Hiking in the Norwegian fjell [fyell] (mountains) can be a dangerous enterprise, especially when it’s late høst (autumn, fall), vinter and early vår [vor] (spring), and været (the weather) can’t make up its mind… All of a sudden, you can be trapped by a snøstorm (snowstorm, blizzard), or forced to climb on rocks that are treachorously slippery in the heavy rain…
With the intention of making hikers more aware of the dangers, and teach them how to avoid them, DNT (Den Norske Turistforening, the Norwegian Tourist Board) launched fjellvettreglene [FYELL-vet-reg-leh-neh] a few decades ago. The name rougly means ”rules of mountain intelligence”.
The nine rules are as follow:
- Legg ikke ut på langtur uten trening.
- Meld fra hvor du går.
- Vis respekt for været og værmeldingen.
- Vær rustet mot uvær og kulde selv på korte turer. Ta alltid med ryggsekk og det utstyret som fjellet krever.
- Lytt til erfarne fjellfolk.
- Bruk kart og kompass.
- Gå ikke alene.
- Vend i tide. Det er ingen skam å snu.
- Spar på kreftene og grav deg inn i snøen om nødvendig.
In English, that is:
- Don’t embark on a langtur (long trip, literally ’longtrip’) without training [beforehand].
- Report where you’re heading.
- Show respect for the weather and værmeldingen (the weather forecast, literally ’the weather message’).
- Be prepared for uvær (storm, bad weather, literally ’unweather’) and cold even on shorter trips. Always bring a ryggsekk (rucksack, literally ’back-bag’) and the equipment that the mountain requires.
- Listen to experienced fjellfolk (mountain people, hikers).
- Use a map and a compass.
- Don’t walk alone.
- Turn back in time. Turning back is no skam (shame).
- Save your energy and dig yourself into the snow if need be.
Notice the verb å snu [oh snoo], which is a really nice Norwegian word for ”to turn back”. Take care, and happy hiking! 🙂
