further east!