Briksdalbreen, Nordfjorden, Coastal Norway
Not long after sunrise we turned into the entrance to the fjord system known as Nordfjorden, bound for the town of Olden. Following an early breakfast, we were greeted warmly by our local guides as we boarded the coaches. They furnished us with a detailed rundown on the charming and picturesque landscape. Horizontal veins of clouds hung high above the floor of the glaciated valley we were traversing as we made our way to the “Mountain Lodge,” perched on a high buff above the meltwater streams emanating from the ice. Once we had arrived, some were taken by horse-drawn carts up along the valleys’ side to within a couple hundred meters of the glacier front. The remainder of the group strolled gently along the gravel pathway, taking time to feast their eyes on this awe-inspiring landscape. Shadows and light, grays and greens all combined in a rich and varied tapestry. On our way up we crossed over a bridge beside a powerfully cascading waterfall which sent out great billows of fine, soft spray. Pine and mountain birch clung to the valley slopes and shadowed a rich array of ferns and mosses. Huge glacial boulders lay strewn everywhere, a testament to the erstwhile power of moving ice.
The vista was well worth the effort. Briksdal is a valley glacier, a tiny offspring of the extensive Jostedals ice-sheet, which is the largest in Europe. It covers an area of over 1,000 sq km with a thickness of more than 600 meters in places. Meltwater gushed from the front of the blue ice and ran off bubbling to join other streams. As we looked back down the valley from this high vantage point, shafts of sunlight highlighted the numerous cascades pouring down over the edges of cliffs in the distance. After making our way back down to the Lodge we capped off this wonderful trek by sampling some of the excellent local confectionery. Back at the Endeavour we parted with our guides. We cruised back through the waters of Nordfjorden and in the late afternoon we took a Zodiac ride amongst the islets at the tip of this fjord system. Here we marveled at the dramatic presence of Hornelen, a mist-shrouded peak rising some 860 meters out of the sea. We spotted gray herons, oystercatchers, a female eider duck with four young and a sea eagle before returning to the ship.
Not long after sunrise we turned into the entrance to the fjord system known as Nordfjorden, bound for the town of Olden. Following an early breakfast, we were greeted warmly by our local guides as we boarded the coaches. They furnished us with a detailed rundown on the charming and picturesque landscape. Horizontal veins of clouds hung high above the floor of the glaciated valley we were traversing as we made our way to the “Mountain Lodge,” perched on a high buff above the meltwater streams emanating from the ice. Once we had arrived, some were taken by horse-drawn carts up along the valleys’ side to within a couple hundred meters of the glacier front. The remainder of the group strolled gently along the gravel pathway, taking time to feast their eyes on this awe-inspiring landscape. Shadows and light, grays and greens all combined in a rich and varied tapestry. On our way up we crossed over a bridge beside a powerfully cascading waterfall which sent out great billows of fine, soft spray. Pine and mountain birch clung to the valley slopes and shadowed a rich array of ferns and mosses. Huge glacial boulders lay strewn everywhere, a testament to the erstwhile power of moving ice.
The vista was well worth the effort. Briksdal is a valley glacier, a tiny offspring of the extensive Jostedals ice-sheet, which is the largest in Europe. It covers an area of over 1,000 sq km with a thickness of more than 600 meters in places. Meltwater gushed from the front of the blue ice and ran off bubbling to join other streams. As we looked back down the valley from this high vantage point, shafts of sunlight highlighted the numerous cascades pouring down over the edges of cliffs in the distance. After making our way back down to the Lodge we capped off this wonderful trek by sampling some of the excellent local confectionery. Back at the Endeavour we parted with our guides. We cruised back through the waters of Nordfjorden and in the late afternoon we took a Zodiac ride amongst the islets at the tip of this fjord system. Here we marveled at the dramatic presence of Hornelen, a mist-shrouded peak rising some 860 meters out of the sea. We spotted gray herons, oystercatchers, a female eider duck with four young and a sea eagle before returning to the ship.
