Application and participant selection

If you wish to participate in the workshop, please apply HERE by 8 April 2024, 11:59pm (in whatever time zone you are in). In case you consider working on an own project, please also fill this additional project proposal form before the deadline. Accepted participants will be informed per email latest early May 2024. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at mlglaciology.workshop@gmail.com.

Who can participate?

Anyone interested in using machine learning techniques in glaciology. Some experience in programming (ideally in Python) is required. Since the focus is on “hands-on” project work we also require some basic knowledge in machine learning prior to the workshop.

Costs

Costs for registration, housing (6 nights), all meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks/coffee) will be approximately 9.000 Norwegian Krones (~800€/850 US$). Participants must book their own travel (including train tickets to and from Finse). We may have 1 or 2 partial travel grants available pending external support (We will know in June).

Computing environment

The workshop infrastructure for applications using GPUs (i.e. remote sensing) will be provided by CloudFerro and applicants will have access to the EO data archive on CREODIAS. For CPU-based applications (i.e. modelling) a JupyterHub will be available from OGGM hub with all data and dependencies already pre-installed.

Location

The workshop will be held at the Finse Alpine Research Center run by Oslo and Bergen University. The station is located near the >70 km2 Hardangerjøkulen Ice Cap with one of the outlet glaciers 1-2 km away and well visible from the Research Station. Finse is a tiny mountain village with only a few houses located at the Oslo - Bergen railroad at 1,222 meters (4,009 ft) above sea level, about 250 m above the treeline. There is no road to Finse. Facilities are very limited, e.g., there is no grocery store, pharmacy or bank. Temperatures in Finse in September are around 0-15 degree Celcius, snow fall is possible.

Transportation

Finse is only accessible by train, from either Oslo central station (Oslo S) (ca. 4.5 hrs; ca. 6 trains per day between ca. 6:00 and 23:00; ca. 600 NOK one way) or Bergen (ca. 2.5 hrs). Tickets to and from Finse can be bought at vy.no. The earlier you book the cheaper the tickets and tickets are sold out quickly. From Finse train station it is a 30 minute walk (ca. 2.1 km) along a small dirt road/hiking path to the research station.

Airport Gardermoen to Oslo

From the airport you need to take a train to the central train station (Oslo S) where the train to Finse departs. Turn to the right when getting out of customs and walk about 50 m where you can buy the train ticket to Oslo at a counter or ticket machine. There are two independent companies selling tickets side by side:

  • Flytoget (flight train), fastest, ca. 20 minutes, 220 NOK
  • “Normal” train by vy.no, ca. 30 minutes, ~115 NOK. This train may actually get you faster to Oslo depending when you get there since it goes more often. Trains R10, R11 and L12 go to Oslo.

You can also buy the tickets online (vy.no or flytoget). From the ticket counter/machines it is a 2 minute walk to the platform (down the escalator).

Airport Flesland to Bergen

Line 1 of the city light rail (“bybanen” in Norwegian) links the airport with central Bergen and the train station. Tickets cost 39 NOK and takes about 40 minutes. Tickets can be bought on the skyss app or on the machines at the station. There is also an airport bus which costs 149 NOK one way and takes about 25 minutes.

Arrival / departure dates

The workshop starts at Finse on Friday, 6 September 2024 at 6PM and ends on Thursday, 12 September 12 at 2pm. All participants are required to attend the entire course, i.e. it is not possible to come later or leave earlier.

Accommodation / meals

All participants will be housed at the Finse Research Station (run by the Universities of Oslo and Bergen) which has a number of 2-4 bed rooms which participants will share. We will be the only group at the station at that time. A cook at the station will provide all meals for the workshop (dietary restrictions can be accommodated). The first meal during the workshop will be dinner on Friday at 7pm. The last meal will be a lunchbox (Norwegian “matpakke”) on Thursday. Please bring you own food and beverages for your travel journeys and stay if wished as there is no grocery store in Finse. The station has a small lecture hall and internet (4G eduroam and University of Oslo guest login).

Packing list

Please bring:

  • Laptop for project work (the wifi connection goes through eduroam)
  • If needed, travel adapter for power outlet
  • Name tag (e.g. from a previous conference)
  • Indoor shoes/slippers (there are no shoes allowed inside and the floor is quite cold)
  • Head lamp/ flashlight (there are no streetlights)
  • Best to use a backpack for all your belongings. You need to walk approx. 1.5 km from the train station to the Research Station over a dirt road. Roller suitcases do not work
  • Sauna accessories
  • Sun glasses
  • Sun cream
  • Warm clothes, hat, gloves, scarf etc
  • Hiking or running shoes.
  • Make sure you have appropriate health insurance
  • Any personal medication
  • Special foods and beverages (no grocery store in Finse).

Contact

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at mlglaciology.workshop@gmail.com.

COVID

Continued covid outbreaks at conferences and workshops have shown how disruptive it can be, with many people being sick and stuck abroad. Given the remote location of Finse combined with that we will be living close together, - depending on the situation then - we may require participants to adhere to certain COVID mitigation measures (regardless of official government rules). These may include wearing masks and/or testing before and during the workshop.