Life on and by the glacier
"From lush mountain valleys to glacier and barren high mountains."
Bøyabreen in Fjærland. Photo: Gaute Dvergsdal Bøyum.
Life on and by the glacier is based on a rich natural environment. Around Jostedalsbreen there is an enormous range of habitat types over short distances, which is due to large variations in local climate, large differences in altitude and the influence of the glaciers. In the lowlands, lush deciduous forest grows with elm and linden and heat-loving plants such as glacier fern and spring pea buttercup, while 1500 m higher up, alpine vegetation grows with ice plant and creeping bentgrass.
In front of the glacier tongues in the lowlands, pioneer plants such as wild radish and glacier ivy add color to the gray landscape. The plants' natural immigration when the glacier retreats into the valleys is an important reason for protection as a national park.
The floodplain forest on the gentle glacial plains is adapted to the changing flow and course of the rivers and is a special quality of the national park. Fåbergstølsgrandane is the largest active glacial plain in Norway.
The great variation in plant life is reflected in the animal life. You would think that there would be little animal life on glaciers, but there are algae, bacteria, rotifers, tardigrades and springtails. Not to mention the peculiar bramble (a moss) found on some glaciers. Deer and large predators such as lynx and wolverine occasionally wander across the glacier. However, you will be able to meet the beautiful snow bunting on the mountain tops around the glacier. The wild reindeer live in the far north of the national park. In the mountains and valleys around Jostedalsbreen you will also be able to see some of the large birds of prey such as golden eagles and mountain buzzards if you are lucky.
Deer are abundant in the valleys around Jostedalsbreen. There is a rich birdlife in the lush deciduous forest and cultural landscape. You may even see and hear the rare white-backed woodpecker. The Jostedalsbrebre area also has potential for undiscovered species. In the 1970s, two new species of poultry mosquito, which have not been found anywhere else in the world, were found in Vivavatnet in Sprongdalen in Jostedalen just outside the national park. The findings indicate that there may be unique genetic values within lower fauna associated with glacier-affected watercourses and in special environments linked to the glacier.
There are few good fishing lakes in the national park, and the high content of silt in the rivers means that fishing conditions are generally not good inside the national park.
Glacier - traffic and service road, and tourist attraction
Krundalen with Bergsetbreen glacier in 1959. Photo: John Price.
The cultural landscape with farms, cottages, birch orchards etc. bears witness to the fact that people have lived "under the glacier" from long ago. Agriculture is alive and well in the villages around the national park. Only a few of the farmsteads have survived the transition to modern agriculture.
In the past, Jostedalsbreen was the route from western valleys and fjords to inner Sogn and Austlandet. Cows and horses were brought across the glacier to be sold at markets in Austlandet, a long and dangerous journey. Today, it would be difficult to use the glacier as a logging road, as the glacier is smaller and therefore steeper and has more crevasses.
Modern tourism came to the Jostedalsbre area in the latter half of the 19th century, when Europe "discovered" the fjord landscape and glaciers in Norway. Tourists came to Fjærland and Olden in particular on tourist ships. From here there was a horse-drawn carriage from the quay to Bøyabreen and Briksdalsbreen. Today, the Jostedalsbreen glacier is one of the most visited destinations in Norway, and more than 250,000 people visit Briksdalsbreen every year. Other popular glaciers with tourists include Nigardsbreen, Bøyabreen and Kjenndalsbreen.
In Fjærland , the well-known patent attorney, Mikkel Mundal, worked with brewing in the early 1900s.
The right of public access - the right to use nature in the wilderness almost freely
In Norway, it is an important part of the cultural heritage that was enshrined in the Outdoor Recreation Act from 1957, and applies regardless of who owns the land. If we take others and the few rules that apply into account, everyone will be able to take part in nature experiences in the future.
The right of public access means that in the wilderness you can:
travel freely on foot and on skis
ride or cycle on trails and roads
rest and spend the night
pick berries, mushrooms, flowers and wild herbs
swimming, paddling, rowing and sailing
fishing freely for saltwater fish
Outdoor life - easy hikes or demanding boardwalks
On skis towards Supphellenipa. Photo: Gaute Dvergsdal Bøyum.
The Jostedal glacier area has long traditions as an attractive hiking area, especially for glacier hiking and summit tours. In recent years, demanding trips such as spring skiing trips "along the glacier" - often with a detour to the highest mountain peak, Lodalskåpa, have also been popular. Without the necessary knowledge and glacier equipment, travel on glacier is dangerous! There are many offers for glacier tours on the glacier margins around Jostedalsbreen.
The old trails between the valleys around the glacier, such as through Oldeskaret and Supphelleskaret, are exciting hikes. For tourists, Jostedalsbreen has long been a popular destination, especially with the glacier men in Briksdalen, Fjærland and at Nigardsbreen.
In Krundalen, Kjenndalen and Austerdalen there are trails towards the glacier, fairly easy hikes with plenty to experience. The highest mountain peak, Lodalskåpa (2083 m), also known as Vestlandsdronninga, is a long hike that requires glacier equipment and very good fitness.
You can stay overnight at campsites, guesthouses and tourist hotels in the valleys outside the national park, or at simple hikers' cabins and the like located around the glacier a few hours' walk from the road.
There are marked trails into the valleys towards the glacier and over some mountain passes between the valleys.
