JOSTEDAL HIKING FIELD GUIDE
Long Blue Ice Hike: Into Nigardsbreen’s Deep-Blue Heart
A demanding, guided glacier hike on Nigardsbreen that teaches crampon and ice-axe technique while taking you into towering blue ice formations.
Long Blue Ice Hike: Into Nigardsbreen’s Deep-Blue Heart.
Experience the giant blue-ice world of Nigardsbreen near the Sognefjord, where expert guides lead you across impressive ice towers and deep blue crevasses while teaching the practical skills of crampon and ice-axe travel; the Long Blue Ice Hike is long enough to reach some of the most striking areas of the glacier and to show the formative power of Jostedalsbreen.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Deep-blue crevasses
The hike brings you close to intensely colored, deep blue crevasses — a defining visual of the Nigardsbreen glacier that underscores the scale and age of the ice.
Towering ice formations
Expect to encounter dramatic ice towers and sculpted surfaces carved by movement and melt — the glacier’s three-dimensional landscape that makes the route visually arresting.
A longer route to the best blue-ice areas
This Long Blue Ice Hike pushes farther into Nigardsbreen than the shorter option, traversing some steeper, more challenging sections to reach especially impressive blue-ice terrain and broad views of the upper glacier.
What the day feels like
What it feels like on the ice
Under guide instruction you put on crampons and learn to use an ice axe, moving deliberately across crevassed blue ice and up steeper pitches; the route is long enough to seek out dramatic towers and crevasses and offers a panoramic sense of the snow-covered Jostedalsbreen and the upper Nigardsbreen.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this hike suits and who should reconsider.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
The outing lasts approximately 5.5 hours; meet at the Nigardsbreen car park. Hike start times connect with the Glacier Bus timetable (hike times at 09:45 and 11:15; bus arrivals at about 10:05 and 11:35).
Bring a packed lunch, backpack, warm wind- and waterproof clothing, sunglasses, solid shoes (trekking boots or sturdy sport shoes) and gloves. Clothing must cover the whole body (no shorts or skirts without leggings).
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
Can the glacier hikes get cancelled due to bad weather?
Hikes are cancelled only in exceptional, severe weather conditions or when ice conditions are dangerous; rain is normal in the region and does not by itself trigger cancellation.
Where do we meet for the hike?
Participants meet at the Nigardsbreen car park.
How long is the Long Blue Ice Hike?
The trip duration is approximately 5.5 hours.
What should I bring on the hike?
Bring lunch, a backpack, warm wind- and waterproof clothing, sunglasses, solid shoes (trekking boots or sport shoes) and gloves; clothing must cover the whole body.
Are dogs or drones allowed on the glacier hikes?
No — dogs and drones are not permitted on Blue Ice Hikes.
Are there clothing restrictions?
Yes — short pants and skirts without leggings are not allowed; clothing must cover the whole body.