Trolltunga Norway

The number of hikers in Norwegian mountains is increasing rapidly. For the first time, wear and tear on mountain paths and areas and rubbish caused by human activity are reaching a concerning point. ASCENT addresses these issues with project’s focus perfectly aligning with the challenges faced today.

Hiking, walking, rambling and enjoying vast areas of untouched nature has been a way of life for Norwegians for as long as there have been people living here. Only 2% of Norway’s area is developed, leaving a large playground for 5.3 million inhabitants. Tourism in Norway started when wealthy visitors arrived to see and experience nature while in more recent times, the number of tourists looking for a more active holiday has increased manifold.

Nowhere is this more evident than at Trolltunga, the stunning mountain formation on the border at Hardangervidda National Park in Hordaland County, western Norway. In 2009 only 1000 hikers made the 22 km round trek to the viewpoint. In 2010 the iconic Trolltunga was used in tourism material to promote the Hardanger region. With the arrival of social media, people arrived from all corners of the world to have their photo taken standing on the tip of the tongue. By 2017 the number of visitors reached almost 100,000 and the number of rescue missions launched by the local Red Cross volunteer group had reached 40 over a few short summer months. While interest in the area was very welcome, the rapid growth presented a number of new challenges.

The path began to suffer from bad erosion in places as hikers were leaving a great deal of rubbish behind and with no toilet available in the area and a 10-hour hike for many. The local council diverted both human resources and considerable funds towards alleviating the situation. The many rescue operations were a strain on local volunteers while other challenges including parking issues and a lack of local hotel beds, led to wild camping in unsuitable locations. However, the influx of visitors provided a tremendous boost for local businesses including hotels, shops, local transportation companies and activity providers, creating new jobs and improving the town’s profile.

As access to natural landscapes is such an integral part of Norwegian society, mountains and uplands have become popular arenas for recreation, fitness and enjoyment, while at the same time, being mindful of the necessity to manage these landscapes in a better way in order to preserve their qualities for future generations. ASCENT is the perfect springboard for this work.

ASCENT project’s aims are an excellent match to address the issues at Trolltunga. Getting to know the project partners, discussing challenges common to all, but in different settings, provides valuable insights not to be found elsewhere.