A steep paved road to Hjølmoberget in Norway

Hjølmoberget is a mountain peak at an elevation of 853m (2,798ft) above the sea level, located in Vestland county, in Norway.

Tucked away in the Hardangervidda National Park, the curvy road to the summit is totally paved, but very narrow and brutally steep, hitting a 16% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. It can be hard to turn around, even with a normal car. Starting in Øvre Eidfjord, a village at the southern end of the lake Eidfjordvatnet, the ascent is 10.5 km (6.52 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 1.306 meters. The average gradient is 12.43%.

Set high in the central-southern part of the country, the road is impassable for 2 medium cars. Buses with more than 20 seats should not try this road. In winter, road conditions over the mountains change from hour to hour and often you will find yourself driving in a convoy behind large snowploughs striving to clear the road for drivers. In bad weather, the road may be completely closed. Winter tires are required during the winter.
The drive has 22 hairpin turns. The summit hosts a small parking lot. It can be a bit full at weekends. The drive is wild and beautiful, with the double Vedalsfossen in the middle as a highlight halfway through.
Pic: Eirik Sæbø