Kvikne is located in the watershed between Østerdalen (where the Tunna river flows south towards Glomma) and Trøndelag (Orkla’s source).
The first metal ore discovery at Kvikne was reported to the king in 1629 (extraction of copper probably took place much earlier). King Christian IV is said to have been so excited by this that he created a ‘Day of thanksgiving for the upcoming mining industry‘. He also ordered the creation of a mining town (Bergstad), but this did not happen. Instead, the miners were allowed to build their own farms at site.
When Christian IV visited Kvikne in 1635, he ordered the construction of a new church, since the old stave church had fallen into neglect.
Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson was baptized here in 1833, while his father Peder Bjørnson was a priest in Kvikne.
About 10 km south of Kvikne are the remains of the Eidsfossen dam from 1917. The dam was built to provide electricity to the Røstvangen mines on Kvikne mountain, which produced copper-bearing pyrite.
The dam had a balance hatch of the ‘Clapet Equilibré‘ type. Equilibrium was obtained by a concrete sinker in water. The purpose was to maintain a fixed water level in the reservoir, regardless of the water flow. The hatch was designed by engineer John Kinck, but was not a great success. Already during the first winter, the entire hatch froze, and an attempt to loosen the ice using explosives was really not a good solution.
For Tobatheornottobathe, this turned out to be a bathing pool’s paradise!
This part of Orkla river consists of a long series of rapids, with charming pools everywhere. Recommended! And actually, we were not the only bathers by Eidsfossen this beautiful summer day.
Knut wanted to get up to the hole he saw in the rock on the other side, but was a little skeptical about crossing the river. A quick security review was approved, however, and crossing wasn’t really very difficult or dangerous. Or at least it worked this time! It sure will vary with the amount of water in the river. Always make your own judgments!
You will find lots of interesting geology here, including large and small caves in all directions. And yes, Idun bathed too. We both had a few rounds of stream baths. Great fun!
A bath or three in Orkla’s rapids is just right – if you are careful. Wet shoes can be practical, and a wet suit as well (for buoyancy, not against the cold in such a hot summer day). Maybe even a helmet? But we think the most important thing is to be two or more together and to show caution all along the way.
“The woman against the stream” is an old Norwegian fairytale. It tells about a woman who was so stubborn that when she drowned, her husband told them to search upwards the river, and that’s where they found her! Any similarity to actual persons depicted here is most likely not by coincidence!