Uranos Massif

Scandinavian Mountains over 2000 metres - James Baxter

AreasUranos MassifWalking Routes › Ur.4

Ur.4  Fondsbu Lodge to Skogadalsbøen Lodge via Mjølkedalsbreen Glacier
10 hours / 24km
870m / 1090m
Unmarked

This is a demanding route across a crevassed glacier and is only suitable for roped up parties who have considerable glacial experience and are fluent in glacier rescue techniques.

Leave Fondsbu lodge and head north along the road for ½ km. Do not cross the bridge over the Mjølkedøla river but head up the track through the cabins on the west bank. At the top of the track continue up the small ridge bearing slightly to the west of it to reach a small basin of tarns. Weave through the tarns heading north west and cross a small ridge to reach a series of lakes connected by the Mjølkedøla river.

 Follow the west side of these lakes for 2 km and then the west bank of the river for 2 km and then the west shore of another lake again for 2 km to reach the moraine strewn snout of the Mjølkedalsbreen glacier. This snout lies just beyond this second and silty lake. Rope up at the snout and start to ascend south of a prominent moraine ridge emerging from the glacier.

After walking up the glacier for ½ hour you reach the foot of the ice fall. The glacier is very disturbed here for the next km, especially in the middle and on the north side, and it can be quite difficult and time consuming to find a route which weaves through crevasses. This section of the glacier also has open crevasses in the winter and is never safe.

Above the ice fall the glacier levels off into a huge bowl which is the accumulation zone. There are steep and impressive mountains on all sides around this bowl. Head due west across the bowl for a km heading for the base of the south ridge of the curious nunatak of Urdaknatten. As you pass the south ridge you cross from Mjølkedalsbeen glacier to Uranosbreen glacier.

There are often some large bergschrund type crevasses at this transition where the two glaciers are pulling away from each other. Go round to the west of Urdaknatten and climb slightly up to the transition over to Skogadalsbreen glacier and then descend this glacier.

Keep to the east side of the glacier and descend to the valley and then Skogadalsbøen lodge as described above in the route description for Ur.3.