Buer Hiking: All You Need to Know About Trekking Around Odda

Odda is a popular destination among those thrill-seekers who head to hike Trolltunga. But there is another worthy activity that often tends to be overlooked: hiking in the area of Buer. This is the activity that the kids would definitely love, and here we are going to talk about trekking in this national park and the things you should know about it!

 

 

 

 

What Is Buer and Why to Hike It?

Buer is an area in the Odda community, which is a part of a larger Folgefonna Nasjonpark. Actually, the reason why Buer is so appealing to the tourists is the glacier, which is also known as Buerbreen. The glacier is located on the top of a mountain and is split into two parts: each part on either upper side of the mountain.

Buerbreen is a part of a larger Folgefonna glacier, which, in turn, consists of three glaciers: northern, central, and southern Folgefonna. The southern Folgefonna is a glacier of a 167-kilometer long area, which makes it one of the largest glaciers in Norway.

As soon as you leave from Odda camping (read lower) and reach the entrance to the Folgefonna National Park, you will immediately notice a glacier, glancing from the mount’s top. If you need parking, it is located near the actual entrance to the park.

The area of Buer has been growing in popularity among tourists. A while ago, the tourists were able even to hike the glacier. Nowadays, however, the glacier is closed to the visitors – the carefully placed signposts signify that. Yet, that doesn’t stop many tourists from coming to Buer every year.

Basically, the Buer area is ideal for hiking – especially if you treat it as a family activity. After all, you will be able to take scenic photos of the glacier at the end of the trail. But in order to reach it, you will have to pass several unsteady timber bridges. The route is equipped with ropes, making this activity a real fun for families – the kids, indeed, love it a lot.

But overall, you should use this opportunity to enjoy Norwegian nature. This is the place of serenity and calmness, where you can stay secluded if you get off the trail a bit. While this area is not as popular as Trolltunga yet, you should definitely try embarking on a hike in the Buer area.

 

 

 

How to Reach Buer?

The area of Buer is located a few kilometers away from Odda. You can start your way from the town center and head in the direction of Odda camping. Then, just head further – numerous signposts will help you make your way.

And while you can rent a car (there is parking at Buer), you will find no difficulty in reaching this area on foot. We had, indeed, heavy backpacks, but it took us not more than a few hours to reach Buer from the center of Odda. If you are light-packed, you are likely to need no more than an hour – unless you will frequently stop to shoot photos of the authentic Norwegian nature (which is highly likely).

Buer Hiking Tips

When we had an opportunity to hike Buer, we were incredibly lucky. That was an extremely hot season in Norway, and we barely had any problems regarding the weather. It was sunny and warm. But obviously, this does not happen always, and some tourists might have a stroke of bad luck. In this part of the article, we will provide you with hands-on recommendations, which will help you to ensure that you won’t run into trouble if the weather gets worse.

Make sure that you got a raincoat. The weather may always turn nasty, even if it’s sunny right now. And if you don’t want to take a lot of clothes with you, a raincoat is a must. It doesn’t weigh a lot and doesn’t take up a lot of space, but it will definitely help you to avoid problems if the rain starts. Also, we recommend you to have extra clothes in the car (in case you drove there).

 

 

 

 

Get a bottle of water and some snacks. This is something obvious. As soon as you run out of water, you will be able to fill the bottle from the sources – there are plenty of them in the Buer area. And snacks will help you to kill your hunger – the trek will take at least a couple of hours. But it may take even more time, considering that you may be enchanted by the nature of this place.

Start early. The weather always tends to get worse in the afternoon. But even if it doesn’t, you shouldn’t risk returning in the dark – that’s in case the hike is taking too long. And even the light for the photos is best in the morning – there’s no reason why you should set out on the trek late.

If you are going to hike from Odda, get extras. If your starting point is Odda and you have to reach Buer on foot, then you shouldn’t expect to hike light packed. At least, that would be unwise. We recommend you to have some extra clothing – a fleece pullover, for instance. Some extra snacks would come in handy, too.

 

 

 

 

Make sure that you have good trekking boots. When it comes to hiking, your shoes are among the most important things to consider. Obviously, this area is mountainous, and good trekking boots will help you to deal with the relief far easier and better. That’s to say nothing that it may help you avoid unnecessary injuries.

 

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