Tynset and homewards.

About 50km south from Røros we stopped for a short while in Tynset. It's a small town, and that's about all that can be said about it, but I'll try.
Tynset, like Røros, lies in the coldest area of Norway and in winter the temperature regularly drops below -30C, and in fact the mean annual temperature for Tynset is 0C. The record low was -46.6C, on 1st February 1912, and the record high was +31.3C, on 27th July 2008. That's some range of temperature.
Although the area around the town is reasonably nice, the town itself has few endearing features, apart from a Vinmonopolet (Liquor store), and this nice bridge, the main support arches of which are wood.

Tynset also has one more attraction, its townhouse. Earlier this year NRK conducted a poll to find the ugliest building in Norway. Tynset townhouse won, and I think you can see why.

Because all the other buildings in the town are low, it stands out like sore thumb. I think what makes me laugh most about it is the fact that the planning department have their offices in it.

So quickly leaving Tynset behind we headed south. Still in the uplands, about 500m above sea level, the mountains fail to be as impressive as the coastal peaks, but this one called Tron, which rises to 1666 metres was reasonable. There is actually a road to the top of it, and I'd expect the view would be great on a clear day. Maybe sometime I'll get up there.

One thing which amazed me about this area was the number of farms. Although the growing season is very short, the land looked fairly fertile, but it must be a kinda harsh existence in the cold of winter.

On the way towards Dombås, and still in the high country, I stopped for a picture of these buildings.
Fokstua Fjellstuga, a hotel situated on moorland 980m above sea level.

From there we dropped down to the village of Dombås. Not a big village, but situated at a major junction on the E6 road between Oslo and Trondheim.
Here's a panorama of the area, with Dombås to the left and the valley west through Lesja to the right.

From Dombås the 136 road leads west through Lesja and Romsdalen, and back to real mountains. There is also a railway which runs through this valley to Åndalsnes. Either by road or rail the valley is impressive, although the train journey does have a few extra features, including a tunnel which turns 360 degrees inside a mountain to lose height, and the Kylling bru (Chicken bridge) in Romsdalen.

But the real beauty of Romsdalen is the mountains.

As you drive deeper into the valley you get the impression that you're driving into a box canyon.

But this mountain face has to be the most photographed lump of rock in Norway. Trollveggen (The Troll wall), which has a 3000ft vertical face, and peaks rising to nearly 1800 metres.

We stopped in Åndalsnes to stretch our legs, and snap a couple more pictures of real mountains.

Then it was just 60km to home.
That was Thursday, and the car hasn't moved since. I've driven over 5000km in the last 2 months, so both me and Honey the Honda need a rest.

Yun's aa fir enoo