Folgefonna National Park

Folgefonna is an ice cap covering about 168 square kilometres on a peninsula between arms of the Hardangerfjord, split into three separate glaciers, and the national park established in 2005 protects it along with the valleys running down to the water. Its arms reach low in several places, which is why Buarbreen and Bondhusbreen are reachable on foot in a morning. On the northern glacier, the Fonna summer ski centre operates from a road that climbs from Jondal, open roughly from May into August, one of the few places in Europe to ski on snow in July. Guided glacier walks run from several bases, and the park's valleys hold waterfalls, old summer farms and paths that predate the roads.

History

The name joins folge, "thin layer of snow", and fonn, "mass of snow". Folgefonna, three glaciers together covering 168 square kilometres, is the third largest ice cap in Norway, and the national park was opened by Queen Sonja on 14 May 2005 (Wikipedia, Folgefonna National Park).

Highlights

• The ice cap - a glacier of about 168 square kilometres across the plateau.
• The low-reaching arms - Buarbreen and Bondhusbreen accessible from the valleys.
• The summer ski centre - lifts running on the glacier from late spring.
• The valley trails - old paths, waterfalls and summer farms below the ice.

When to go

May to August for glacier skiing; June to September for hiking, when the valley trails are clear. The mountain roads to the ice open late and close early in the season, and conditions change quickly.

Good to know

Going onto the glacier without a guide and equipment is dangerous because of crevasses, and unroped walking on the ice is strongly discouraged. Roads to the higher points are narrow, toll-charged in places and weather-dependent. The ice has retreated markedly and continues to.

Nearby

Odda, Rosendal and Jondal ring the peninsula; the Hardangerfjord arms lie on both sides.

Key facts