Welcome to fjords.com, a local´s travel guide with great information for exploring and planning your journey to the fjord region in Western Norway. Here you can read about your responsibility and important Safety Information when exploring Norway and the Western Norwegian Fjords.
The nature in Norway is beautiful but also dangerous. Therefore, it is important that you read what is written below about your responsibility and how to explore the Norwegian nature in a safe way.
ABOUT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
Use the information you find on this website at your own risk and your own responsibility. Errors and omissions on this website may occur. Make your own judgments and adapt activities to your own skills, also by choosing the location, season and time with regard to weather and general conditions by choosing how and when you travel.
This website is not a guide or travel planner, and information on this website must not be used accordingly. Marked and described routes may be inaccurate and subject to change for various reasons, so it is important to check for updated information from official information sources.
The right to Roam (access to the countryside) in Norway gives you freedom, but also responsibility. Read more about the Right to Roam here…
Important general information about trips: The trips (hiking, biking, kayaking, skiing and other adventures) described on this website are trips that I myself have experienced, and the descriptions are accordingly. The trips that I have written about are not suitable for everyone, it is important to consider this if you plan to go on any of these trips. Important things that you must consider before you go on these trips are age, your own physical shape, experience and skills in what you are going to do, how locally known you are and how well you know the area you are going to explore, knowledge of and experience with the use of maps and compass, food and drink, clothes, shoes and equipment, the danger of floods, landslides, rock- and snow avalanches, season, ice- and snow conditions, temperature and weather. Always make your own evaluation. Adapt your own risk to your own skills and by choosing where, when and how you travel.
NOTE – It happens that the storms are so violent in the fjords and on the Western Coast that the waves strikes far above land. When the storm is at its worst and the large waves strikes land, you need to be careful and keep safe distance to the water! Remember that bare rock face are often very slippery. Remember that approximately every seventh wave is extra big and high! This can vary from place to place, some places the frequency is somewhat lower or higher. It is important to take precautions for this.
NOTE – It is recommended to use guide on the trips and adventures described on this website.
SEASONS
Many of the activities and attractions mentioned on this website are open only in summer and are closed in winter, or opposite. This also applies to many of the roads and accommodations mentioned. Season and opening time will vary. It depends on where it is and what activity, attraction, road and accommodation it is, it usually opens in the summer and closes in the autumn, depending on i.a. seasons, the amount of snow and the risk of avalanches in the area. Hikes mentioned in this website have different seasons. See links to the various hikes to read more about the hikes and season.
ABOUT MOBILE TELEPHONE COVERAGE
There are often only partial and poor mobile coverage, and in some places there are no mobile coverage at all, on many of the trips described on this website. See Coverage Maps for Telenor and Telia in Norway. Remember that the coverage maps are only approximate information.
Check which mobile operator your phone has, and then check the coverage map before you go on a trip. Also check with local people / guides as these often have in-depth knowledge of telephone coverage in the area you are going to visit.
It is recommended to bring an extra powerbank to charge your phone.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT ROADS IN WESTERN NORWAY
Many of the roads in Western Norway are prone to landslides and avalanches, especially in rainy and snowy weather. This may include rock falls, rockslides, landslides, debris flows, mud flows, erosion, snow avalanches and rock avalanches. Some of the roads are particularly well-known for their high level of mass movements exposed over them. There might also be a chance that some of the roads are closed in short periods, especially during winter, due to weather and danger of rock- and snow avalanches and other dangerous conditions. There are sometimes a lot of rain and snow in Western Norway, which can cause a great danger of landslides, avalanches and rockfalls. Roads may be closed due to this. Take the weather into account, both where and when you drive and when you are out in nature.
Winter tires are required in winter. Read more about Tyre Requirements in Norway…
Many of the roads in western Norway are closed during winter! These roads usually opens early summer and close in autumn, depending on the amount of snow and the risk of landslides and avalanche in the surrounding mountains. This also applies to many of the National Tourist Routes and the Road Trips described in this website.
There are restrictions on the length of vehicles on many of the National Tourist Roads and on other roads in Norway. This also applies to many of the roads and road trips described on this website.
BEFORE YOU GO HIKING – READ THE NORWEGIAN MOUNTAIN CODE
IMPORTANT! Many of the hikes described on this website are not suitable for children. The weather can change dramatically in the Norwegian mountains. This is why you should follow the Norwegian Mountain Code when hiking in Norway. It can change from summer and sunny weather to winter and frost in minutes, also in summer! Always bring good clothes and hiking shoes. And have enough food and water in your rucksack. Due to the often challenging and long hikes in rapidly changing weather, we recommend you to join a Guided Tour when hiking in Norway.
Note! Most of the hikes described on this website are intended for experienced hikers that know the area. It is recommended to use a map and compass on the hikes since many of the hikes go in areas where there are no trails or poorly visible trails. It also often happens that these mountain areas is shrouded in fog.
Season and weather: July to August for most of the hikes, depending on temperature and snow. Seasons mentioned on this website are approximately dates. It is recommended to avoid hiking if there are ice and snow in the terrain and on the trails. Hikes mentioned in this website have different seasons. See links to the various hikes to read more about the hikes and season. Some of the hikes mentioned on this website take place in landslide and avalanche-prone areas, always make your own evaluation of this danger before and during the hikes. Always check the weather before you go hiking. For safety reasons it is recommended to avoid hiking in Thunderstorms and in fog and bad weather!
There are sometimes a lot of rain and snow in Western Norway, which can cause a great danger of landslides, avalanches and rockfalls. Roads may be closed due to this. Take the weather into account, both where and when you drive and when you are out in nature.
SAFETY INFORMATION WHEN KAYAKING THE FJORDS AND LAKES IN NORWAY
It is highly recommended to use guide when kayaking the fjords and lakes in Norway. For safety reasons it is recommended to not paddle kayak alone! You should be an experienced kayaker and have taken the course that makes you certified to hold a “wet card” in addition to Basic Course Kayaking, Self Rescue Course and Comrade Rescue Course to participate in many of guided kayak-tours in the fjords and lakes in Norway. Most of the kayak guiding companies who provides guided kayak-tours requires that you are certified with all or only some of these courses before you can join their guided tours, some guided tours may be exempt from this. Kayaks are provided by the guiding companies, and there may be different course requirements for using double or single kayaks on the guided tours. Some of the kayak companies offer these courses. Check with the respective Kayak Guiding Companies for more information about what courses and what knowledge is required to join the different guided tours.
Season: Summer. Check with the guide companies when they offer guiding. Seasons mentioned on this website are approximately dates.
Always use Life jacket. It is recommended to use dry suit with warm clothes (preferrably wool) under your dry suit. The water in the fjords and lakes are cold, also during summer. We also recommend you to bring a Paddle-Float for self-rescue.
It is important to check the weather forecast and the wind before you go on a kayak trip. The fjords and lakes in Norway are often exposed to strong winds and currents, and the weather can change rapidly even if nice weather and no winds are reported. It is recommended to avoid kayaking in thunderstorms and when there is wind and waves and bad weather conditions!
Watch out for and keep good distance to boats, ferries and cruise ships when kayaking on the fjords. Also remember to frequently look behind you. Some of the fjords are heavily trafficed with boats and ships.
There are steep mountain sides and cliffs in many parts of the fjords and lakes, this can make it difficult to enter land if weather gets bad or if an accident happens. It is recommended to keep a safe distance to steep mountain sides and cliffs where there is a risk of rockfall, landslides and avalanches. The guide companies in the different fjords usually have local knowledge about where to keep distance to land with regard to rockfall etc.
It sometimes happens that there are Killer Whales and Whales in the fjords. Killer Whales and Whales are animals that must be met with respect. You should never paddle towards killer whales and whales, try to keep the longest possible distance from the animals if you encounter them.
SKI TOURING IN NORWAY – ALWAYS CHECK THE AVALANCHE FORECAST
Skiing in Norway and in the fjords often takes place in avalanche-dangerous terrain. In general, it is recommended to avoid terrain steeper than 30 degrees and keep a distance to runout zones for avalanches.
We recommend that you use sertified guide services when ski-touring in Norway.
It is recommended to use an avalanche beacon and to have a avalanche probe and an avalanche shovel in your rucksack when you are on a ski trip and are skiing in terrain that can be exposed for avalanches. It is important to learn and to be able to use an avalanche beacon and avalanche equipment so you are well prepared if someone in your ski group are caught by an avalanche.
IMPORTANT! Always check the Avalanche Forecast in the area you plan to ski before you ski in Norway. At Varsom.no you will also find Avalanche Danger Scale and great information about avalanches and what to consider before you go skiing in the mountains.
IMPORTANT! The snow can be blown to a large Snow Cornice (Snøskavl) in different directions on mountain peaks, mountain edges and in the mountains in general. Never ski/walk close towards an edge where you don´t know if you have the mountain or just a snow cornice under your feet. Snow cornices might break at an angle of 45 degrees inwards, which means that you must keep a good distance to snow cornices.
WARNING – GLACIERS ARE DANGEROUS
DO NOT WALK ON A GLACIER WITHOUT GUIDE! It is also very important that one never hikes in front of a glacier! It is encouraged that one admires the beauty of a glacier from a safe distance.
Nigardsbreen Glacier: The last years there have been some fatal accidents by the foot of the Nigardsbreen glacier. A glacier is like a river in “slow motion”, glaciers are always moving. This causes the gacier to calv now and then, and sometimes the Glacial River will accumulate under the glacier and come out as a “tsunami”.
Due to the danger, some of the glaciers, like Nigardsbreen Glacier, are barriered off in a good distance from the tongue of the glacier. Crossing the barriers is at great risk, so NEVER CROSS THE BARRIERS!
Read more about safety on and near glaciers…
MARKING OF ROUTES AND TRAILS ON MAPS AND PICTURES
Markings of trails and routes and markings in general on maps and on pictures on fjords.com and isfjorden.com are not accurate.