Norwegians craving a traditional cross-country ski trek in the mountains ended up blocking a key road, frustrating police and infuriating a local mayor. The skiers parked illegally along both sides of the road over Valdresflye earlier this week, making it impossible for other vehicles to pass.
With little snow to ski on elsewhere this year, they’d driven up to the high mountain plateau in Valdres. There are few parking lots along the way, so many simply pulled up on either side of the two-lane county highway FV51, without thinking that there’d be too little space for other vehicles to squeeze through.
Local mayor Bjarne Budal called it a “total lack of consideration” for others when the skiers’ troublesome parking also made it difficult if not impossible for ambulances or other emergency vehicles to pass through. Police, meanwhile, had to use a helicopter to assess the traffic chaos because they couldn’t drive through the area, either. That also made it difficult for them to issue fines.
State meteorologists and the Red Cross, meanwhile, were warning of severe avalanche danger in many areas including Northern Norway. The Red Cross reported 18 rescue jobs within just the first few days of the country’s long Easter week holiday, which runs through Monday April 21st this year.
This year’s late Easter holiday, combined with the warmer temperatures linked to climate change, spoiled the spring skiing season for lots of mountain hotels and cabin rentals. Some ski centers including Trysil and Hemsedal tried to save business by producing artificial snow, while Norefjell was promoting the possibility of skiing in the morning and golfing in the afternoon.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
