qupkene / Norway / The mountain code
Norway
The mountain code
Nine rules that read as obvious and are broken constantly.
Fjellvettreglene, usually translated as the mountain code, is a short list maintained by the Norwegian Trekking Association and the Red Cross. It exists because the same small set of decisions turns up again and again in incident reports. It is worth reading once properly rather than glancing at on a hut wall.
The nine
- Plan your trip and tell someone where you are going.
- Match the trip to your ability and to the conditions on the day.
- Pay attention to the weather forecast and, in winter, the avalanche forecast.
- Be prepared for bad weather and cold, even on a short walk.
- Carry the equipment needed to help yourself and other people.
- Choose safe routes. Recognise avalanche terrain and unsafe ice.
- Use a map and compass. Always know where you are.
- Turn round in time. There is no shame in it.
- Conserve your energy, and take shelter if you need to.
The two that actually get broken
Rule one and rule eight. Telling someone where you are going costs nothing and is the single largest factor in how quickly a search starts. It is not replaced by carrying a satellite messenger, because a messenger requires you to be conscious and able to use it.
Turning round is harder, because by the time it is the right decision you have usually invested a long drive, an early start and a lot of ascent. Deciding a turnaround time before you leave, and treating it as a fact rather than an opinion, is how people who do this a lot manage it.
What "prepared for bad weather" means on a short walk
A shell, an insulating layer, hat and gloves, a head torch, food beyond what you plan to eat, and a way to navigate that does not depend on a phone battery. That is a small amount of weight and it is the difference between an unpleasant afternoon and a rescue callout. Read the forecast for the height you will be at, not for the car park.
Nothing here replaces training
This site describes summer walking on marked routes. Winter travel, glacier travel and avalanche terrain need instruction and equipment that no web page substitutes for.