Hellandsfossen Traditional Cache

Modalen Kraftlag was founded in 1944, and Hellandsfossen power plant was up and running in 1955. This was not the first power plant in Modalen, but it was the first one to supply power to the whole valley. The height difference between intake and outlet is 35 meters.

In 1974, BKK built an extra power plant right next to the existing one. This new plant supplied power to BKK's large power plant constructions further up the valley. In 1994 Modalen Kraftlag bought this power plant from BKK.

BKK also built another Hellandsfossen power plant, on the other side of the river. This was finished in 1992 and its intake is further up the river, above Almelidfossen at Gummiluka (where there is also a cache).

The most exciting part of Hellandsfossen is the fishway. This is the longest fishway in Norway, total length is 388 meters. 256 meters is a tube with diameter 2,2m. The lower 78m of the fishway is open and built in concrete. The upper 45m is a tunnel. There is a total of 90 pools in the fishway. Only about 100 to 200 fish use the fishway each year.

The cache is located along the road that leads from the oldest power plant and up to the top of the waterfall. You can drive all the way there, or you can park down by the power plant and walk up. If you drive all the way, you may have to go further in order to turn around.