Buarbreen Trail

I probably took way too many pictures 🙈

This tour is for sure-footed hikers who aren't afraid to tackle steeper and more challenging sections using attached chains and ropes. The birch forest is breathtakingly beautiful. The view from the top of the glacier back down to the valley after the strenuous climb is magnificent. It took us a total of four hours up and down, including a lunch break. The downside: The farmer charges a parking fee of 230 kroner.

Turquoise nylon ropes hang down from the rocks. I'm glad it's not raining. The rock surfaces would probably have turned into slippery slabs and made it impossible to walk on. The path turns into an adventurous climbing garden. With my cycling gloves I have a good grip and don't hurt myself. We climb the rock face and then another and another until the path winds narrow and steeply upwards. Gather all our energy once again and we finally reach the glacier. The impressive hike to the Buarbreen glacier is adventurous, but incredibly beautiful.

It looks easy but there are a lot of easy climbing sections and (depending on the amount of rain) it gets really wet on your feet.

Absolutely impressive view of the glacier and its river fed by meltwater or a beautiful view of the valley. The glacier itself can only be entered with a guide, but you can get pretty close. The hike is about 5 km long and of course takes about 2-3 hours there and back, depending on your own pace and how long you stay on the glacier. Sturdy shoes are highly recommended. It's only about 400 meters in altitude, the path is always perfectly signposted and a little adventure with river crossings and ropes that you can use to climb up and down the rock faces from time to time. All in all, not a difficult path and very doable with a family (at least with slightly older children). I walked the path with my (albeit fit) dog and he had a lot of fun. But had to be carried over a few short distances. The car park offers space for cars, mobile homes and buses and camping or overnight stays are permitted. The price is the equivalent of 5-20€, depending on the parking time. There is also a cafe and toilets. I hiked at 12pm and it was very pleasant. There was relatively little going on and with a little mutual consideration (especially on the somewhat steeper passages) you can hike very comfortably. It was overcrowded in the smallest way. For campers: No sewage or toilet disposal options. Fresh water is definitely available, but I didn't explicitly pay attention to it. Conclusion: Very worthwhile, varied and not too difficult hike. The glacier is also an absolutely impressive natural spectacle in summer. Check him out while he's still around.

Norway includes fjords, waterfalls and glaciers. At the same time, glaciers are a symbol of climate change. They continue to melt, some disappear completely or they wither to sad remnants of their former splendor. In this context, it almost seems a little macabre to go on a hike to the glacier, based on the motto “Visit the glacier while it is still there!”. Nevertheless, or perhaps because of that, it is a must to pay a short visit to the southernmost glacier-covered national park in Norway, the Folgefonna National Park. Last year we walked to the edge of Austria's longest glacier, the Pasterze: https://www.komoot.de/tour/259557319 This year we would like to hike to the edge of the easily accessible Buarbreen Glacier or - if possible at short notice - even go up the glacier with a guide. We were amazed at the crowds on this tour. The path seems to be a popular addition before or after the Trolltunga circuit - as it is for us. For some hikers, however, the sometimes steep glacier cut passages, which are provided with ropes, became an insurmountable hurdle. If possible, we had planned to join a guided glacier hike and were amazed not to find the "Blue Cabin" in the parking lot. No wonder, it was only at the end of our tour. Hmmm, read too superficially. 🤔 Slightly disappointed, we had to realize that we had arrived at the assembly point half an hour late, but I had planned a lot of extra time. We experienced the next setback when we landed on the bridge over the raging glacial stream at an unmistakable stop sign. We respected this sign, and I really wanted to hike to the edge of the glacier, as we did on the Pasterze. Well, not everything goes smoothly even on a dream vacation. 😉 The sun was shining anyway ☀️☀️☀️😎 and the panorama was just perfect. 🤩🤩🤩 And so there was enough time for a short visit to two waterfalls, Lattefoss and Langfoss.

Today was actually meant to be relaxing – the sore muscles from Ramnstoknuten were still hanging in our thighs, it was quite cloudy in the morning, and we had a drive with views of several waterfalls ahead of us. But after we reached Odda and the weather slowly improved, we decided to hike the Buarbreen 🗻 route after all. You shouldn't underestimate the meltwater 💧 in June: we quickly came across the first bridge, which could only be reached from stone to stone through the rushing water. As a scaredy-cat, this almost pushed me to my limits, but with a bit of courage and a large stick to help me, I managed it. The following bridges, smooth stones, and chains were nothing special in comparison. In any case, it was definitely worth it; we even found the sun 🌞 and crawled out when we reached the top. And then we headed back without hesitation, through the previously intimidating obstacle 💪.

Today, after seven years, we paid a quick visit to Buarbreen, a small part of Folgefonna National Park. We were surprised by how far the glacier tongue has retreated in that time. We had picture-perfect weather and a relaxing drive, visiting Lättefossen and Langfossen. The climb to Buarbreen was exciting at times, as some sections carried a lot of water. Proper footwear was essential. It's always surprising how some of the numerous hikers approach such a tour. In any case, a great tour in beautiful nature. By the way, the parking price, unlike for Buarbreen, hasn't gone down since our last visit and is quite steep.