Dunderlandsdalen

The Dunderland Valley is a valley in the municipality of Rana in Nordland county, Norway. It reaches from just below the eastern Saltfjellet plateau about south of the Arctic circle. The mountain Bolna is situated in the uppermost boundary of the valley which then proceeds to the southwest all the way down to the Ranfjorden. Some of the minor side valleys include Plurdalen, Røvassdalen, Bjøllådalen, Grønfjelldalen and Virvassdalen. The valley also includes several villages such as Krokstrand, Bjøllånes, Storvoll, Dunderland, Eiterå, Nevernes, Storforshei, Nevermoen and Røssvoll. The European route E6 highway passes through the Dunderland Valley, following the Ranelva river. The Illhøllia Tunnel on the E6 highway, between Nevermoen and Røssvoll, was opened in 2002. The Nordland Line also follows the river through the valley. Today, the valley only houses a small number of people, and it has two stations on the Nordland Line: Dunderland Station and Bolna Station. Geology The mountain rocks in the Dunderland Valley are a caledonian shale, known from its occurrences of iron ore, mica schist, and marble. Its mining industry has produced Fauske marble, also present in Fauske municipality to the north. At Storforshei, there has been a large-scale iron mining industry. There are also pyrite mines. The valley has several stalactite caverns in the limestone, with some of the tributary streams flowing for considerable distances underground. From the upper parts of the Dunderland Valley, a sequestered bridle-path runs from Bolna to Saltdal on the Skjerstadfjord, with a branch through the magnificent Junkerdal National Park.