On fine winter days, it has for many years been almost impossible to find a parking space at Vulusjøen in Levanger. Thousands of skiers have allowed themselves to be tempted by miles of fine pistes into the Frol mountain. Everything from happy amateurs to committed ski clubs have come from the entire northern part of Trøndelag, making Vulusjøen one of the county’s most popular resort areas. But now it’s over. Those who drive up the trails are no longer able to finance the loan and the operation of the trail machine. They cannot find a solution to get money from the skiers. The reactions have been strong among the many who now want to go skiing. – It is completely silly that no tracks are run up. We have both trail machines and people who want to go on the trails and pay for them. But we haven’t got a system in place for them to be able to pay, says a frustrated Ole A. Hustad. He is chairman of the board of Vulusjøen Løypekjøring AS, which is responsible for the trail running. Increased toll fees on the private road can finance the cross-country skiing. But there is disagreement both about whether it is legal and whether it is fair for those who are not going to ski. Photo: Vegard Woll / news Proposes increased tolls The owners of the company that operates the trail machine simply cannot agree on how to get money. They also disagree about what they are allowed to do. At bottom lies the question of whether ski slopes are something people have to and are willing to pay for. Several people think you can add the toll tax people have to pay to drive the private road up to Vulusjøen. Others believe this is not the law and that it is unfair that those who are not going to ski have to finance ski slopes they do not use. They are also not allowed to collect parking fees, according to the Norwegian Environment Agency’s rules on public access. Do you want to pay for groomed ski slopes in the mountains? The situation is completely deadlocked and the track machine worth almost NOK 3 million will remain in the garage. – We have received some money that volunteers have paid at Vipps. But it is by no means enough to cover the annual expenses of approximately NOK 900,000. It is the interest and the repayment of the machine that cost the most, says Hustad. We don’t run up a single ski slope until we have the funding in place, says Ole A. Hustad Photo: Vegard Woll / news So far, the slope skiing has been financed with a mixture of voluntary gifts and sponsorship agreements, but the slope team has not been able to get any long-term agreements. Therefore, they have found themselves forced to park the machine. That way, they still have enough money to finance the loan for another year, but without new agreements it will be impossible to continue. – We have worked to get a solution in place, but it has not come. It is tragic, but we see no other way out right now, says board member Alf Magnar Reberg. – Are you considering selling the machine? – The owners have to decide that, but it is clear that if we do not get any funding in place, I will not overlook the fact that the board recommends it. But that is the ultimate consequence and something we absolutely try to avoid, says Reberg. A challenge in several places in Norway This is also a problem that involves Norwegian Outdoor Activities, as an umbrella organization for both the Ski Association, the Tourist Association and a number of other outdoor organisations. According to Secretary General Bente Lier, this is a problem in several places in the country. – The free principle is central to the common law and payment for ski slopes, for example, must possibly be voluntary, emphasizes Lier. She also points out that there is increased pressure to be able to charge for various services, and that the authorities are now working on a section in the Outdoor Activities Act that mentions exactly this. – Today it can be interpreted in different ways. This is shown, among other things, by the Nordkapp judgment, says Lier, who recommends Levanger to try to get a joint venture. She says there are several models for financing. In some places it is the municipality itself that pays, in other places it is ski associations that use part of the membership fee for skiing. Elsewhere, it is precisely track teams such as in Levanger who receive money through sponsors and volunteering. – Tolls and parking fees cannot be used to finance ski slopes, says Lier. She explains that the law states that tolls must be used on the road and parking fees for parking. But she says that a voluntary extra fee in the toll ring could be a possibility. The snow is already here, so they have to find a solution to this quickly, says cabin owner Roger Aspås. Photo: Vegard Woll / news – Tragisk Only a few meters away from the popular ski slope is the cabin of Roger Aspås. Inside the wooden arch, he shows off a pair of skis that are in no way suitable for walking in deep snow. – This is tragic. Fantastic tracks have been run in recent years, so it’s a terrible shame if it doesn’t continue. This engages many people and I hear people talking about it a lot both at lunch and elsewhere at work, says Aspås. He thinks there will be few people to look inside the Frol mountain this winter if it is not resolved. Vulusjøen Løypekjøring Photo: Vegard Woll / news The company was established in 2019 with responsibility for running up ski slopes in the Frol mountain in Levanger. The company has a pedal machine worth NOK 2.8 million and four people share the driving. Since its inception, the company has been running at a loss and struggled to finance the machine and the operation. They have received money through Vipps and some through sponsors, but it is not enough. Now they are stopping all driving until a long-term agreement on financing is in place. The company needs approximately NOK 900,000 a year to run cross-country skiing. Most of the money goes to interest and repayment of the treadmill. Frolfjellet is a very popular skiing area and on fine winter days there can be up to 2,000 people using the slopes. Vulusjøen Løypekjøring AS has five owners: Frol sports association (40 per cent) Frol bygdealmenning (25 per cent) Levanger municipality (20 per cent) Munkebyvola cabin area (10 per cent) Vulusjølaget (5 per cent.) At the town hall sits mayor Anita Ravlo Sand, who also wants to have ski slopes on Vulusjøen. But with a very difficult municipal economy, this is not something that Levanger municipality can finance. – It is not the municipality’s responsibility to run ski slopes. But we have worked for a long time to find a solution. We have now called in the board of the road company and the trail company the sports team for new meetings, says Sand. The snow is already on the mountain, so the mayor believes that there is a rush. But the collection of money for cross-country skiing must be based on voluntariness, she emphasizes. The municipality cannot impose payment for cross-country skiing, and that is where the case stands today. This is how the skiers will see the piste machine this winter. But it’s still parked in the garage and will stay there all winter if they can’t find a solution for financing. Photo: Vegard Woll / news
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Popular departure area will be without ski slopes in Levanger. Can’t afford to drive the track machine – news Trøndelag
