Store Standal

Now we’ve arrived at Store-Standal, a place steeped in a long and dramatic history of survival and endurance. Above you looms Storhornet, and the snowfield clinging to the mountainside—often visible even in summer—is called Sylvkallen ("The Silver Chalice") for the way it glitters like silver in the sunlight. This area is prone to massive avalanches, so powerful that their air pressure shakes the ground and rattles windows. Even the toughest, most stoic locals get goosebumps just talking about them. The houses cluster tightly together—no accident here. It’s all about protection against slides and storms. Down by the shore stands a 4-meter-tall stone monolith, said to be an arrow shot by Olaf the Holy. Legend claims it struck and killed a heathen troll-wizard, Trollgjøttemannen, across the fjord, then ricocheted off the mountain and landed where it stands today. Look closely—you can still see the troll-man’s shadow etched into the rock! History, danger, and myth collide in this wild corner of the fjords.