• Top Attractions
    • Briksdalsbreen Glacier
      • How to get to Briksdalsbreen
      • Jostedalsbreen National Park
      • Nigardsbreen
      • Fjærland Book Town
      • Glacier Museums
    • Bryggen in Bergen
      • Hanseatic Period
      • Museums at Bryggen
      • Fløibanen
      • KODE Art Museum
    • Flåm Railway
      • How to get here
      • Book tickets
      • Local Produce
      • Rallarvegen
      • Stegastein
      • Ægir Brewery
    • Geirangerfjord
      • How to get to Geiranger
      • Amazing viewpoints
      • Seven Sisters
      • Hjørundfjord
    • Loen Skylift
      • How to get here
      • Hiking at Mt. Hoven
      • Via Ferrata Loen
    • Our Viking history
      • Viking villages
      • Nordvegen History Centre
      • Viking ship - Draken
      • Sagastad - the Myklebust ship
      • Viking Festival & Market
      • Gulating
    • Preikestolen
      • How to get here
      • Hiking trip
      • Fjord cruise to Preikestolen
      • Kjerag
      • Guided hikes with Outdoorlife Norway
    • Romsdalseggen
      • How to get here
      • Romsdalstrappa
    • Sognefjord
      • Nærøyfjord
      • Undredal
      • Fjordcruise
    • The Atlantic Road
      • How to get here
      • Grip
      • Best bike ride
    • Trollstigen
      • How to get here
      • Trollveggen
      • Gudbrandsjuvet
    • Trolltunga
      • How to get here
      • Hiking trip
      • Hiking trip with snowshoes
    • Vøringsfossen
      • How to get here
      • Kjeåsen
    • Ålesund Art Nouveau Town
      • How to get here
  • Places to go
    • Bergen & the Region
    • Destination Northwest
    • FjordKysten
    • Geiranger
    • Hardangerfjord
    • Haugesund & Haugalandet
    • Nordfjord
    • Sognefjord
    • Stavanger & Ryfylke Regions
    • Sunnfjord
    • Sunnhordland
    • Voss
    • Ålesund & Sunnmøre
  • Things to do
    • Biking
      • Fly and Bike with Widerøe
    • Children & families
      • The best activities for children
      • Climbing parks & Ziplines
      • The landscape that inspired the makers of Frozen
      • Farm visits
      • Parks & centres
    • Culture & Heritage
      • Guided town walks
      • Our Viking history
      • Architecture & Historical buildings
      • Stave churches
      • UNESCO Heritage
      • Museums & galleries
      • Artisans at work - Economusée
      • The Fjord Pilgrim Route – from Viking to pilgrim
    • Hiking
      • Top 5 hikes
      • Preikestolen
      • Romsdalseggen
      • Trolltunga
      • Easy hikes & city walks
      • Guided hikes
      • Glacier hikes
      • Climbing & Via Ferrata
      • Hiking trails
      • Grading, safety & equipment
    • Kayak
    • Natural Attractions
      • Beaches & bathing areas
      • Fjords
      • Glaciers
      • Guides
      • Mountain areas
      • National Parks
      • The most beautiful waterfalls in Norway
      • Waterfalls
      • What is a fjord
      • What is a glacier?
      • Well-known fjords
    • Sightseeing trips & day cruises
      • The best fjord cruises
      • The best sightseeing trips
      • Fjord cruises by The Fjords
      • Fjord cruises by Rødne
    • Shopping
      • Souvenirs & handcrafts
      • Factory outlets
    • Skiing & winter activitites
      • A refreshing winter experience: RIB
      • Cross country skiing
      • Guide to cross-country trails in Fjord Norway
      • Have fun skiing in Loen
      • Love letter to Fjord Norway
      • Nordvest: Close to the mountains in all directions
      • Ski resorts
      • Ski touring
      • Snowshoeing
      • Summer skiing
      • Sunnfjord – the new skiing paradise
      • The Alpepass Region
      • The skiing treasure trove of the Sognefjord
      • Welcome to Voss – a winter paradise!
      • Winter activities without skis
    • Sports & adventures
      • Adrenaline-filled activities
      • Bird spotting & safari
      • Fishing
      • Climbing
      • Golf
      • Diving
      • Sailing
      • RIB & Rafting
      • Horseback riding
      • Surfing & SUP
    • Wellness & spa
    • What's On
      • The best cultural experiences
      • Concerts
      • Sports & adventures
      • Festivals
      • All events
  • Planning your trip
    • Accommodation
      • Hotels
      • Classic Norway hotels
      • Camping
      • Cabins & holiday houses
      • DNT cabins
      • Stay on farm
      • Bed & Breakfast
      • Guest harbours & marinas
      • Exotic accommodation
    • Coronavirus and travelling to Norway
    • Food & Drink
      • Star-studded culinary experiences in Fjord Norway
      • Cider from Fjord Norway
      • Norwegian food
    • Getting to & around
      • Public transportation
      • Trip Ideas - with your own car
      • Trip Ideas - without a car
      • Driving in Fjord Norway
      • Rental
      • Flåm Railway
      • Rauma Railway
      • Bergen Railway
      • Widerøe: by plane around Fjord Norway
      • Fjord Line - the ferry to Norway
    • Travel Guide
      • Download our Travel Guide
      • Travel on a budget
      • Tourist Information Offices
      • Seasons and climate in Fjord Norway
      • Fjord Norway in spring
      • Fjord Norway in summer
      • Fjord Norway in autumn
      • Fjord Norway in winter
    • Travel specialists
      • Authentic Scandinavia
    • Trip Ideas
      • Roundtrips by car or by public transportation
      • Norwegian Scenic Routes
      • Top 11 viewpoints along Norwegian Scenic Routes
      • Nutshell trips by Fjord Tours
      • Tours & Activities by Go Fjords
      • Into the unknown
      • Travel like the locals
    • Fjord Norway Videos
  • Inspire me
    • Winter in the fjords
      • A landscape shaped by the Ice Age in Sognefjord
      • Attack the city!
      • Eat like a Viking
      • From the fjord to the sky in Loen
      • From Vikings to street art
      • Fun facts about Norwegians and the Vikings
      • ‘God Jól’ since the Viking Age
      • Good at transport since the Viking Age!
      • Living history in the southwest
      • Skiing & Winter Activities
      • Storm watching – roundtrips from Bergen
      • The new Viking age is packed with activities
      • Waterfalls, fjords and glaciers in Hardanger
      • What to pack
    • Active fjord adventures
    • Cultural experiences
      • The cities on the fjord
    • Exploring Fjord Norway
    • Summer Secrets
      • Accommodating your dreams: 10 standout hotels
      • Beaches? Fjord Norway? Yes!
      • Exploring Fjord Norway's heritage
      • Fjord Norway’s best kept secrets
      • Fjord Norway — active and revitalizing
      • Light up your holiday
      • Open-arm welcome to culture & charm
      • Savor your holiday
      • Take your trip to new heights
      • The island escape of your dreams
      • The sound of silence
    • Fjord Norway for children
      • Bergen for children
      • Holidaying with children in South West Norway
      • Take your children on an active holiday!
      • The best of Fjord Norway – the easy way
    • Discover Fjord Norway in Autumn
      • Romantic autumn break in the fjords
      • Autumn is the perfect time for a trip with friends
      • Enjoy an autumn break with the family!
      • Take the time to breathe
      • The food scene surprised me!
      • Culture everywhere!
      • Street art in the fjords
      • The most Instagram-friendly places in Fjord Norway
      • Activity and visitor centres & museums

Don't miss...

  • Myklebustskipet. Photo: Ruben Soltvedt

    Sagastad - the Myklebust ship

  • Photo: Roger Ellingsen

    Roundtrips by car or by public transportation

  • Slogen. Photo: Sverre Hjørnevik

    Hiking

  • Aurlandsfjord. Photo: M. Dickson/Foap/visitnorway.com

    Sightseeing trips & day cruises

Menu
  • Top Attractions

  • Places to go

  • Things to do

  • Planning your trip

  • Inspire me

Site Search Icon

My Planner

Welcome to the Itinerary Planner

Use this tool to build your own journey. To build your own Itinerary, click
Add to Excursion
to add an item to your Itinerary basket.

List All My Saved Itineraries

  • EN
  • NO
  • DE
  • Logo
  • Print Logo

You are here Things to do The Lodal Catastrophies

The Lodal Catastrophies

6789 Loen

Add The Lodal Catastrophies to your Itinerary

Product Image
  • Product Image
  • Product Image
  • Product Image

About

THE 1905 LOEN CATASTROPHE
On 15 January 1905, a huge chunk of the 1,500-metre-high Mount Ramnefjell dislodged and 62 people perished as a result. The slide, which started 500 metres up the mountainside, carried with it a large area of scree below. The chunk of the mountain was approximately 100 metres tall, 50 metres wide and had a depth of 10 metres, i.e. it had a volume of approximately 50,000 cubic metres, corresponding to 125,000 tonnes. In addition, there was all the scree and gravel, bringing the total mass of the slide that plunged into Loenvatnet lake to approximately 870,000 tonnes.

All the houses swept away
The tidal wave rose to a height of about 40 metres and swept away all the houses in Ytre Nesdal. The same thing happened in Bødal where all the houses down by the lake were smashed by the wave, with the exception of a few barns and some small outhouses. The tourist boat Lodalen was washed 350 metres inland.

A total of 24 people died in Bødal on the night of the rockslide, and three more died later from their injuries. In Nesdal, 34 people died. Of those who perished, only 9 bodies were recovered and buried. The 1905 rockslide destroyed 60 houses in all and killed 94 cows, 10 horses, 145 sheep and 16 pigs. A memorial stone was erected at Nesodden the same year, but it was swept away by the rockslide in 1936.

Some of the local people talked about moving from the valley after the accident. All the farmsteads were nevertheless rebuilt. The houses were built further from the shore. Geologists believed that they were safe because they did not expect more slides on Mt. Ramnefjell, they said.

THE 1936 LOEN CATASTROPHE
In 1936, a chunk of Mt. Ramnefjell with a mass of one million tonnes/cubic metres broke off and the resulting tidal wave swept away all the farms around Loenvatnet lake. At about five in the morning on September 13th, another slide occurred on Mt. Ramnefjell, killing 74 people.

A 70-metre-high tidal wave
On this occasion a gigantic piece of the mountain with a volume of around one million cubic metres dislodged from the mountainside at a height of 800 metres. The tidal wave reached a height of 70 metres and swept away all the farms around Loenvatnet lake. This time the tidal wave was so high that it swept over the Nesodden promontory on the opposite side of the lake and scraped it clean. The memorial on top of the promontory was also swept away, despite the fact that it was cemented to the rock.

Great cost in human life
44 people perished in Bødal. In Nesdal, the houses that had been rebuilt on higher ground after 1905 were spared, while Fredsvoll farm nearer the lake was hit. The disaster attracted many interested spectators in addition to rescue personnel and volunteers. Three of them died. In Indre Nesdal, 23 people perished. Further down the lake the tidal wave also caused considerable destruction. On Sande farm, two small boys died and at Osnes two people perished.

Biggest natural disaster
The Lodal disaster is the biggest natural disaster to have affected Norway in the modern era, and extensive rescue efforts were instigated. Health personnel and rescue workers flocked to the rescue, and many of the injured were sent to the newly-opened Nordfjord hospital at Nordfjordeid. Crown Prince Olav of Norway attended the funeral service in Loen Church for those who perished.

The farms in Bødal and Nesdal were not rebuilt after the last disaster.

Beside the road between Bødal and Kjenndal, a copper plaque has been erected with the names of those whose bodies were never recovered after the Lodal disasters of 1905 and 1936.

TripAdvisor

Map & Directions

Map Link

What's Nearby

  1. Bødal Glacier

    Bødal Glacier

    The Bødal Glacier lies at the end of the Bødalen Valley, and is one of the arms of the…

    2.44 km Away
  2. Ramnefjellsfossen/Utigardsfossen Waterfall

    Ramnefjellsfossen/Utigardsfossen Waterfall

    More commonly this waterfall is known as Utigardsfossen. The height of the falls is often…

    2.68 km Away
  3. Krunefossen Waterfall

    Krunefossen Waterfall

    Krunefossen waterfall is the 12th highest waterfall in Norway and Europe. The waterfall…

    3.89 km Away
  1. Breng

    Breng

    Breng is located next to Lovatnet. In ancient times this a farm but were later it became…

    4.87 km Away
  2. Kjenndalsbreen

    Kjenndalsbreen

    In the end of Lodalen, you find Kjenndalen and Kjenndalen Glacier. The beautifull drive…

    6.23 km Away
  3. Lovatnet

    Lovatnet

    Lovatnet is a lake in Stryn municipality in Westland county. What makes Lovatnet so…

    8.66 km Away
  4. Bings gryte

    Bings gryte

    At the top of Jostedalsbreen 1600 meters above sea level you find "Bings gryte", this is…

    10.46 km Away
  5. Jostedalsbreen National Park Centre

    Jostedalsbreen National Park Centre

    Jostedalsbreen National Park Centre, Stryn, Nordfjord. Learn about the biggest glacier on…

    12.26 km Away
  6. Glomnesfossen Waterfall

    Glomnesfossen Waterfall

    You never get tired of gazing at large waterfalls. That’s also true when it comes to the…

    13.90 km Away
  7. Nature Reserves

    Nature Reserves

    Small and almost untouched areas with special habitats or fauna of high scientific value…

    13.96 km Away
  8. Melkevollsbreen Glacier

    Melkevollsbreen Glacier

    "The contrasts are perhaps the most fascinating with the Jostedalsbreen glacier, which I…

    16.47 km Away
  9. Nigardsbreen Glacier

    Nigardsbreen Glacier

    This is one of the most accessible glaciers, where you can peer into the blue ice at very…

    17.33 km Away
  10. Volefossen Waterfall

    Volefossen Waterfall

    From the mountain lodge in Briksdal you will have a magnificent view of the Volefossen…

    17.80 km Away
  11. Kleivafossen Waterfall

    Kleivafossen Waterfall

    "On my wild journey through Nordfjord, a trip to Kleivafossen waterfall and the…

    17.80 km Away
  12. Steinalderhola

    Steinalderhola

    At Briksdalen Bretun is the oldest dated mountain avalanche in the country. Here is a…

    18.79 km Away
  13. The Bergsetbreen Glacier, Jostedal/ Luster

    The Bergsetbreen Glacier, Jostedal/ Luster

    The spectacular Bergset glacier, only an hour's easy walk from the road, is one of the…

    19.15 km Away
Previous Next
More

Search What's Nearby

Product Type
Proximity
Within metres
Loading..

Follow Us...

  • Facebook

    Facebook Icon

  • Twitter

    Twitter Icon

  • Youtube

    Youtube Icon

  • Instagram

    Instagram Icon

  • Email Page
  • Print Page
  • E-newsletter
  • Travel Guide
  • EN
  • NO
  • DE

Other Sites

  • Corporate/Media
  • Photo Service
  • NCE Tourism - Fjord Norway

Contact Details

Fjord Norge AS

Nordre Nøstekaien 1, 5011 Bergen,

Norway

Email: info@fjordnorway.com

Corporate/Media

Photo Service

About Us

Use of cookies

Photo credits

Main Categories

  • Top Attractions
  • Places to go
  • Things to do
  • Planning your trip
  • Inspire me

Our Destinations

  • Bergen & the Region
  • Destination Northwest
  • FjordKysten
  • Geiranger
  • Hardangerfjord
  • Haugesund & Haugalandet
  • Nordfjord
  • Sognefjord
  • Stavanger & Ryfylke Regions
  • Sunnfjord
  • Sunnhordland
  • Voss
  • Ålesund & Sunnmøre

Tourist Information

The local tourist offices can give you good and useful information.

Find your local tourist information office.

Fjord Norway

© Fjord Norge AS / Fjord Norway

Visit Norway
created by New Mind | tellUs

Ratings & Reviews

Powered By

tripadvisor