Viking Magazine - January 2016 - 14

D
uring the Ice Age,
Norway was
covered entirely
by ice. Through
the years, large,
slow-moving masses of ice have
melted and carved a unique
landscape. Glaciers are formed
by compacted layers of snow
that slowly change in response to
gravity and high pressure. Glacier
ice is the largest reservoir of
fresh water on Earth.
Today, there are some 1,600
glaciers in Norway that cover
about 965 square miles of land.
The largest glacier is the Svalbard
archipelago, halfway between
Norway and the North Pole. But
WKHVH PDVVLYH PRYLQJ LFH Á RHV
only cover roughly one percent
of mainland Norway.
As for ways to explore
glaciers, the options are abundant
depending on time, interest and
athletic ability. There are simple
walks that can accommodate
children as young as six, and
more adventurous excursions
for travelers willing to strap
crampons onto their feet before
they take to the ice. There are ski
tours, guided climbing trips and
plain old sightseeing from land
or water.
" Glaciers are ever changing and
beautiful, " says Asgeir Blindheim
from Fjord Norway's adventure
travel division. " But they can also
be very dangerous business and
you have to have the right gear
and guide, " he says.
If seeing and exploring glaciers
is something you've dreamed of
doing, you are in luck. Viking has
rounded up some of the most
well-known glaciers and plenty of
ways to set foot on the ice.
14 VIKING JANUARY 2016 sonsofnorway.com
JOSTEDALSBREEN
The largest glacier on mainland Europe,
Jostedalsbreen is about 183 square
miles in size and 50 miles long. The ice
cap is made up of more than 50 glacial
arms, including the easily accessible
Nigardsbreen, and ranges dramatically
in elevation from 197 feet to over one
mile. The bulk of the ice sits within
Jostedalsbreen National Park in Sogn og
Fjordane County and Hordaland near
Bergen. At its thickest, the ice is 656 yards
thick and the snow can be piled up to
39 feet deep. The fresh water contained
within the glacier is equivalent to
100 years of drinking water for all
of Norway.
There are numerous ways to get up
close to the glacier's blue ice. Everyone
from hardcore adventurers to novice ice
buffs can hire a guide through outfi tters
like Jostedalen Breførarlag (bfl .no/en/)
and explore the glacier's crevasses,
waterfall shafts and valleys from May to
September. Tours can last anywhere from
an hour to six days depending on how far
you want to go. Even children as young
as six can participate on the easy tours.
Those who want to experience a
glacier with a paddle in their hands
can kayak around the lakes at the base
of the glacier, then put on crampons
or snowshoes for an adventure with
companies like ICETROLL (icetroll.com).
Visitors who make it to Jostedalsbreen
in Fjærland should be sure to visit the
interactive Norwegian Glacier Museum &
Ulltveit-Moe Climate Centre, a marvelous
collection of exhibitions about the
important role of glaciers in Norway's
past and present.
BRING THE
KIDS!
Glacier walking
is a familyfriendly
activity
well suited for a
variety of ability
levels and ages.
PHOTO BY TERJE RAKKE / NORDIC LIFE AS / FJORDNORWAY.COM
http://www.FJORDNORWAY.COM http://www.icetroll.com http://www.sonsofnorway.com
Viking Magazine - January 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Viking Magazine - January 2016
