The last time was hiking on a glacier
This time I’m looking up at the foot of the mountain
next time? Very soon.
E6°.47, N61°.55
Stryn,Norway
Perhaps because he was born in the warm south, he never encounters snow all year round. There is always a special yearning for the ice and snow in high latitudes.
Compared with the mild plain snow, the year-round uninhabited glaciers may be more intimidating to nature.
After all, the development of glaciers is not always easy. Except for high altitudes, mountains should not be too steep. It takes countless snowflakes squeezing them all year round to form ice sheet gullies.
This is the raw power from nature.
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Review
Tasman Glacier, New Zealand
The first close contact was on the Tasman Glacier in the South Island of New Zealand. At that time, I participated in a hiking activity and took a helicopter to reach this isolated ice land.
I always thought that glaciers were white like snow.
But when I set foot here, I discovered that this was not the case.
Glaciers are not like snow. The smooth ice rocks are often mixed with gray-brown mud and sand. At first glance, it feels dirty. The melt water in the small potholes is very clear, but the melt water from the glacier at the foot of the mountain is milky in color.
I can only see the peaks on both sides, not the end in front, nor the way back. The unobstructed direct sunlight makes the surroundings much milder. I can stay warm with just a sweatshirt and light down.
There is such a warm light, but there is no gradual melting of the river soil. Year after year, we are firmly waiting for a new round of cold winter to stock up and build thick cover.
For details, please refer to the old chapter 👉 The Maori Song of Middle-earth Chapter 4. The glacier section is in the second half of the article.
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New itinerary
Briksdal Glacier, Norway
The second time I saw glaciers was in Norway.
As the northwestmost point of the European continent, Norway's land stretches along the coast and is subject to seawater erosion. This makes it a country with a rugged coastline and numerous coastal islands.
150,000 islands are not a small number.
Looking at the map, it is not difficult to see that Norway’s maritime borders are very “broken”. And when you zoom in on these details, you will also find many places where a road connects the islands.
For places where transportation is unaffordable, ferries are used as transportation. Therefore, my trip to Norway was also the one I took the most ferries so far.
In the morning, we left the famous Geirangerfjord (one of the four major fjords in Norway) and took the famous ferry in the fjord. It is still over 100 kilometers to drive to Hellesylt (the end of the ferry).
Due to the terrain, the roads in Norway are narrow and winding. It takes 3 hours to drive for more than 100 kilometers. Fortunately, the scenery along the way is not disappointing, with glaciers, flowing water, and snow-capped mountains.
The glacier is hidden in the innermost place between the two mountains. Starting from Alden Town on the outer road, you have to turn inward.
During this section of the journey, the streams and lakes passed by are all melted by glaciers. The water quality is clear blue, coupled with the layers of plant forests on the mountains, the lush grassland that has not yet entered winter.
Small houses and livestock also joined the army of decorations, quietly losing the gloomy and misty look it had when we first got off the ferry. It has to surprise people that the weather in Norway is also really arbitrary.
There is a place that seems to be specially designed for tourists, with parking lots and resting areas. Looking straight ahead, the lake in front of us is as calm as a mirror, already reflecting the surrounding mountains, forests and clouds.
And a nearly heart-shaped stone stands behind the lake.
With such beautiful scenery, even if you are in a hurry, you can't help but run over and take a photo.
Because the glacier is located at the innermost point between the two mountains, when you get here, you can basically only see the sun shining on the top of the mountain. Wherever you walk at the foot of the mountain, you are covered by shadows.
This also makes the colors here look gloomy and cold. I had already parked my car at the foot of the mountain, but found that there were still vehicles continuing to drive up the mountain.
I also rebooted and followed suit. Only then did I realize that the door was originally here. There are no big signs, just a tourist center, souvenir shop and coffee shop. It also looks deserted.
From the parking lot to the glacier, there are two options: hiking or paying to take the shuttle tram. I have been driving for a long time, so I no longer take the car and choose to walk.
A one-way trip of less than 3 kilometers is not too tiring. Listening to the sound of gurgling water and the chirping of birds in the mountains along the way, it also feels like returning to nature.
Although the road is not a man-made cement trail, it has been plowed for the convenience of driving. It's just that the terrain is a bit steep, and it's easy to start breathing heavily if you walk too fast.
The itinerary basically revolves around waterfalls and flowing rivers. The water was fierce and white flowers appeared everywhere.
There are two or three scenic spots along the way as milestone check-in points. When you pass the viewing platform of the waterfall, you will be splashed by naughty water splashes.
The time to come here is October, which is autumn.
Although there is no golden scene here, it still looks like it is starting to become deserted. The tree trunks have begun to wither, leaving only residual leaves and dead branches, and the grass has turned brown.
On the contrary, the moss growing on the rock surface adds a little life to the cold depths of the mountain.
The further you go, the more you can see the snow tops and ice on the mountain tops on both sides. There are also small waterfalls where the ice water melts and adheres to the rock walls, flowing down the river.
One area of the glacier is particularly thick.
The pure blue is still close to the sky, very charming. Because I zoomed in on the camera and took the record.
From time to time a tram full of people passed by along the way.
Most of the tourists are in tour groups and have to save this time and energy because they are in a hurry. Otherwise, how could this great opportunity be wasted?
It's a bit tiring, but I don't feel bored even with the mountains and rivers all the way. Looking up, you can already see the foot of the glacier at the end and the source of the river.
I was looking forward to it wholeheartedly, but when I finally arrived at my destination, I was a little disappointed. Because the weather is not cold enough, the glacier is not long enough to connect to the water surface, allowing tourists to touch and climb.
But it is also such a small piece that makes people reluctant to leave. Glaciers always seem to be freezing at high altitudes, so how can they be seen so often?
Such a small piece is like the glacier extending a hand towards humans, inviting people to come forward to visit and appreciate it.
In late winter, the thicker ice will extend down to the melting water surface. What a spectacular scene that would be.
Suddenly, I seemed to understand why there seemed to be so few people visiting during this season.
Because the glacier at this time is not the best viewing season.
But how can a country see all the beauty of its four seasons in one season? I have no choice but to use different tricks to attract you at different times.
In addition to Briksdal Glacier , Norway also has the interesting Geirangerfjord , the sky-high Atlantic Highway , and the ancient city Bergen, Flom Train, which can be called the epitome of Norway.