– We can’t stop them from going up. But there are many people who change their minds after I have spoken to them. Anna Hågøy Bostad stands in the pouring rain in Skjeggedal in Hardanger. Behind her tower mountains with waterfalls and smooth rocks. Trolltunga is a ten to twelve hour long walk further inland. So far this year, 32,000 people have made the trip up to the iconic mountain section. It is a record number, but still far fewer have received help down from the mountain now than in the past. In 2016, rescue crews had to help tourists in 42 actions. So far this year, there have been 12. Only during the corona pandemic was the number lower. The reason is, among other things, Bostad and his colleagues, the Red Cross and Trolltunga AS believe. It was wet and cold at the start of the trip up Trolltunga on Monday. Nevertheless, most of them had dressed according to the weather. Photo: Tale Hauso / news Tourists come in “Crocs” Bostad has a summer job as a guard. She stops pedestrians who have dressed too badly for the long trip to Trolltunga. – I explain that it is a very long trip and ask if they have more clothes with them. So I recommend they put on something warmer. Day-to-day manager of Trolltunga AS, Åse Marie Evjen, says they were forced to introduce guards, to prevent tourists from embarking on the arduous mountain tour without proper clothing. Åse Marie Evjen at Trolltunga AS says the vast majority of people who make the trip up Trolltunga have dressed well and are prepared for the long trip. Photo: Tale Hauso / news – Someone comes in “Crocs” in May, with three meters of snow. Others come in denim trousers and slick trainers in rainy weather. In the tourist shop, pedestrians can hire equipment, such as raincoats and hiking boots. Evjen emphasizes that the vast majority of people dress very well, but that around one percent of the visitors did not read up beforehand, or dressed according to the conditions. – And one percent of 100,000 becomes 1,000. There are a lot of badly dressed people, says the leader. In Skjeggedal you can hire clothes from Trolltunga Active. Photo: Tale Hauso / news Several retrieval operations in the west But even if you see that the retrieval mission is going down at one of Norway’s most popular tourist destinations, the Red Cross Aid Corps has more to do. – In the last two years, we have seen a marked increase in retrieval missions, says Einar Irjan Ananiassen in Hordaland Red Cross. In 2019, the Red Cross had 427 collection missions nationally. Last year there were over 200 so many. So far this year, there have been 415, with over five months left in the year. – More progress in the mountains means that we have to go out more often to rescue people who are not sufficiently prepared, says Ananiassen. Last Sunday evening, four American tourists were rescued from the mountain in two different rescue operations in Voss herad. Slettemark in Voss Red Cross says they first looked darkly at finding the two missing Americans at Lønahorgi in Voss. Fortunately, they were found and rescued from the mountain 1410 m above sea level. Photo: Voss Red Cross Relief Corps – They had too little clothing and equipment when the storm came, says Rune Granli Slettemark of the Voss Red Cross Relief Corps, who took part in the action at Lønahorgi in Voss. But he says they did everything right in seeking help. – Dare to give notice is important. He has a good tip if you are going on a trip. Bring a power bank for extra battery for the phone. – We were able to find Lønahorgi more quickly due to the tracking of the phone. It can save lives, says Slettemark. “Fantastic!” – even in pouring rain In Skjeggedal in Hardanger, many people turn around or change their clothes after a chat with Anna Hågøy Bostad and her colleagues. – But someone continued upwards. As they usually do, they turn around after a while and come down again, she says. American Bruce Barger and Shelly Blancq completed the long trip in pouring rain on Monday. Bruce and Shelly had traveled all the way from New York to, among other things, go on the iconic trip up to Trolltunga. Photo: Tale Hauso / news – It was fantastic. It was worth the rain and the pain, says Bruce. They felt well prepared for the trip. Nevertheless, they believe that many people do not get enough information about how tough he actually is. – I saw people with “flip flops” up there. If you don’t look for the information yourself, it may not be that simple, says Bruce.
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Has led to fewer rescue missions – news Vestland
