The road open from early May and normally well into the month of November. During May and parts of June, the top of Valdresflye (1.389 m.a.s.l.) is an extremely popular starting point for magnificent spring ski trips across the level mountain plateux to the east or up toward the Jotunheimen peaks. The plateux are white, the days are long and you won´t have a care in the world. The road leading across Valdresflye is a journey through a landscape that has evolved over the course of millions of years. Most of the formations, however, were formed in the last ten thousand years (after the last Ice Age). Along the national road you will be impressed by the contrasts between rounded mountain formations to the east and the high jutting Jotunheimen peaks to the west. The peaks - that make up by far the most 2000-metre peaks in all of Norway - consists in large part of ancient course grained gabbro rock, while deep valleys bear witness to the dramatic geological events take place at the end of the last Ice Age. The landscape on the east side of the park is characterised by a more undulating coutryside with valleys and open lakes. Old riverbeds, eskers and glacier pits bear witness to formations created by Ice melting after the last Ice Age. From the highest point along the national road across Valdresflye (1.389 metres), you get a feeling of beeing in a truly awe-inspiring plateau landscape. Landscape rich in historical buildings in Heidal and Valdres serve as a backdrop to the national road across Valdresflye. Heidal is a heavyweight in terms of traditional building techniques and heritagelisted farm enviroments. Valdres the forest valley offers a distinct and dynamic cultural landscape in a colourful and fertile enviroment. The summerfarm communities at Beitostølen and in Sjodalen have histories reaching far back in time, and in Sjodalen the unique tradition of winter pasture farming was in practice as late as the 1930s; this is one of the reasons that many of the largest mountainfarm structures in Norway can be found in this area. Beitostølen lies on the foot of Bitihorn mountain. Bitihorn rises 1.607 metres above sea level. On the top you can view towards Bygdin and a row of pinnacles in Jotunheimen, Valdresflya, Vinstervatnet, Øystre Slidre, Vestre Slidre, Øyangen and Slettefjellet. The national road across the Valdresflye plateau passes along the border of Jotunheimen National Park, with Gjende as the key gateway into this heritage-listed nature preserve. The trip across the Valdresflye plateau provides plenty of opportunities for walks in varying landscape, where you yourself select the length and level of difficulty based on time, weather and physical constraints. Among the many ideal starting points for trails marked by the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT) are Bygdin, the Valdresflye plateau, the Gjende district, Maurvangen and Bessheim. Besseggen near Gjende - where Per Gynt of Ibsen-fame performed his fameous stage-ride - is the most popular route among the DNT-marked trails.