Filefjell
Filefjell is a mountainous area between Lærdal and Valdres in Norway.
It is the historical, as well as modern, main route, linking West Norway and Østlandet.
Etymology
Filefjell or sometimes Fillefjell, might be a double-name as "file" is thought to be derived from Old Norse Fjáll, the same root that evolved into the modern word Fjell. Thus Filefjell in English would be "Mountain-Mountain".
Geography
Filefjell is at the eastern part of the Sogn og Fjordane, borders to Valdres, Vang Kommune in the Oppland. In the north, it borders the western part of Jotunheimen mountain range. To the south, it meets with the Buskerud border. The European route E16 crosses the mountain and reaches its highest point at Varden (1013 meters). The road follows a valley through the mountainous area, and because of this is somewhat protected from the fierce weather of the Norwegian winter. The road is rarely closed due to wind or snow, making it the most reliable of the mountain passes in Norway.
On both sides of the valley the terrain climbs steeply up to plateaus, with rolling hills and numerous lakes at about 1300 meters. The highest peak of the range is Sulefjellet at 1812 meters.
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