Speilsalen

We read about Speilsalen ("the mirror hall") in Adresseavisen, the local newspaper. It is in Trollheimen, where we have already done a number of trips, including our big Easter ski tour, because it is close to Trondheim. We learned that it was some kind of an ice cave, that it was accessible in some summers but not others, and that it had opened up this summer. So we moved it immediately to the top of our trip list, and in early September we hiked in to a lakeside campsite to give it a try. We didn't quite know what to expect. Rick thought that it would be in one of the big permanent snowfields near the top of Blåhø, Trollheimen's highest mountain, but it turned out to be in a small, remnant ice mass between two lakes lower on the mountain.

We also learned that there were two ice caves, one at either side of the snowfield, the second (upper) one called Blåsalen (the blue hall).

The entrance was curtained with dripping water...

...and the interior was a strange cold netherworld, with a floor of water and rock and a ceiling and walls of melt-sculpted blue ice. The two rooms turned out to be joined, really one big tunnel, apparently started by a stream flowing under the ice and slowly melting out to become larger and, most likely, shorter as the ice mass slowly melts away.

It seemed wise not to linger under the fragile fin of ice that hung over the exit...

We had hopes of making it up Blåhø, but the weather deteriorated and it looked to be a rough hike over frost shattered rock. Probably much easier and more fun on snow. We'll be back!

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