The southern end of the Rondane road is the start of a different kind of mountain country. Gone are the steep fjord walls and dripping waterfalls of the west, and in their place stands a broad, high land of rounded summits, pale slopes and wide valleys, where the sky takes up most of the view. Rondane was Norway's first national park, created in 1962, and the mountains in it include ten peaks over two thousand metres, with Rondeslottet the highest at 2,178 metres. They look smooth from a distance, the product of rock that breaks into blocks and of long ages under ice.
The country feels open and quiet, with birch scrub in the lower valleys giving way to willow and dwarf shrubs, and above the tree line lichen and moss colour the rock in grey and green. Wild reindeer roam the high ground, among the last herds of their kind in Europe, and a lucky rider may see a small group on a ridge, standing quite still against the sky. Mountain birds such as ptarmigan and golden plover are common, and in summer the bogs are bright with cloudberry flowers and cotton grass.
The roads here run high across rolling terrain, with long, gentle bends and few steep sections. The surface is generally good, and in summer the traffic is light, with a few cars and campers. The weather can change quickly, and even in July the temperature can be low, with cold rain and wind from the north, so carry warm layers and waterproofs. In autumn the dwarf birch turns red and gold across the hills, and the air is clear and cold. In winter the road can close in storms, and snow can come as early as September.
There are no big towns near here. Otta, about thirty kilometres to the south-west, and Vinstra, a little farther off, are the closest places with shops and fuel, so it is wise to stock up before heading into the mountains. Bring food and drink for the day. In the stillness at a pull-in, with the engine switched off, the only sound may be the wind in the grass, and the nearest person may be miles away.