Tuftebreen

Krundalen, a valley east of Jostedalsbreen, hosts two outlet glaciers: Tuftebreen and Bergsetbreen. Going to the latter requires passing the first. Nowadays that’s no problem at all, but two centuries ago Tuftebreen was a big obstacle.

Tax Reduction

Research on lichens shows that Tuftebreen reached its maximum extent around 1770 (Bickerton and Matthews, 1993). The glacier, which was called Tverrbreen back then, reached all the way to the valley floor and halted just before it would crush Bergset farm. Although the buildings were spared, the glacier did destroy pastures. Therefore, the farmers were given tax reduction in 1742. Witnesses told at this occasion that the glacier was still confined to the Tufteskaret high above the valley when they were young, about fifty years before (historielaget Jostedal.no).

Satellite image of Tuftebreen (2021) with its former extents.
Satellite image of Tuftebreen (2021) with its former extents.
Drawing of Bergsetbreen by Johannes Flintoe in 1826, collection National Museum of Norway NG.M.01085.
Drawing of Bergsetbreen by Johannes Flintoe in 1826, collection National Museum of Norway NG.M.01085.

Artist Johannes Flintoe

Besides misery, the glacier also brought beauty. Artist Johannes Flintoe (1787-1870) came to Krundalen in the first quarter of the 19th century and made two paintings of the valley. The first one depicts Krundalen with Bergsetbreen in the far distance (mistakenly called Bøyumbreen) in 1822 and another of the snout of Tuftebreen in 1826. From this painting, it looks like Tuftebreen at the time was forming a new moraine, based on the large boulders at the glacier margin. In the background Flintoe depicted the outer lateral moraine of ca. 1770.

Photographer Axel Lindahl

It wasn’t long before the first picture of Tuftebreen was taken. Axel Lindahl (1841-1906), a photographer from Sweden who was very attracted to Norwegian glaciers, visited Krundalen in 1880-1890. He captured a water mill at the start of the valley with the lower part of Tuftebreen in the distance. When Axel was there the glacier didn’t reach the valley floor since ten or twenty years (Bickerton and Matthews, 1993). In the first half of the 20th century the glacier receded further, as is illustrated by two photos that were taken from the same position in 1903 and 1959.

Foto of Krundalen in 1880-1890 by Axel lindahl. Tuftebreen on the right. Collection National Library of Norway photo 02528.
Foto of Krundalen in 1880-1890 by Axel lindahl. Tuftebreen on the right. Collection National Library of Norway photo 02528.
View from the lateral moraine of Tuftebreen to Bergset farm, August 2020.
View from the lateral moraine of Tuftebreen to Bergset farm, August 2020.
Tuftebreen in 1903. Fotograaf: John Bernhard Rekstad, collectie Universiteitsbibliotheek Bergen foto ubb-jr-128-001.Tuftebreen in 1959. Fotograaf: Olaf Liestol, NVE Beeldbank.

Tuftebreen in 1903 (links) and 1959. Photographer: John Bernhard Rekstad, collection University of Bergen Library (1903) and NVE Fotostrøm (1959).

Meltwater cave of Tuftebreen, August 2020.
Meltwater cave of Tuftebreen, August 2020.

Short Advance, Strong Decline

Just like its neighbors Bergsetbreen and Nigardsbreen, Tuftebreen started to advance again in the 1980’s, but nobody kept track of these changes. Still, the extent of Tuftebreen at the climax of its advance at the end of the 1990’s is evident from a sharp contrast between the vegetated (where the glacier was) and unvegetated valley floor. Since the turn of the century the glacier recedes by tens of meters a year. Currently the snout is quite flat has a nice meltwater tunnel, but upstream the valley has a steeper incline.

The light-colored part of the valley in front of Tuftebreen marks the glacier's extent in the 1990's.
The light-colored part of the valley in front of Tuftebreen marks the glacier's extent in the 1990's.
Tuftebreen met ijsval, augustus 2021.
Tuftebreen met ijsval, augustus 2021.

Hike through History

When hiking to Tuftebreen you encounter the different stages of the glacier. The parking lot is close to Bergset farm, which was very close to the glacier two centuries ago. Two hundred meters upstream the farmland changes into a forest littered with boulders, brought here by the glacier. This is where the trail goes up the old side moraine that was formed in the 18th and 19th century. It climbs 400 m and brings you to Tufteskardet, the hanging valley where Tuftebreen has been for the past century. Walking to the glacier snout you first pass bushes and other plants, but 500 m before the ice the ground suddenly is unvegetated. It delineates the glacier extent of around 1999.

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