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Project presented at EXPLORE 2011

Tunsbergdalsbreen Project was presented at the annual Royal Geographical Society (RGS) conference EXPLORE 18th-20th o November 2011 in London. RGS supported the expedition in 2011. Read more about the conference at www.rgs.org/explore

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Expedition group on way back home

After a nice farewell dinner at the Glacier Museum (cooked by no other than director Nils) and a little informal gathering at the museum's classroom afterwards, where we watched the Brathay film by Maurice Dybeck from 1959 and looked at pictures from Tunsbergdalsbreen. The group is now on its way home to Britain, catching the ferry to Danmark today.
GPS-data has been downloaded at the museum, and more data and pictures will be exchanged the following weeks when it has been edited.
John Price sent his congratulations to the group by email and thanked them for the good work and the successfull completion of the expedition.
Well done everyone!

Just can't get enough!
The group is enjoying big ice creams for desert. Obviously the weeks on ice haven't been enough!

Photo exhibition '1959' opened

Today at 1 pm, the new photo exhibition showing 30 of John Price's pictures from the Tunsbergdalsbreen expedition in 1959 was officially opened at the Glacier Museum. Now, the visitors can follow John on the expedtion reading his comments for each picture. The panel also shows one of the 1959 panorama picture of Tunsbergdalsbreen, and a panorama from the same spot taken by Victoria Hamilton in 2009. It also features the ice axe John used in 1959.

After a short speach by museum director Nils Paulsen (left), a cloth removed by expedition leader Morgan Gibson (helped by the museum's geographer Pål Gran Kielland) revealed the new panel with the digital exhibition.

Expedition group well back in Fjærland

The group arrived savely (though a bit smelly and about halv of them bearded) back in Fjærland yesterday evening, after having packed down the camp and celebrated their return to civilisation with a pizza. Today, the de-briefing will take place in the glacier museum's class room. And this evening, we will have the traditional farewell dinner.

Field work soon finished

On Thursday the group finished the remaining transects and put out the last velocity stone profile on the upper part of the glacier's lower section. The field work is edging closer to the end, but first they have to do the front position measurements to check if the glacier has advanced, or more likely, retreated since last year.

Field work and river crossing

Yesterday, the group managed to get over the river by using a boat provided by Edvard Leirdal from Statkraft. They also set out a new velocity stone profile and measured velocity stones from previous years at the upper profile on the lower section of the glacier. Weather was okay.

Camp established successfully and field work started

Sunday the 14th was used to transport all equipment over the lake to Tunsbergdalen and to set up the camp. All went according to plans.

On Monday, the group completed 2 transects and found nearly all the 2009 and 2010 stones on the lower profile. After sunny and nice weather the first week, Monday started off with rain pouring down. But after all, some proper field work was managed to be done! (says Morgan)

On Tuesday, one more transect was completed and the 2010 stones on the upper profile were found. Weather was good. There was also done some mapping in front of the glacier, which is part of one of the Newcastle student's projects.

Expedition 2011 started!

After the briefing seminar in Fjærland, the expedition group successfully moved to Jostedalen, where they carried out the day excursion to Røkjedalen in order to re-take the panoramic pictures and to fill the helicopter bag with the rubbish left behind by the expeditions in the 1950's and 1960's. Weather conditions have been good. The group also started the glacier course on Nigardsbreen, spending Thursday learning to walk in rope teams, using crampons, ice axes and ice screws. Everyone is feeling tired but happy!

Final itinerary for the expedition 2011 ready!

The expedition group for 2011 is now complete and the final itinerary has been launched. The expedition has got 9 participants, this year all from the UK.

8th of August: Briefing seminar at the Glacier Museum (open to public) in Fjærland
10th - 12th of August: preliminary glacier course on Nigardsbreen
13th of August: day trip to Tunsbergdalsbreen via Røykjedalen
14th - 21st of August: camp in Tunsbergdalen and field work
22nd of August: Debriefing seminar and farewell dinner at the Glacier Museum in Fjærland

Glaciers are retreating

NVE now published the results from their annual front position measurements in Norway. According to NVE, 27 of 31 glaciers show retreat. Around the Jostedalsbreen, 7 of 9 glaciers retreated, among these Nigardsbreen (39 metres) and Bødalsbreen (65 metres). Briksdalsbreen has advanced 8 metres.

Read more at www.nve.no