Bronnoysund - Bodo via the Svartisen Glacier

Thursday 26^th May 2011 – OUR AMAZING DAY – Crossing the Arctic Circle & Svartisen Glacier

We left Bronnoysund, which is the mid-point on the Norwegian Coast, at 7 am having filled up with Diesel.  78 nautical miles later at 17.45 we passed the Arctic Circle Monument and a further 3 miles on at 18.03 we crossed the current Arctic Circle at 66N33.44, as given by Google the position of the actual Arctic Circle changes each year with the tilt of the world axis.

Arctic Circle Monument

Crossing the current Arctic Circle

We continued on for a further 27 n.miles to the Svartisen Glacier.  We could see the top of Glacier for many miles as we came up the coast.  The name means black (svart) ice (isen).  

An early view of the Glacier

The Svartisen Glacier is the second largest in Europe covering 370 sq. kilometres, the first largest is Jostedal which is also in Norway.  We chose to visit the Glacier from the Holandsfjord to a part of the Glacier called Engabreen, which has a sub-glacial laboratory beneath it, researching the charges to the Glacier and microbes that live in the environment, all of which is being used by scientists in planetary research of what might be found on places like Mars.

 As we turned the corner of the Holandsfjord and got the first view of the Engabreen finger of the fjord coming down it was a real ‘wow’ moment.  We berthed on the Engen pontoon beneath the Glacier or so it seemed as the woods between us and the Glacier hid the lake in front of the Glacier and it really felt as though you could nearly reach up and touch it.  The first thing we noticed about the pontoon was that it had no walkway off and was just attached by ropes to the bridgehead and a buoy at the other end.  We later learnt that it had broken during the winter and has gone off to be repaired, however, a dinghy has been carefully left (no oars) for visitors to use, soon after our arrival at 10 pm, we watched some crew from a Polish boat that was already on the pontoon pull themselves back from the land using ropes that they had provided, it looked very tippy.  

They had just returned from climbing the rocks to the Glacier.  By 4am when I awoke and took some wonderful photos of the reflections around the Fjord the Polish boat had already left.

Distance motored / sailed: 122 nm

4 am reflections from around the fjord

Friday 27^th May 2011 – Our first attempt to reach the head of the Glacier

After a leisurely morning and a cooked brunch we pumped up our red Avon dinghy ‘Marmalade’ and rowed ourselves to the shore – much more stable than the fibreglass dinghy provided.  We walked the mile to the café in front of the lake before the Glacier and on speaking to ‘Madam’ who said both routes to the Glacier were easy but her personal favourite way was through the woods on the right hand side of the lake, which I had already read was the prettiest route, so that decided us to go that way, it was definitely interesting there was a swing bridge across the swirling river (leaving the lake for the Fjord) which I did not enjoy and then we followed various unmarked paths, not knowing whether they were made by man or beast and had to ford a number of streams leading to the lake.  

  

Swing bridge

 

Crossing a stream

Ravine

We then came out near the beach in front of the ravine down from the Glacier, after that it was a climb up rocks with only cairns people had placed to give us any idea of where to go, it was a long way up over streams from the mountainsides, James was becoming more unhappy with the height and incline of the rocks, I was keen to keep going and he managed to follow me until after crossing one steep water course we were faced with an old rope attached to rusty rings at each end which I gave a pull but at that point I also felt enough was enough as the rock was very smooth with few foot or hand holds and although we were really very close the end of the Glacier our nerve failed us.  Getting back down was not that easy – had to slide on our backsides at times and then the walk back through the woods proved difficult and we had to retrace our steps a few times when we reached an area of streams that we could not ford.  Eventually, we got back to the swing bridge and the café where Madam although not really open was happy to have our money and provided us with coffee and cake.  

Cafe by the lake in font of the Glacier

Some of the streams we had to ford!

The whole walk was 6.3 miles and we were disappointed not to have reached the ice of the Glacier.  On returning to the boat we stopped for a chat to the man who runs a little ferry service and he said the route on the left hand side of the lake going up the road was easier.

Saturday 28^th May 2011 – Carol reaches the Svartisen Glacier

The end of the Glacier lived up to it's name of black ice, very dirty, other parts vivid blue.

 This morning after brunch we decided to get the bikes out, to cycle the road past Engen Lake.  As the tide was in James was able to put the folded bikes in their bags into the dinghy and just push off from the pontoon across the 6’ to the bridgehead and manhandle the bikes on to the landing stage.  We again rowed to the shore and walked back down the landing stage to collect the bikes and assemble them, the bags were left in the dinghy.

We cycled the 2.2 miles to the end of the road nearest the Glacier and then walked / scrambled our way up the hillside, to begin with the route had a chain handrail to follow, when that ended we carried on following white painted markings on the rocks at the point these ended quite near the ravine taking the Glacier melt water down to the lake, James was again feeling uncomfortable by the height, so I left him sitting on a rock.   

James on his rock

Ravine taken from below the Glacier

I continued on following various cairns and made it to the Glacier and was able to collect ice for our evening drinks.  Soon after I arrived 6 other people made it up to the Glacier so I was able to get someone to take my photo by the Glacier and they confirmed seeing James sitting on his rock.  Whilst standing down by the Glacier pieces of ice where plopping down beside me!  

A blue ice cave taken at the Glacier

The worse part of the climb came on the return journey when I had to make my way back down a shallow 6’ ledge with few hand holds and not being able to see where to put my feet, I nearly froze but there were others behind me wanting to get back, which was just as well as they helped me find the route back, having followed one false trail, James was still sitting waiting for me cross, with himself for being beaten by his fear of heights for not reaching the Glacier.  It was interesting to see the few flowers that grow on the mountainside, were ones that I associate with rock gardens e.g. London’s Pride also there were a lot of tiny yellow mountain pansies, more like violas in size, but my wild flower book identifies them as mountain pansies.

On the way down we watched a bus load of youngsters being dropped at the end of the road who along with some local guides proceeded to climb the mountain but we were interested to see that they took a completely different route far to the left following some red arrows and more rope hand rails which we had not noticed before.  On talking to one girl and then to some of the adult teachers, we heard that this activity was part of a week long get together of children from Norway, France, Belgium, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria, whose whole trip had been funded by the EU and this was the second year of the project, now I know where some of our EU money goes!  We knew that a few of the youngster were going to have a chance to walk on the glacier, when they would have to wear crampons and have ice picks and be roped together.  So we watched through binoculars the way the children were taken in case it looked any easier, in the end it looked a lot further and they had go via a hut where the local guides obviously store their equipment and this was still a long way from the edge of the Glacier, eventually after at least 4 hours we saw some of them getting on the ice, strung out like ants even through the binoculars and with the naked eye you could really only make them out when they were grouped together.  We felt rather sorry for the children who had to wait around for those doing the glacier walk as I don’t think the majority even got to touch the ice unless they were prepared to walk quite along way – I only noticed 2 do this.

On our way back down

In front of the cafe looking up to the Glacier

Before returning to the boat we cycled as far round the fjord as we could before coming to a gate and a steep track down hill, which we decided we would not wish to walk up.  However, I had two bits of luck firstly I found a NOK 200 note lying on the track (worth about £25) and then I found wild rhubarb to pick – I had read that it could be found wild on the Islands but this was the first lot I had seen, so I am now enjoying stewed rhubarb which is one of my favourites and James’ hates!

By the time we got back to the boat the tide was along way out, so we decided that we would not risk dropping the bikes over the side of the landing stage into the dinghy so a better option was to take the bikes and the dinghy to the beach which was now exposed and fold the bikes up there and row them back to the pontoon which is what James did and then he came back for me by the rocks closest to the pontoon.

Bike in its bag back to dinghy

Bikes back to boat

That evening we enjoyed Pimms with glacier ice and a young couple (German man and New Zealand girl) arrived in their yacht we gave them a Pimms before they set off to walk to the Glacier at 9 pm back just before midnight, with the constant light you can do these things and the ice on the glacier turned pink in the twilight which is all you get here at the moment.

Sunday 29^th May 2011– Bodo

Just before leaving the Svartisen Glacier after breakfast I was in the heads when my back suddenly became agony – I really can’t pin point what I had done differently but suffice it to say I have been in agony ever since.  I was little help to James on the motor round to Bodo (he did have the mainsail up for much of the way, but I don’t think it was doing a lot) and I spent the afternoon in bed with the electric blanket on.  We arrived in the rain and I was only able to give limited help with mooring the boat, it preceded to rain all night.  I think I shall have to find an Osteopath.

The cost of the berth is NOK 150 p.n. which is payable with a credit card at a parking style meter on the shore along with the electricity at NOK 1.75 per kilowatt so far 2 kilowatts have given us 19 hours of power, running the greenhouse type heater all night along with my electric blanket and the immersion heater for 7 hours.  We have also got free internet access from Bodo Guest Harbour which is useful.

Distance motor sailed: 59 nm.   We have now travelled over 1500 nm.

Monday 30th May 2011

A day of doing very little other than a visit to the Tourist Office, who gave me the name of a nearby Osteopath who saw me at 15.30 and has manipulated my back and says it is now aligned correctly, still sore but I think I am moving a bit better - time will tell.  Not much seems to be open here yet - the season does not start for another 3 weeks and today with my back the last thing I want to do is sightseeing, also the weather is very variable - sunshine and heavy showers.  Hopefully, tomorrow I will feel up to taking a load of washing to the machines in the Harbour Office.

Hurtigruten Ferry making a tight turn out of Bodo!

     

An old boat in Bodo

Paddington IV in Bodo

Tuesday 31st May 2011


My back is still painful, but I think a little easier.  I managed to do two loads of washing, once again payment is via credit card NOK 50 each per wash and dry, having paid for two washing machines I now realize that I could have got two loads done of 40 degree washes in one machine as you get the machine for 100 minutes, the driers last for 120 minutes but having given the first load 60 minutes and it was still not dry, I then used the second drier to get my second wash dry.  Therefore, to get two loads washed and dried costs about £25!  This is really a note for anyone else visiting Bodo!  Additionally, if you wish to use the showers you also pay at the same credit card terminal!

Later in the afternoon I found the post office for stamps so at least I know I have the correct amount to put on   postcards and then I did a fresh food shop as I suspect the shops in the Lofoten's will be expensive with limited choice.

Amazingly the 2 kilowatts of electricity that we paid for on our first night (NOK 3.50) is still going strong - I now have a theory that as long as you pay for some electricity is does not really calculate what you are using - I expect most people usually opt to pay for a lot more kilowatts than we did; if that's not the case then the other marinas which charge anything from NOK 50 - 100 per day are thieves!