Cracked ice
White and blue.
Randi Hausken from Bærum, Norway — CC BY-SA 2.0 · JoarOyg — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Svein Harkestad — CC BY-SA 3.0 · kalev kevad — CC BY 2.0 · kalev kevad — CC BY 2.0
Buarbreen is a glacier in Ullensvang Municipality, Vestland county, western Norway, reaching down into the Buardalen valley about 6 km southwest of the town of Odda in a straight line. It is an offshoot of the large Folgefonna glacier. The glacier is split into two arms, Upper and Lower Buarbreen, on either side of a small mountain peak. Their meltwater runs into the Jordalselvi river, which flows out through the valley into the lake Sandvinvatnet. The ice advanced around 1930 and then withdrew, advanced again in the 1990s, and has been retreating since 1997. Together with the area's waterfalls, the glacier fuelled Odda's tourism boom in the 19th century. Cracked white and blue ice fills the head of the valley between towering rock walls, with small waterfalls and streams running from it. Lower down lie green pastures and old farms, with forest covering the mountain slopes. Visitors walk up the Buardalen valley towards the ice, past pastures and woods. The ice front is dangerous and blocks can fall, so keep a safe distance and never walk onto the glacier without a guide. The weather is changeable, so bring a jacket.
White and blue.
Pastures and farms.
From the ice.
Buardalen valley, Ullensvang, Vestland, Norway
Only with a guide.
6 km from Odda.