Local Activities
Although Elverhøi is primarily a fishing lodge, its setting in the heart of Norway’s Fjord country makes it ideally situated for exploring by road or on foot some of the most beautiful countryside to be found anywhere in Europe. No visit to Elverhøi should fail to include a drive along the fjords to the coast or up the Sunndal or neighbouring valleys. The scenic routes between precipitous mountain walls lead to high hanging valleys and open up to the very special beauty of the tundra vegetation across the open mountain tops.
Activities include fishing on the River Driva or in the local fjords, hiking and biking in the surrounding mountains, exploring the myriad of tiny island communities hugging the nearby coast, investigating some of Europe’s oldest Viking history and visiting the local and regional towns of Molde, Bud, Kristiansund, Oppdal and Trondheim.
Innerdalen, is beautiful and the road runs in part alongside a turbulent glacial stream to a fine collection of typical traditional Norwegian farm buildings beside a picturesque mountain lake, overlooked by a large glacier. From the farm the more energetic can follow a track through the mountains and back via a steep descent into Sunndalen, close behind Elverhøi.
Fishing
In the early 1850’s a new generation of British aristocrats arrived in Norway and discovered what would turn out to be some of the finest white water salmon fishing in Europe. As the area opened up various intrepid explorers built lodges in the Sunndal and adjoining valleys.
Our fishing records date back to 1857 in which year Lord Leicester caught 72 salmon and 107 grilse. Since WW1 our best year was 1939 when 322 salmon were caught on our water weighing a total of 5,968 lbs or over two and a half tonnes! In addition, 59 grilse and 213 sea trout were caught that year. Salmon of over 40 lbs in weight were not uncommon and in 1938 a magnificent fresh cock fish weighing 61 lbs, with a length of 54” and a girth of 29” was caught by Lord Stair and this remains the Driva record and one of the largest Atlantic salmon caught on rod and line anywhere in the world.
The fishing season on the Driva begins on 1st June and ends on 15th September. Elverhøi enjoys approximately three kilometres of water divided into four beats, mainly on the south bank of the river. The river is fed by snowmelt from the surrounding mountains which usually enables a steady and reliable flow of water throughout the season and this in turn allows a pretty consistent run of salmon. More recently drier summers have led to some variation in water levels with periodic summer rainfall supplementing lower snowmelt in warm summers resulting in pulses of fish running up the river right through until October.
Hiking
The Møre og Romsdal region and adjoining Dovrefjell-Sunndalsfjella National Park offer some of the most breath taking scenery in Norway. Steep sided mountains rising almost 2,000 meters from sea level border sinuous valleys housing small, neat villages and picturesque farms. Permanent glaciers gleam behind angular mountain tops which open out into wide, high altitude valleys criss-crossed with spectacular walking trails. These are generally well marked and can often be downloaded from hiking websites such as STUIK-UT. For the more adventurous there is a well-developed network of beautifully maintained alpine huts providing overnight shelter. At altitude snow can persist until late May and can be expected to return in October on the higher trails.
Some examples of particularly good hikes are:
- Innerdalen
- Alvenfjiord and the hike up to Stortuva
- Grodalen and the walk to Alfheim and back down to Grøa
- The drive to Aursjøveien
- The Storili valley near Lonset
More information on these walks can be found in the house
Scenic Drives
The geography of the region is dominated by long east-west fjords that were carved in the ice age by glaciers that spilled off the central plateau. Beautifully maintained roads and frequent long tunnels link up the different valleys and as the landscape softens nearer to the coast a maze of small islands and sleepy inlets are connected by elegant bridges that present endless picturesque picnic and walking spots.
Some particularly interesting drives are: northwest via the pretty town of Kristiansund to the famous Atlantic Road which connects about 20 small islands with dramatic modern bridges, south east along the Littledalen or Øksendal valleys, further south into the spectacular scenery of Trollstigen and the southern Dovrefjell National park or north to Trondheim, the picturesque ancient capital of Norway which has traditionally been seen as the gateway to the north of the country, a three hour drive away.
Good maps are available in various different scales offering information on view points, places of interest, hiking start points and other useful amenities.
Places of Interest
The regional economy has been dominated by agriculture and fishing for centuries. However in recent years a thriving tourism industry has emerged on the back of the history of the arrival of pioneering British fishermen, the opening up of the hydro-electric water potential and the emergence of skiing, hiking and cycling opportunities. Examples of places to see are the Leikvin Museum just next to Elverhøi which has a fascinating display of ancient Norwegian buildings and artefacts going right back to pre-historic times, the coastal town of Kristiansund with its long history of fishing and exploration, the northern city of Trondheim which for centuries was the capital of the country and step off point for the remote north and the Atlantic Road that links many of the islands between Kristiansund and the small town of Bud perched on the edge of the North Sea.
Close to Elverhøi is Vinnu Falls, Europe’s highest and the world’s 6th highest waterfall, several examples of Viking burial grounds and plenty of small local attractions up in the higher valleys often centred around seasonal restaurants, hostels and local craft centres. Due to the high latitude the days lengthen rapidly in spring but care should be taken to check when activities open in case winter snows have not retreated.
Wildlife
Elverhoi is located in a region that is renowned for its spectacular natural beauty and its rich and varied biodiversity. The Dorvrefjella-Sunndalsfjella National Park is home to the last remaining herds of wild reindeer, the only population of musk ox in Norway and a wide variety of other alpine animals and birds including wolverines, elk, arctic foxes, ravens, golden eagles and occasionally even small groups of wolves who have strayed out of their usual range to the north. The park is dominated by mount Snøthtta (2286m) and there is much more information at the Norwegian Wild Reindeer Centre at Hjerkinn between Oppdal and Dombas.
Musk oxen died out during the last ice age but were reintroduced from Greenland just after the war and there is a good chance of seeing them on the higher trails. They can be unpredictable if threatened and it is important to keep a distance of 200 m to prevent disturbance. Around the house red squirrels are a common sight as are red and roe deer.
Birdlife is rich with examples being tree creeper, tawny owl rock and willow ptarmigan, Eurasian dotterel, great grey shrike, Siberian jay, horned lark and the snow bunting while birds of prey include golden eagles, gyrfalcons, rough-legged buzzards, merlins and peregrine falcons. At Elverhoi we have been keeping a record of all the birds seen at the house and along the river for many years with the list now having reached 47 species. A new one was added in 2017 when a tiny firecrest flew into the kitchen window, stunning itself long enough to the photographed before flying away unscathed!
