Folgefonna National Park

What makes it special

Folgefonna is in fact three glaciers, Nordfonna, Midtfonna and Søfonna, ringed by many smaller ones. Together they cover 207 square kilometres.

From Odda, the arm you reach is Buarbreen, which spills off the plateau into the head of Buardalen. The marked trail ends below its front, with the valley you walked up opening out behind you.

The glacier has drawn visitors since 1833, and a hotel built for them at Buer was blown off its foundations by a snow-slide and never rebuilt.

On guided hikes on the ice itself, meltwater can carve tunnels of blue ice, depending on the weather and the season.

Two other sides of the ice are a separate day out. On the north side, guided glacier hikes leave from Jondal onto the Juklavass section. From Rosendal, the Bondhusdalen valley ends at an icefall reflected in a lake of meltwater.

Visiting

Easiest from Odda is the walk up Buardalen, which starts at the car park at the end of the Buer road. An information board stands at the trailhead, and you can already see the glacier from there.

The marked trail climbs through a green valley between steep mountainsides. It is about 3 km each way, and the walk up takes an hour to an hour and a half. Near the top, the steepest spots have ropes and chains fixed to the rock to pull yourself up.

Stop where the trail ends and keep a safe distance from the ice front, where icefalls, loose stones and meltwater are all hazards. You come back down the same path to Buer, where a restaurant stands beside the car park.

Guided or on your own

Go onto the ice only with a guide: every crossing of the glacier should be guided. From Buer, the guided Buarbreen walk runs in July and August. Allow an hour and a half on the valley trail to the glacier hut, where the guide meets the group for a morning or an afternoon start.

Guides supply crampons, helmet, harness, rope and ice axe, and no glacier experience is needed. One local operator has its guides certified through Norsk Fjellsportforum, the national mountain sports body. Ask at the Folgefonna gateways for current guided excursions, and book ahead in summer.

Tips

Wear good hiking boots and pack warm, wind- and waterproof layers, gloves, sunglasses and sunscreen, because the ice reflects the sun and the wind off it is cold. Bring food and drink for the day.

On a roped guided hike, drink lightly beforehand and ask your guide where the rest stops are. Tell someone your route before you set off, and check the weather and avalanche warnings that morning.

Dogs are welcome. The park asks for a lead from 1 April to 20 August; check local rules for the rest of the year.