Friaren

(Friarfossen, Skågeflafossen, Geitfossen)

Friaren or Skågeflafossen is one of the more beautiful waterfalls in the Geirangerfjord, region More og Romsdal, Norway. Often waterfalls are named after the river they are in in, Geitelva. One of the names you sometimes see is Geitfossen, but Friaren is the common named used for the waterfall.

Friaren can only be viewed by boat but that is what most people do when they are in Geiranger: taking the ferry Geiranger-Hellesylt.

Friaren, Skageflafossen, GeitfossenFriaren is one of the major waterfalls in the Geirangerfjord on the opposite site of the famous Dei Sju Systrene (Seven Sisters) and is 440 meter high. You can’t see all of Friaren but if you watch the picture (left) carefully, you see a glimpse of the upper part of Friaren.
What makes Friaren so special is that it has a distinguished shape (one stream, splitting in two) and it has a noteworthy volume.

Best season to visit the Geirangerfjorden with all its waterfalls is late springtime or early summer when a lot of snow melts into lake Skagedalsvatnet (1.093m). Further into the valley there are still some small glaciers that also feed the river Geitelva. I have seen pictures that Friaren is quit a powerful waterfall. Most of the pictures I made are taken in June or July.

Friaren means suitor: The legend of the seven sisters is that the seven sisters dance playfully down the mountain, while the suitor, a single waterfall opposite the seven sisters (called Friaren), flirts playfully from across the fjord. The Suitor tried to propose to the seven sisters but never succeeded.

Geirangerfjorden kayak at Dei Sju SystreneGeiranger is a perfect base for day trips, hikes or boat trips. I can recommend the ferry Geiranger-Hellesylt. It wasn’t cheap but again (fourth time) I enjoyed the boat trip. It can be cold because of the wind, so take a jacket with you. If you are with more then two people you also can rent a boat at Grande camping in Geiranger. In two hour time you can make your own trip and it really fun, certainly with children.

A lot of people take their fishing rod with them when renting a boat. It is allowed to fish freely on sea (fjord) and there is a lot of fish in the fjord. Nice for the bbq! I am not really fund of fishing so I bought Salmon in the supermarket (quit cheap in Norway).

It always nice to know which waterfalls there are in the Geirangerfjorden. From Geiranger the first waterfall you see at the right side (after the camping site) is Gjerdefossen.

A little bit further at the right side you will see Bringefossen. Here you already can see Dei Sju Systrene (Seven Sisters waterfall). Look at the right side of the top of the waterfalls. Here you can see the Knivsfla farm(s). On the other side of the fjord you can see Friaren waterfall (also called Skågeflafossen).

Sju Systre, Seven Sisters, Dei Sju SystreneAfter Dei Sju Systrene you will see a low volume waterfall at the right side of the Geirangerfjorden called Brudesløret (Bridal veil) and on the opposite side of the Geirangefjorden you see  Ljosurfossen. There are still many named and unnamed waterfall in the Geirangerfjord but these are the significant ones.

Off cause at Hellesylt you will see the Hellesyltfossen. After the ferry arrives in Hellesylt you still have 10 minutes to visit the waterfall.

Other things to do in and around Geiranger:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About Friaren

CountryNorway
RegionMøre og Romsdal
LocationGeirangerfjord
RiverGeitelva
Height440m
Latitude62.10187
Longitude7.10970
Best visitEarly summer-Summer
Rating

Most nearby waterfalls

WaterfallDistance (linear)Rating
Seven Sisters waterfall (Dei Sju Systrene) 2 km
Bringefossen 3 km
Brudesløret (Geirangerfjorden) 5 km
Ljosurfossen 5 km
Gjerdefossen 6 km