Briksdalsbreen Glacier, Norway
Norway is a vast, grand, majestic place. Its beauty feels ancient. During our trip in June 2019, we ferried across fjords flanked by cliffs rising three thousand feet into the sky; we drove treacherous winding roads carved into the sides of icy mountains; we stood on the top of an island, blasted by freezing winds coming off of the Arctic Circle. For our final day in such an ancient, wild place, we knew we had to do something that is truly unique to Norway’s primordial beauty, Briksdal Glacier.
Getting to Briksdal
From lovely Hjelle, we jumped in the car and made the one-hour journey south to Jostedalsbreen National Park. The park takes its name from the glacier Jostedalsbreen. Extending 37 miles in length and covering 300 square miles, it is Europe’s largest glacier.
The road to Briksdal 
On our visit to Jostedalsbreen, we stopped at the Briksdal glacier, one of the best-known arms of the larger ice field. A trip to the Briksdal glacier offers several options. Starting at the Briksdal Mountain Lodge near Olden, you can trek to the glacier on a scenic and partially-paved pathway. The hike is about 1.8 miles, out and back. Since we had to drive all the way back to Ålesund later that day, we were short on time, and decided to make use of the other option: a “Troll Car.”
Hop on a Troll Car (what we from the American South call a “gator”) and allow one of the many staff members drive you to the glacier. I felt a bit like a fool passing by so many people walking to the glacier, but if we wanted to make it back to Ålesund at a reasonable hour, this was our best choice. The ride took about ten minutes. At the end of the paved trail, the car let us out and we had 45 minutes to explore the glacier by ourselves.
The waterfall Volefossen in the distance 
The glacier at a distance
The Changing Glacier
Several years ago, when Matt and I hiked the Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand, we learned that glaciers are always in a period either of recession or expansion. Currently, the Briksdal glacier is steadily receding each year. From the 1930s to the 1950s, it receded almost 3,000 feet. Over the next few decades, it began to expand again, covering an extra 1,500 feet. In fact, during the 1990s, it grew while all other glaciers in the world were in decline. Since 2000, however, it has been receding.
In the pictures below, you can see that Briksdal glacier empties into a glacial lake, colored a milky green-blue hue. During the period of expansion in the 1950s, packs of glacier ice fully covered this lake. Now, however, you can see that the glacier has retreated so far up the mountain that it is nowhere near the water.
Visiting a glacier during the 21st century is a privilege. As is clear from the pattern of expansion and recession, the Briksdal glacier changes every year as the climate warms or cools. We were very thankful to see it in its current state and hope that when we return someday, it will once again start dipping its toes into the glacial lake at its base.
