Most people see Vøringfossen from the front, standing at a railing and watching the whole river fall into the Måbødalen gorge. A bit of understanding makes the view better. The river is the Bjoreio, which flows across the Hardangervidda, a plateau shaped by glaciers, and meets a step in the land where the ice cut the valley deep. The water falls about 145 metres in a single drop, with a total fall of around 180 metres, and the gorge below is a long, steep U shape, the classic profile of a glacier valley. The rock is hard, old and grey, and the walls shine wet in the spray.
Hydropower has changed the river. Upstream, the Bjoreio is dammed for electricity, and the amount of water going over the fall is managed, with the flow stronger in summer. That is a detail worth knowing, because in a dry spell the fall is thinner than the postcards suggest. Go after rain, or in the early summer melt, and the roar fills the whole valley and the ground trembles underfoot.
For the rider, the ride up from Eidfjord to the falls is a short, steady climb on the Rv7, in a valley hung with smaller waterfalls and stone walls. The road passes through a few tunnels, with long, open bends between them. A few hairpins mark the old road, now a path. The surface is good, and the traffic can be heavy with buses in July, so avoid the middle of the day. The weather in this part of Hardanger can be wet, and the road can be slick with spray. Take a waterproof.
The Hardanger region is known for fruit, and from Eidfjord you can ride along the fjord past orchards of apple, cherry and plum. In May the blossom is a sight in its own right, and in autumn there are roadside stalls with fruit and cider. Hardanger cider has become a local product, made from the apples of the fjord farms. It is a good way to end a day, though not a good way to start the next one.
Eidfjord has a pump and a few shops, and the falls themselves have a café and a toilet. If you are heading up onto the plateau, check the weather and fuel before you go.