Austerdalsisen glacier in Rana – Svartisen by Saltfjellet

The glacier Svartisen is an ancient giant resting among ice-covered peaks and deep valleys, in the wild mountain landscape between Saltfjellet and the Helgeland coast. It is Norway’s second-largest glacier, covering an area larger than Oslo and Bergen combined. With its many glacier arms, it reaches down towards the valleys and mountain lakes below. Austerdalsisen is one of them, and in the beautiful landscape surrounding it, you can see how the glacier’s powerful forces have shaped the mountains over thousands of years.

When the winter snow gives way to the warmth of summer, the blue ice is revealed. This is the old, densely packed glacier ice, whose deep blue colour shines like a sapphire when sunlight plays inside it. The ice is alive, in its own way – always moving, always changing. Massive blocks fall from the glacier edges with a thunderous roar that echoes between the mountains. Meltwater creates rivers and waterfalls on the rock below. It’s a truly powerful experience of nature!