It's a beautiful country but ..

I think evryone would agree that Norway is one of the most beautiful and scenic countries in the world, however, in order to experience that beauty it appears that many take risks, which are not always necessary. Tourists in particular, especially those coming from less vertically challenged countries such as Holland or even the UK, do not understand how dangerous it can become out in the mountains, especially when it has been raining. There are few man-made paths and the narrow animal tracks or rock strewn paths soon become slippery. Put that together with a steep mountainside, or very rough terrain and you can get problems.

I love this picture taken at the 182 metre high Vørringsfossen, a waterfall near Voss, 2 hours drive north east of Bergen. The man is actually walking along the edge of the rock face to go and take a picture of the water fall. The person who took it could not believe his eyes and sent it to the local newspaper, Bergens Tidende (published 2nd July 2012). When asked, the local Tourist Office said that no-one wants to have the responsibility of putting up signs or fences and railings to stop people from wandering into an unsafe area, as then it makes you liable if something goes wrong. The thought was that common sense should prevail, and if you have an accident it is your fault! Problem is though - who pays the expenses for the helicopter that has to fly out and pluck you to safety off a mountain ledge?

So far in the past few weeks 3 tourists have lost their lives experiencing Norway's beautiful scenery. One was an experienced paraglider, who crashed into a mountain wall, one was a canoeist, who has disappeared whilst white water rafting,and the third was a cyclist, who fell off her bike, over the edge of the road and down into a river. I am sure there will be more tragic stories in the newspapers before the tourist season is over.

Norwegians probably understand their country, and the way the weather can change extremely quickly, better than anyone. To them it is natural to either not take the risk, or to have the right equipment with them. Even Norwegians can get caught out with tragic consequences. It would appear, for instance, that those who go out in boats rarely wear life jackets - hence the high number of Norwegians who drown each year. Of course, it does not help that the water is 13 degrees celcius or less even in July, so at those temperatures no-one would survive for very long anyway, regardless of whether or not you were wearing a life jacket! Falling overboard is clearly the wrong thing to do in an icy fjord! Even more so when there is no-one else around for miles. It is a large country with a small population. It's a different kind of streetwise here!