A year-long conflict has peaked in the past year. At Mysusæter, close to the west side of Rondane National Park, the local trail team has not succeeded in reaching an agreement with the landowners. As a result, one of the most attractive ski areas in Norway could lose a full 100 kilometers of ski slopes. Denying access to cross-country skiing machines The conflict is rooted in the fact that no agreement has been reached with the landowners on permission for the preparation of cross-country skiing tracks. Some of them own the areas near the garage where the trail machines are parked. – This way they can prevent the preparation of large parts of the trail network by denying access to the trail machines, says chairman of Mysusæter and Raphamn Løypelag, Tor Jostein Furu. Today, several of the ski runs run on top of what in the summer are motorable roads. Some of the landowners believe that this increases maintenance costs for the roads. That is why they want more ski slopes outside the motorways. Here are some of the reasons for the conflict: The cross-country skiing team has for all years prepared ski tracks on track-regulated, unplowed winter roads, in addition to out in terrain off the motorway. They believe it will lead to a longer ski season: Ski slopes on motorways need less snow than in the terrain. They are ready earlier in the autumn, and will last longer into the spring. The landowners want more ski slopes to go outside the motorways, preferably parallel. They believe it will reduce maintenance costs on the roads. They point out that in the spring there is a hard sole of snow and ice due to the ski slopes. This is both expensive and time-consuming to grind up. In addition, there are several cases of assertion against assertion. For example, the landowners believe that in one case the cross-country skiing season actually lasted longer out in the terrain than on the road. And the trail team, for its part, has received feedback from local road teams who believe there will be no more damage to the road after milling the trail sole in the spring. There is also disagreement about the total length of the disputed part of the ski track network. The landowners believe it is 63 km, while the drivers engaged by the track team believe it is approx. 100 km. Alternative trail association started up But the conflict does not end there. It has led to the start of a new trail association, as an alternative to the established Mysusæter and Raphamn Løypelag. In 2020, Foreningen Skiløyper på Mysusæter was formed, and aims to “develop alternative ski slopes to today’s ski slopes.” The association organized work in the autumn of 2022 where they cleared vegetation on bare ground to prepare for an alternative ski track off the motorway. According to the association, there were many skiers who thought that this route was “more pleasant to walk than the previous track along the road.” Several concerned cabin owners in the area have written to the municipality that the conflict is weakening the municipality’s reputation. A cabin owner writes that a lack of ski slopes will lead to a lower value of the cabins. Another demands that the municipality must intervene more actively. Photo: Ingrid Turtum / news No comment from landowners Two of the most prominent landowners in the area, Frank Turmo and Bjørn Ove Bergum, will not comment on the realities of the case. For several years, the two have fronted the landowner side outwardly, both in the media and in various meetings about the matter, but have refused the offer from news to explain the background for their position. Here is the landowners’ response in the ski slope conflict “Since we are not familiar with who your source is or what angle you have on the matter, we think it is right to be brief. The reason for this is that we have recently experienced that there has been good dialogue and progress in the issue of cross-country skiing and do not believe that the matter will be useful to be discussed in the media at the present time. We are now awaiting an extraordinary annual meeting, and the outcome of that meeting will be decisive in getting started with cross-country skiing for the good of everyone who visits Mysusæter.” Chairman Tor Jostein Furu in the track team also states that they perceive that there is a good dialogue now. He says that the track team is very concerned that there is now calm in the matter until the annual meeting. He says that lately there has been a “concrete and positive development” in the matter. Demanding the chairman’s resignation on 6 January is the D-day for the inflamed conflict. Then there is an extraordinary annual meeting of the track team. For this meeting, the landowners have, among other things, demanded that chairman Tor Jostein Furu resign. – If this can help resolve the conflict, I am prepared to resign, says Furu. He also says that they will comply with the landowners’ wish to have a representative on the trail team’s board. There will also be a representative from Sel municipality on the board. If an agreement is reached at this meeting, the ski track network is saved this season. Tor Jostein Furu in Mysusæter and Raphamn Løypelag is ready to retire. Photo: Private – Weakened preparedness in the high mountains Head of the Otta Red Cross, Svein Arild Bjøkne, says that the conflict may also have consequences for preparedness in the area. – If the ski slopes are not run up, we will not branch the slopes either, as we have been accustomed to do. – This has consequences for the safety of our crews out on rescue missions. He says that this also affects the safety of ordinary skiers. Those who want to go for a walk in the area will enter the area on mountain skis, without piste and without piste sticks. – At the same time, I want to emphasize that we are neutral in this conflict and have not taken a position on who is right. Svein Arild Bjøkne in Otta Red Cross fears for preparedness as a result of the conflict. Photo: Private – City against country argument Leader of Mysusæter Vel, Nicolay Eger, says he is also neutral. – Mysusæter is a fantastic destination and the conflict has become so great because so many people have hearts that burn for the place, he says. Eger also says that various posts on Facebook have taken off, and have been an instigator in igniting the conflict. – Here there is commitment and emotion, combined with tradition, interspersed with a bit of city versus country argumentation. The leader of Mysusæter Vel, Nicolay Eger, is in the middle of the conflict. Photo: Private DNT afraid of escalation Manager of property in Oslo DNT (The Norwegian Tourist Association), Jan Erik Reiten, says that the dispute has so far had no consequences for the tourist cabin Rondvassbu. – But we fear an escalation that could lead to us not being allowed to drive into Rondvassbu. Here we are dependent on permission from two landowners, both summer and winter. Jan Erik Reiten in Oslo DNT hopes for a solution. Photo: Even Lusæter / news
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Prolonged conflict stops 100 kilometers of ski slopes in Rondane – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
