News

Saturday interpretive hikes

at Jostedalsbreen Nasjonalparksenter 2010

These walks will take place every Saturday from 3.July till 8.August. Interpretive themes will be geology, botany and cultural history. In addition, all trips will include orientation about the statuary Norwegian “right to roam”, and information about what you are allowed to do or cannot do when hill walking in the Norwegian countryside.

All Saturday hiking trips are scheduled at 10 AM at the starting point indicated under each tour number. Tour leaders will be Professor Atle Nesje (Universitetet I Bergen), gardener Inger Fure (Jostedalsbreen Nasjonalparksenter), pedagogue Marie Johanne Folven (Oppstryn skule) and Jon Aaning. Project manager of the Saturday interpretive hikes is Anne Kjos- Wenjum Armas.

There is no charge for participants and no advance sign-up. You only need to show up at the designated starting point at 10 a.m. Please bring your own pack-lunch.

This project is in cooperation with Folkeakademiet Stryn (The Stryn Public Academy).

TOUR 1

Saturday 10. July: Botanical walk in Bødalen with Inger Fure, approx. 4 hours

Starting point: Crossroads to Bødalen at the toll road gate. From here, pool cars will take us to the car park at Bødalssætra. Continuing on foot towards Bødalsbreen, we will observe the characteristic flora, e.g. on overgrown glacial deposits and the active glacial outwash delta.

TOUR 2

Saturday 10. July: Geological walk in Erdalen with Atle Nesje, 5 hours

Starting point: Car park at Greidung. Erdalen has many interesting Quaternary geological alluvia, such as moraines and fluvioglacial deposits. Large glacial outwash plains can be observed between the two summer dairies in Erdalen.

TOUR 3

Saturday 17. July: Historical and botanical walk to Skjerdingdalen with Inger Fure, ca. 4 hours

Theme: Flora and local history. Starting point: Car park at Skjerdingdalssetra. Near the church approx. 1 km from the dairy, there are remnants of an abandoned summer farm, same as at Gamle Sæterkulen somewhat further ahead.

TOUR 4

Saturday 24. July: Historical walk to Stol in Glomsdalen with Jon Aaning, ca. 7 hours

Starting point: Oppstryn skule. Glomsdalen valley is about 10 km long, featuring old farm settlements and cultural landscapes. Settlements and “skålegroper” from the Iron Age have been located innermost in Glomsdalen.

TOUR 5

Saturday 31.July: Historical walk to Kamperhamrane in Sunndalen with Marie Johanne Folven, ca. 7 hours

Starting point: Buda at Folven. Here, we pool cars for driving to the car park at Sunndalen (toll road). Sunndalen is associated with a lot of cultural history. Summer dairy operation, grazing and harvesting of hay has taken place here for centuries. Until Strynefjellsvegen opened in 1895, Sunndalen was a principal thoroughfare between east and West Norway. Parts of the Kamphamrane trail have been improved with stone steps.

TOUR 6

Saturday 7. August: Historical walk to Maradalen at Strynefjellet with IngerFure, ca 5 hours

Theme: Cultural history and old game traps.

Starting point: Buda at Folven, then car pools to Gamle Strynefjellsvegen.

Maradalen pastures were used by wild reindeer in the South-West area. Game traps indicate that reindeer have been feeding here for a very long time.

Glacier tongues are continually receding. Professor Atle Nesje at Universitetet i Bergen has informed us about the withdrawal of the most well-known glaciers in Stryn the last year:

Briksdalsbreen – 22 m

Bødalsbreen – 52 m

Kjenndalsbreen – 93 m

Brenndalsbreen – 29 m