SummitClimbs Field Note: Folgefonna is Norway’s third-largest glacier and one of its southernmost: three plateau glaciers on the Folgefonna peninsula in Hardanger, Vestland, covering about 207 km² in 2006, with ice up to about 400 m thick. Its best-known outlets are Buarbreen, Bondhusbreen and Blomstølskardbreen. The easiest way to meet it is the marked walk from Buer near Odda to the snout of Buarbreen, about 1.5 hours each way. Never go onto the ice itself without a guide or full glacier skills.
Three Glaciers on One Peninsula
Folgefonna covers parts of Ullensvang, Kvinnherad and Etne. It is made up of Nordre Folgefonna (26 km²), Midtre Folgefonna (11 km²) and the much larger Søndre Folgefonna (167 km²), the third-largest glacier on the Norwegian mainland on its own. Its highest point varies because it is ice; in 2013 it was 1,662 m. The name joins folge, a thin layer of snow, and fonn, a glacier made of snow.
Surprisingly, Folgefonna is not a leftover from the ice age. After the last ice age the ice melted away completely, and Nordre Folgefonna formed again only about 5,000 years ago, in a period of cooler temperatures and more precipitation. Beneath the ice lie 30–40 hidden lakes that could appear as the glacier shrinks; according to glacier researcher Jostein Bakke, Folgefonna could disappear by 2100 with 4 °C of global warming.
Folgefonna at a Glance
- Area: about 207 km² (2006): Nordre 26, Midtre 11, Søndre 167 km²
- Highest point: about 1,662 m (2013)
- Ice thickness: up to about 400 m
- Location: Folgefonna peninsula, Hardanger, Vestland (Ullensvang, Kvinnherad, Etne)
- Outlet glaciers: Buarbreen, Bondhusbreen, Blomstølskardbreen
- National park: Folgefonna National Park, opened 14 May 2005 by Queen Sonja
- Huts in the park: Sauabrehytta, Fonnabu, Breidablikk and Holmaskjer
- Summer ski centre: the ski centre on Jorfjellbreen closed in 2024
The Walk to Buarbreen
From National Road 13 follow the signs to Buarbreen and park at Buer (well-built car park; NOK 230 in 2024, paid by card at the exit). The red-T-marked path starts at Buer farm, runs through the farmyard and gently up through pastures to the first viewpoint, Gletthaug. It continues through a small wood and then into wilder terrain with many bridges and a swaying suspension bridge, with a lovely view of the glacier and down Buardalen.
From there the path gets steeper; at some rock steps there are ropes to hold. It can feel demanding for some, but most manage fine, and children usually love it. After about 1.5 hours you reach Nedre Buarbreen, right next to the glacier. A glacial river that cannot be crossed separates the ice from the resting area, and several times a day you can watch pieces calve off the glacier front. In all, about 2.4 km and 436 m of ascent each way, rated demanding, from May to October.
A Glacier That Is Changing
Measurements since the 1960s show that Blomstølskardbreen in the far south has changed little, while Buarbreen and Bondhusbreen grew in the 1990s but have retreated rapidly since 2000. Meltwater from the glacier flows down from Buarbreen into Sandvinvatnet. Folgefonna has been a tourist destination for a long time, with the first organised trips as early as 1833, and guided glacier tours and spring ski touring remain popular.
Before You Go
- Stay off the ice: keep away from the glacier front, where ice calves several times a day; cross the glacier only with a certified guide.
- Don’t cross the river: the glacial river at Buarbreen cannot be crossed safely.
- Combine it: Låtefossen and the waterfalls of Oddadalen are close by, and Melderskin rises above Rosendal on the west side of the glacier.
The SummitClimbs Take
Folgefonna is Hardanger’s ice cap, and Buarbreen is the easiest way to stand beside it: an hour and a half of bridges, ropes and roaring rivers to a calving glacier front. Go between May and October, keep your distance from the ice, and book a guide if you want to go onto it.
Route facts from the UT.no route to Buarbreen; other facts from Norwegian Wikipedia (Folgefonna), Folgefonna nasjonalpark and Wikipedia.