Austerdalsbreen from Tungestølen (26.07.2021)
Written by hbar (Harald Barsnes)
| Start point | Tungestølen p-plass (264m) |
|---|---|
| Endpoint | Tungestølen turisthytte (299m) |
| Characteristic | Hillwalk |
| Duration | 3h 49min |
| Distance | 11.7km |
| Vertical meters | 355m |
| GPS |
|
| Visits of other PBEs | Austerdalsbreen | 26.07.2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Austerdalsbreen fra Tungestølen (400m) | 26.07.2021 | |
| Høgebru bom (199m) | 26.07.2021 | |
| Slingsby-monumentet (455m) | 26.07.2021 | |
| Tungestølen p-plass (264m) | 26.07.2021 | |
| Tungestølen turisthytte (299m) | 26.07.2021 |
Austerdalsbreen from Tungestølen
The initial plan of cycling along Veitastrondsvatnet was at the last minute replaced by instead driving to Tungestølen which meant that the trip could more easily be extended with a hike up to Austerdalsbreen. Note that the road to Veitastrond from Hafslo passes through several tunnels, varying in standard from relatively new to old and narrow without any lighting. When cycling it is however possible to avoid all but a very short one by using the cycling paths, i.e. the old road.
After enjoying the nice views along Veitastrondsvatnet, and paying the 70 kr toll at Høgebru bom (after finally managing to get a decent 4G connection allowing us to pay via VIPPS), we arrived at the parking lot next to Tungestølen. From here we continued on foot along the trail to Austerdalsbreen. The trail was easy to follow, with wooden bridges when needed, and we soon arrived at the Slingsby-monumentet. Sadly the glacier has retreated quite a lot since the monument was set up close to three decades ago. Hence the glacier is now hardly visible from the monument itself.
From the Slingsby-monumentet we therefore continued north for another 5-10 minutes, still along a trail, to get a better look at Austerdalsbreen, which has clearly seen better days. After a couple of pictures we returned along the same route down Austerdalen, where we concluded the hike by having lunch at Tungestølen before returning to the car for the drive back to Sogndal.
In conclusion, while the glacier itself might not be as impressive as it once was, it is still worth a visit, and the hike up Austerdalen was also very nice. Combined with the excellent views along Veitastrondsvatnet and the potential for a nice lunch at Tungestølen, the result is a trip that can be highly recommended.
| Start date | 26.07.2021 11:54 (UTC+01:00 DST) |
| End date | 26.07.2021 15:44 (UTC+01:00 DST) |
| Total Time | 3h 49min |
| Moving Time | 3h 25min |
| Stopped Time | 0h 24min |
| Overall Average | 3.1km/h |
| Moving Average | 3.4km/h |
| Distance | 11.7km |
| Vertical meters | 355m |
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