If someone told us that in the middle of a summer holiday we were going to go from shorts and t-shirts to down jackets and wool socks in less than half an hour we would probably just laugh at them. But that’s what happened when we drove from Lom to the ice tunnel of Jotunheimen.
Klimapark 2469 is… well, what to call this place? It is a climate park, a 7000 year old glacier in the Jotunheimen national park in Norway. Part tourist attraction, part research and historical excavation site. The tunnel covers an astounding 375 square meters, filled with lights illuminating both the natural elements of the ice as well as sculptures carved out by artists. All you have to do to experience this is to book a tour and show up, which is exactly what we did in August.
The trip started a few hundred meters from the tunnel opening, at Juvasshytta in Jotunheimen. Before entering the tunnel itself we walked along a pathway elevated slightly above the ground where guides told us about the landscape around us, the background and excavation of the ice tunnel and a lot more. Not to mention, the difference between different kind of glaciers. In Norwegian there are two distinct terms to describe glaciers, isbre (what most people think of as glaciers) and isfonn, meaning a non-moving glacier. Kind of the opposite of an icefall. The lack of movement means that when the tunnel is carved out it stays that way, unlike regular glaciers where the ice constantly moves, which would lead to the tunnel collapsing and being quite a dangerous place.
Despite visiting in the middle of August the temperature had barely creeped above zero and the weather changed from fairly clear to thick fog in a very short time. This is actually one of the few places in Norway with a summer alpine centre. Yes, it is cold enough to go skiing in the summer and in the winter it is closed because there is too much snow on the roads to get up there.
After the guided tour of about half an hour outside we were finally entering the ice tunnel. First we had to pass through an air lock to prevent the “warm” air from getting inside. Climate change is really making its mark here and the ice shrinks every year. Unfortunately this ice tunnel will not be here forever…
On the inside we were greeted by the eye of Odin, a god in Norse mythology. All the sculptures and art in here have been inspired by Norse mythology, which used to be the religion of Norway hundreds of years ago. At the first “crossroad” inside the tunnel a massive tree known as Yggdrasil, the world tree, came into view. Yes, the “tunnel” is actually more like an ice maze.
Before we were off to venture on our own we were shown a short film. Yes, one of the walls had been carved into a screen and somehow they had installed a projector.
We were told that the ice is 7000 years old and that many objects have been found here, such as shoes, ski poles and weapons. These have been relocated to museums, but reconstructions have been left in their places so that tourists can see and experience them the way they were when they were captured by the snow and ice.
The lights changed from room to room with creative use of colours. Not to mention this place is rather hands on with an ice slide for children and a complete lack of “don’t touch” signs. That was much welcomed!
The climate park is still under development and new areas are being excavated and turned into exhibitions. One room had some kind of shelves, but had not yet been populated. Work in progress we assume.
The development unfortunately goes both ways. The ice is melting due to climate change. In a place where the temperature is around zero degrees during summer a degree more or less makes all the difference between a growing and a shrinking glacier.
Practical info about Klimapark 2469
Tickets and booking
Klimapark 2469 is open from around mid-June to the end of August. Tickets cost 375 kr (43 USD / 35 EUR) for adults. There are limited tickets available, so make sure to book early. Tickets and more information about the climate park can be found on Klimapark2469.no.
How to get there
From Lom in Jotunheimen there is a road to Juvasshytta, where you park the car. On the parking lot there is a car which is clearly marked with Klimapark 2469. This is where you meet. There is a toll road going up to Juvasshytta and the road is bumpy to put it mildly!
Other useful information
In Lom there is a museum called Norsk fjellsenter. It explains the history, geology and other interesting information about Norwegian mountains and is closely related to the climate park. This is where many of the artefacts found in the ice have been moved to. If you show your ticket from Klimapark 2469 you get a 30 % discount at the museum.
If you like taking photos a tripod is highly recommended. The ice tunnel has both dark corners and bright illuminated spots, making it difficult to photograph without a tripod, as we experienced.
