JOSTEDAL HIKING FIELD GUIDE
Blue Ice Close-Up: A Private Short Hike onto Nigardsbreen
A guided 4–4.5 hour glacier hike on Nigardsbreen that puts you on cramponed ice to explore deep blue crevasses, ice towers and tunnels.
Blue Ice Close-Up: A Private Short Hike onto Nigardsbreen.
On the Nigardsbreen Glacier, professional guides lead a short, private blue-ice hike that moves from firm moraines onto crevassed ice. Participants clip into ropes, don crampons and use ice axes to negotiate steep steps cut into the glacier, to peer into deep blue crevasses, to crawl through ice tunnels and to stand beneath towering ice formations—an intense, hands-on introduction to glacier travel.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Deep-blue crevasses and towering ice towers
Move across Nigardsbreen with guides and see the glacier’s signature blue crevasses and high ice towers up close—moments that define what glacier hiking really is.
Crampons, ice axes and rope-team movement
You will be roped up and walk with crampons and an ice axe while negotiating steep climbs and steps cut in the ice—basic glacier-travel techniques taught and supervised by professional guides.
Crawling into ice tunnels
Parts of the route allow exploration of ice tunnels and close contact with the glacier’s sculpted interior—small, memorable moments that make the short hike feel larger than its duration.
What the day feels like
What the outing feels like
The rhythm is deliberate: a meeting and check-in, a walk out to the ice, careful instruction from guides, and roughly an hour and a half moving on the glacier itself—roped, cramponed and guided—working up and down ice steps, pausing at crevasse edges and squeezing through occasional ice tunnels before returning to the meeting point.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who this hike suits—and who should think twice.
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Total tour length is about 4–4.5 hours, with roughly 1.5 hours spent on the glacier itself.
Meet at Nigardsbreen car park. Bookings are requested by email ([email protected]); provide desired date, preferred start time (between 09:45 and 12:30) and number of participants—if guides are available you will receive a booking link and the reservation is confirmed once booked and paid.
Bring a backpack, warm wind- and waterproof clothing that covers the whole body (no shorts or skirts without leggings), sunglasses, a lunch package, solid shoes (trekking boots or sport shoes) and gloves.
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 and severe weather conditions or when ice conditions are dangerous; rain is common and not usually a canceling factor.
How do I make a booking?
Email [email protected] with your desired date, preferred start time (between 09:45 and 12:30) and number of persons; if guides are available you will receive a booking link and the reservation is valid once booked and paid.
Where do we meet for the hike?
The meeting point is the Nigardsbreen car park.
How long is the tour and how long will we be on the ice?
The tour lasts about 4–4.5 hours in total, with approximately 1.5 hours spent on the glacier itself.
Are there age limits or restrictions for participants?
Participants must be at least 8 years old; additional restrictions include no dogs, no drones, and no short pants or skirts without leggings; children in a carrier frame are not permitted on all Blue Ice Hikes.
What should I wear and pack for the hike?
Bring warm, wind- and waterproof clothing that covers the whole body, solid shoes (trekking boots or sport shoes), gloves, sunglasses, a lunch package and a backpack.