Briksdalsbreen

Briksdalsbreen is the best-loved arm of the Jostedalsbreen ice cap, a blue glacier tongue that hangs above a green valley near Olden. An easy three-kilometre walk past waterfalls, or a ride in an open troll-car, brings you to a meltwater lake beneath the ice.

Background

Briksdalsbreen sits on the northern flank of Jostedalsbreen in Briksdalen, where the Oldedalen valley ends some 25 kilometres south of Olden, inside Jostedalsbreen National Park in Stryn Municipality. It covers 10.4 square kilometres, is 2.5 kilometres long and falls from 1910 metres to the lake Briksdalsbrevatnet at 346 metres. Records began in 1900. Between 1934 and 1951 the ice drew back by 800 metres and uncovered the lake, and from 1967 until 1997 it grew by 465 metres and filled the lake again, drawing international attention while other European glaciers shrank. After 2000 it retreated once more, and by 2007 its front stood on dry land behind the lake.

Source: Wikipedia, "Briksdalsbreen"

What's there

• The glacier tongue - the blue ice hanging above the valley.
• The meltwater lake - the milky green lake at the foot of the ice.
• Valley waterfalls - the falls the trail passes on the way up.
• The troll-car ride - the open electric buggy shuttle for those who prefer not to walk.

When to go

Summer, when the valley trail is clear and the troll-cars run; the ice is at its most accessible in the warm months. Morning light suits the blue ice.

Things to know

The glacier has retreated a long way up the valley, so it is now a more distant blue tongue than in old photos. The walk is easy but the ice itself is off-limits without a guide. It is a popular stop, so cruise days bring crowds and the troll-cars queue.

Nearby

Olden and the Nordfjord are the base; the Loen skylift and the Jostedalsbreen centre are close.

Key facts