Hardangerjøkulen: The Glacier You Can Reach by Train From Finse

SummitClimbs Field Note: Hardangerjøkulen is the sixth-largest glacier on the Norwegian mainland: a typical plateau glacier of about 64 km² on the watershed between eastern and western Norway, in Eidfjord and Ulvik in Vestland. It lies just 5 km south of Finse on the Bergen Line, which makes it one of the easiest big glaciers in Norway to reach by train. In summer you can walk from Finse station to the foot of its outlet glacier Blåisen; in spring, a marked ski route crosses the ice cap. Its highest point, about 1,860 m, is the highest point of the old Hordaland county.

A Plateau Glacier on the Watershed

Hardangerjøkulen lies about 16 km northeast of Eidfjord, 5 km south of Finse and 20 km west of Haugastøl. Its best-known outlet glaciers are Blåisen and Midtdalsbreen, flowing east towards Finse, and Rembesdalskåka, flowing west towards Simadalen; DNT Fjellsport Oslo’s hut Demmevasshytta stands by Rembesdalskåka. The glacier is part of the Skaupsjøen/Hardangerjøkulen protected landscape, created on 10 April 1981 and covering about 554 km².

The sources disagree on the exact summit height: Norwegian Wikipedia gives 1,861 m, English Wikipedia 1,863 m, and ut.no pages 1,854 m and 1,869 m. The greatest measured ice thickness is 380 m, but the ice thinned during the 20th century.

Hardangerjøkulen at a Glance

• Size: about 64 km² (Norwegian Wikipedia; the list of glaciers in Norway gives 73 km²), the sixth-largest glacier on the Norwegian mainland
• Highest point: about 1,854–1,869 m depending on source; lowest point about 1,050 m
• Location: Eidfjord and Ulvik, Vestland; 5 km south of Finse
• Outlet glaciers: Blåisen and Midtdalsbreen (east), Rembesdalskåka (west)
• Greatest measured ice thickness: 380 m
• Protected area: Skaupsjøen/Hardangerjøkulen protected landscape (1981)
• Getting there: by train to Finse station on the Bergen Line

Summer: Walk to Blåisen From Finse

Ut.no’s summer route starts at Finse station and follows a path south to the foot of Blåisen, one of Hardangerjøkulen’s outlet glaciers and a common starting point for guided glacier walks. It is a moderate walk of 9.9 km there and back, about 4 hours and 267 m of ascent, in season from June to September. The route description, written with the University of Bergen, explains that if you want to see bare blue ice you should stay below the equilibrium line (on average around 1,600 m in 1965–2007) and come late in the summer, when most of the winter snow has melted. Only go onto the ice itself with a certified glacier guide.

Spring: Ski Across the Ice Cap

The ski circuit over Hardangerjøkulen from Finsehytta is about 21.9 km, 9 hours and 652 m of ascent, graded “extra demanding”, in season in March and April. Ut.no is clear that it should only be skied when the route is marked with branches (kvist) and in good weather, as it is very exposed to wind and changing weather. The markers show where the snow bridges are safe, so follow them all the time you are on the glacier. The slopes up onto the ice are very steep, so steel-edged mountain skis and climbing skins are recommended. Near the top stands Jøkulhytta, a small emergency shelter put up by the Red Cross, and from the plateau there is a 360-degree view over much of southern Norway and down towards the Hardangerfjord.

Hoth, and a Wartime Airstrip

In 1980, Hardangerjøkulen and the Midtdalen area near Finse were used as a filming location for the ice planet Hoth in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. Forty years earlier, in 1940, the German occupying forces tried to build an airstrip on the glacier plateau by filling the crevasses with snow and ice and covering them with tar paper and sawdust. Soldiers and some Norwegian volunteers hauled the materials up from Finse. The idea was a refuelling field at 1,800 m for bombers flying to Narvik or Britain, but the work was abandoned in December 1940 because of the harsh conditions.

A Glacier in Retreat

Mass-balance measurements on Hardangerjøkulen began in 1963, and the series from Rembesdalskåka on the south side is one of the longest from any glacier in Norway. According to the ut.no route description by the University of Bergen, if summers become warm enough or winters drier, the equilibrium line could rise above the summit, and with projected warming of up to 2–3 °C the glacier could disappear by 2100.

Before You Go

• No unguided ice walking: in summer, walk to the foot of Blåisen and go onto the glacier only with a certified guide.
• Ski only on the marked route: in spring, cross only when the route is marked and the weather is good.
• Weather: the glacier is very exposed to wind; check the mountain forecast on yr.no.
• Getting there: Finse has no road access; take the Bergen Line train to Finse station.

The SummitClimbs Take

Hardangerjøkulen is the glacier you can reach by train: a short walk from Finse station to blue ice in summer, a big ski crossing in spring, and a film location for Star Wars into the bargain. See it while it is still here, and respect the ice. For more, read our Haukeliseter–Finse trail guide and our list of Norway’s largest glaciers.

Facts from Norwegian Wikipedia (Hardangerjøkulen), Wikipedia, ut.no (Hardangerjøkulen og Blåisen fra Finse) and ut.no (ski circuit over Hardangerjøkulen). Always check current conditions before you go.