Svartisen

Svartisen covers about 370 square kilometres in two separate ice caps, Vestisen and Ostisen, divided by the Glomdalen valley, making it the second-largest glacier in Norway. Its name means the black ice, from the dark blue-grey appearance of the older compressed ice. What sets it apart is how low it reaches: the Engabreen arm on the Holandsfjorden side descends to around twenty metres above sea level, one of the lowest-lying glacier fronts in mainland Europe outside the Alps. Access is from two directions, by boat across Svartisvatnet from the Mo i Rana side with a walk of about three kilometres to the Austerdalsisen front, or by boat across Holandsfjorden to the Engabreen approach.

What you actually see

• The low glacier front - Engabreen descending to near sea level.
• The blue ice - dark compressed ice giving the glacier its name.
• Svartisvatnet - the lake crossed by boat on the eastern approach.
• The guided ice walks - roped trips onto the glacier with operators.

When to go

June to September, when the boats run and the approach paths are clear; the season is short and boats stop early in autumn. Clear weather is important, as low cloud often covers the fronts entirely.

Honest expectations

Both approaches involve a boat with a limited timetable plus a walk of an hour or more over rough moraine, so a visit takes most of a day. Walking on the ice without a guide is dangerous and discouraged. The fronts have retreated a long way from where older photographs and signs place them.

Nearby

Mo i Rana, Gronligrotta and Marmorslottet are on the eastern side; the Helgeland coast lies west.