folgefonn glacier

The only cycling today was a quick morning constitutional down to the next town on the fjord, then back to Jondal for the real purpose of today: glacier hike!

glacier walk
Originally uploaded by wolftone.

We are 19km and 1400 vertical meters from Folgefossen glacier, site of the aforementioned summer ski center and a whole lot of eerie blue ice. It is also the home of a guide service which helpfully rents boots and crampons to poor cyclists who didn't bring full alpine gear on their summer vacation. We spent most of the day roped together, traversing the cracked martian landscape. From high above, the ice looks like pale blue styrofoam insulation boards which have been hosed down with acetone. From close up, it looks like you're on Hoth. [Are you on Hoth? Wasn't Empire filmed here?] I was pleasantly surprised that the guide led us near and over some frighteningly deep crevasses and up some steep slopes requiring moderate ice axe technique. The liability waiver for this kind of thing would be telephone-book thick back home, but the sign-off here was most concerned with informing us that we would have to replace any equipment dropped into a crevasse. Fair enough. The close-up ice was everything I had hoped it would be, alien yet familiar. Unfortunately, the distant views were completely clouded in. Had things been better, we could have seen the ferries crossing the hardangerfjord. Nonetheless, it was a great experience and the last thing I expected to be doing in August. (It was a bit poorly timed, though: the ice caves should start opening up in a week or two. Drat!)

One woman on the hike was clearly being dragged along by her husband and was NOT having a good time at all. I suspect that she was about to cry when we crested one ridge and she saw how much further we had to hike to get home. Still, it was cool to see her gradually become more comfortable with and trusting of her ice axe as the hike went on. I'm surprised, though, that the guide didn't correct the fashionably jaunty and totally useless angle of her mountaineering helmet.

Two pleasant norwegian guys gave me a lift back to town, introducing me to more Real Norwegians. (I was also introduced to an extremely Drunk Norwegian this morning while waiting for my ride up-mountain.) I suspect that this relatively inaccessable area is off the usual tourist routes. I haven't spoken with a German or a Dutchman since I got off the ferry at Utne. (Not that there's anything wrong with Germans or Dutch.)

Lonely Planet has just reminded me that A-Ha (of 80's hit "take on me" fame) is Norwegian. Now I feel bad that I didn't include them in my travel mix, which does have some Bjork and ABBA for general Scandanavian interest. Apologies to A-Ha and their magnificently feathered hair.

This will be the first time I have stayed in one place for more than one night. It's mostly due to scheduling reasons, but the prospect of another warm dinner did have its appeal.