2 Jotunheimen National Park. Roseroot

Transcription

1 Jotuheime

2 2 Jotuheime Natioal Park Roseroot

3 Jotuheime Natioal Park 3 The view from Galdhøpigge The Giats o Norway s roof It was the Norwegia poet, Aasmud Olavsso Vije, who gave these moutais their ame, the Jøtuheime, i 1862, ispired by the wild ladscape ad Norse mythology. The Giats or Trolls (Jotae) have their home here. Jøtuheime later became Jotuheime, the ame still used today for this area, which has the highest moutais i orther Europe. The Jotuheime has may glaciers, U-shaped valleys excavated by them ad deposits which they leave whe they advace ad retreat i pace with chages i climate. The atioal park also has a high diversity of plat ad aimal life, icludig large predators ad birds of prey.

4 4 Jotuheime Natioal Park Skiig Straumdale i the Hurrugae moutais EXPERIENCE NATURE Outdoor recreatio Ever sice the 19th cetury, the Jotuheime has bee oe of most popular areas i the coutry for hikig ad moutai climbig. Some 300 km of footpaths i Jotuheime ad the adjacet valley of Utladale are ow marked with paited T s that offer walkers a variety of safe hikes over various distaces. I witer, a umber of ski tracks are marked with stakes. May peaks are also desirable goals, but you eed climbig gear to reach the very summit of quite a few of them. O the outskirts ad iside the atioal park there are a umber of ustaffed huts ad staffed lodges where hikers ad skiers ca sped the ight. Eve though people flock to the area at some times of the year, it is still possible to experiece the freedom, mysticism, peace ad solitude of the area. The secod half of the summer is the peak seaso for hikers.

5 Jotuheime Natioal Park 5 The first hut at Leirvassbu Cair markig the path The Hurrugae moutais, furthest west i the atioal park, with both easy ad more demadig routes, are a Mekka for climbers. Scalig Store Skagastølstid is hardgoig, log ad difficult, ad calls for both ropes ad other equipmet. Remember that crevasses may make walkig o glaciers hazardous, ad ropes ad other safety equipmet must always be used. It is also ecessary to kow how to move aroud safely o a glacier. Guides ca be hired, ad several compaies ad the Norwegia Trekkig Associatio offer orgaised hikes i the atioal park, leisurely skiig ad walkig trips ad more demadig glacier treks ad moutai ascets. More iformatio o these ca be obtaied from the Associatio lodges ad local tourist iformatio offices. Several lakes ad rivers i Jotuheime, especially the larger lakes, offer good trout fishig, ad there is also fish farmig i some of them. Hutig ad fishig liceses must be purchased if you wish to hut or fish i the atioal park.

6 6 Jotuheime Natioal Park LANDSCAPE High peaks ad large lakes Jotuheime, astride the boudary betwee the couties of Opplad ad Sog & Fjordae, is a largely pristie area of majestic moutais ad glaciers. The hard, resiliet bedrock formed uder high pressure deep i the Earth s crust ad has later bee exhumed by tectoic movemets ad weatherig. Jotuheime icludes the highest moutais i Norway. Galdhøpigge reaches 2469 m a.s.l., while Glittertid s ice-covered summit is oly a few metres lower. The wildest ad sharpest peaks i Jotuheime are i the Hurrugae rage, where Store Skagastølstid (2403 m a.s.l.), the third highest summit i Norway, reigs supreme. The largest glacier is Smørstabbree, coverig some 15 km 2. Geologists ad climatologists are amog those who study the movemets of the glaciers with great iterest. The atioal park has several large lakes, the largest beig Gjede. I late summer, great volumes of glacial water replete with rock flour pour ito Gjede, colour ig the water emerald gree. Close by, ad 200 m higher, is the deep-blue Bessvat, ad betwee these two lakes a marked path takes hikers alog the arrow Bessegge ridge, oe of the most famous attractios i the Norwegia moutais. It was here, or perhaps alog the Kutshø ridge o the other side of Gjede, that Peer Gyt udertook his treacherous ride dow the Gjedi ridge o the back of a reideer stag.

7 Jotuheime Natioal Park 7 Øvre Leiruge The view from Gjertvasstid

8 Norsk Fjellmuse Bø ve rd ale Elvesæter Nørdstedalsseter ale ird Jotuheime fjellstue Le Gal 246 Bøvertu Loftet Sv Bukkehø Fort u dal e Krossbu Stølsdale St. Smørstabbtid Sogefjellshytta Buk tid Leirvassbu T 2208 Sogefjellet Storebjør Smørstabb bree Turtagrø bree r Gj Sto ert vas Styggedalssda Skogadalsosi le bree GjertvassSkogadalsbøe Skagadølstid 2147 tidae Skogadale Maradals2403 Hurrugae M bree idt Vormeli ma Uradale 2204 Stølsmaradalsrad bree ale Utladale Austabottid Fleskedale av Rauddalsvatet jø lsb ree ale e bre al lad Ra da os a ad ar e Ut lke Ur sm øl St dale Grav 2074 Olavsbu Mjølkedalstid Mjølke vatet Stølsostid Igjerdbu Avdal Rauddalstidae 2157 M 2032 e dal Gr ale ad utl Skjolde Utladale aturhus Kyr FaaråkFaaråki Falketid Eids 2067 Vettisfosse Hjelle Hjelledale Koldedalsbree Tyi r Protected Ladscape Breikvam Øvre Årdal Tyi Årdalstage Borlaug Fagere 0 km 10 km

9 Lom eum, 15 Km Raudbergstule Radsverk r Smådale Trollhø Storhauge 2201 od Ve 2465 ldhøpigge 69 Spiterstule Glitterheim Ryggehø vellosbree 2142 St. Memurutid La g Me rud Memurubu ale da or St a std Ve Leirugse sdal tid ug Leir Valdresflya Kalvehøgda le Galdeberg Maurvage Tjørholstid Kutsholstid da holme le art Sv sbugarde Kutshøe Gjedebu Sjogholstid Bessheim -vatet ss Be Gjedesheim Gjede Memurutuga le ale edalst es Besshø 2258 mu et audd NATIONAL PARK vat Radsverk Ru Surtigssui Memurubree 2234 et at ssv Blåbree JOTUNHEIMEN Visbretid 2 Veotidae rkja Nautgards tid Leirhø Veobree Nautgardsbrea Styggehø kkeholsdae Tverbytthoret ale Grjotbree Glittertid Juvasshytta Torfistidae Bygdi Torfisbu Bygdi Yksedalsbu Fageres

10 10 Jotuheime Natioal Park Sprig pasqueflower Glacier buttercup PLANT LIFE Altitude record for Norwegia plats May alpie plats grow at higher altitudes i Jotuheime tha aywhere else i Norway. The glacier buttercup holds the record amog flowerig plats, beig foud as high as about 2370 m o Glittertid, oly 100 m below the summit. Purple saxifrage ad roseroot reach about 2300 m. At Gjede, the limit of the birch woodlad is 1200 m above sea level. May parts of atioal park have calcareous bedrock, which is a importat reaso why the plat life i the Jotuheime is so rich. Several demadig plats that deped o calcareous soils grow here, icludig moutai aves ad sprig pasque-flower. Some alpie species are oly foud i certai moutaious areas scattered aroud the orther part of the Atlatic Ocea; they iclude alpie rock-cress, hairy stoecrop ad alpie catchfly. This has log puzzled botaists. Such species may have survived the last Ice Age o isolated, ice-free areas o the coast or peaks that stood up above the ice cap. Most of the Jotuheime Natioal Park is situated above the tree lie. Lush uplad birch woodlad thrives aroud Gjede, ad the tree lie reaches as high as 1200 m i the easter part of the atioal park.

11 Jotuheime Natioal Park 11 Golde eagle Rough-legged buzzard ANIMAL LIFE The birdlife here does ot differ much from what is usual i the Norwegia moutais. About 75 species have bee recorded estig withi the park. Importat biotopes for golde eagles, gyrfalcos ad rough-legged buzzards are foud here. Ptarmigas may be abudat i some years. Sow butigs ad wheatears are amog the most commo ad typical passeries for high moutai areas such as this Four members of the deer family, elk, red deer, reideer ad roe deer, are foud i Jotuheime. With the oly wild populatio of reideer i Europe, Norway has a particular resposibility to safeguard their habitat. Both pie martes ad red foxes are residet i the atioal park, ad wolveries ad lyx pass through occa sioally.

12 12 Jotuheime Natioal Park HISTORY Former ad ew use of the moutais Huters ad fisherme have roamed Jotuheime for thousads of years. Remais of habitatio sites datig from 3000 BC are foud ear Gjede ad Russvat. Pitfalls ad trappig systems remid us of a time whe hutig wild reideer ad elk was a importat livelihood. Such remais are foud i several places, icludig the valley of Veodale ad the wester part of Jotuheime. Pitfalls cotiued to be used for hutig util they were baed i the 19th cetury. Today, wild reideer live i the west, ad semi-domesticated reideer i other parts of the atioal park. The diversity of aciet sites i Jotuheime also icludes cairs markig aciet trackways ad remais of huts used by live falcos trappers. Trashumace summer dairy farms were oce foud i a umber of places. Oe of these was Gjedebu, where the Norwegia Trekkig Associatio built a lodge as early as Such dairy farmig cotiued at Memurubu util about 1990, but grazig livestock ca still be see i Jotuheime today. Pitfall Vetti Farm i Utladale

13 Jotuheime Natioal Park 13 Utladale Protected Ladscape The Utladale Protected Ladscape was desigated i 1980, at the same time as Jotuheime Natioal Park. It borders the park ad embraces a large part of wester Jotuheime. The ladscape is domiated by the mai valley of Utladale with its arrow, V-shaped gorge ad may U-shaped hagig valleys that eter the mai valley high o its slopes. The River Utla has its source i the glaciers of the Jotuheime. Alog its valley, the Utla is fed by waterfalls pourig from hagig valleys o both its wester ad easter slopes. The highest moutais i the protected areas, Stølsostid ad Falketid, reach early 2100 m. Vettisfosse cascades 275 metres vertically dow ito Utladale from Vettismorki. The lower part of Utladale has broad-leaved deciduous woodlad with may wych elms ad hazels. The valley has a rich cultural ladscape associated with farmig ad trashumace dairy farmig which wet o here util the 1960s ad 1970s. The virgi-like pie forest at Vettismorki is particularly valuable. Sice the distace betwee the moutaitops ad the fertile valleys is short, the aimal ad plat life is very varied. All the four members of the deer family, wild reideer, elk, red deer ad roe deer, ca be see i the Utladale area. The birdlife is rich, ragig from demadig sog birds such as the icterie warbler, bluethroats, several species of woodpecker, willow grouse ad ptarmiga, i additio to birds of prey such as the golde eagle ad rough-legged buzzard. The protected ladscape has several lodges ad huts that serve walkers, both staffed ad ustaffed, ad these are liked by a etwork of marked paths. The public road to Vetti is the easiest access route ito the protected area. The footpath that cotiues beyod Vetti up to the foot of Vettisfosse is the most popular walk i the area, ad some people do it each year.

14 14 Jotuheime Natioal Park You are a guest of ature i a atioal park You may go wherever you like, o foot or ski, but the basic rule is that aythig with a egie is prohibited. You ca stop wherever you like ad pitch a tet. Always tidy up after yourself ad do t leave litter. You ca light a fire, but remember the geeral ba o lightig fires i forests from 15 April to 15 September. Be cosiderate whe collectig firewood. You ca pick berries, mushrooms ad commo plats for your ow use. Be cosiderate of cultural relics, vegetatio ad faua. Be extra careful durig the breedig ad estig seaso. Make use of the hutig ad fishig opportuities. Remember a hutig/fishig licece. Never use live fish as bait, or trasfer live fish from oe watercourse to aother. You ca take your dog with you, but remember to keep it o a lead from 1 April to 20 August. Huts for hillwalkers i Stølsmaradale

15 Jotuheime Natioal Park 15 The Jotuheime Natioal park i brief Where: Lom, Vågå ad Vag i the couty of Opplad, ad Luster ad Årdal muicipalities i the couty of Sog & Fjordae. Foremost attractios: Majestic moutais ad glaciers. The highest moutais i Norway. Several large lakes. Rich plat life. Outdoor recreatio: Popular area for hikig. Climbig gear is eeded to reach some summits. Several marked tracks for hikers ad skiers. Hutig ad fishig. Several staffed lodges ad ustaffed huts for hikers ad skiers. How to reach the Jotuheime Natioal Park: Rv 55 over Sogefjellet, several car parks ad brach roads leadig towards the atioal park. Rv 53 betwee Årdal ad Tyi. Rv 252 from Tyi to Eidsbugarde. Rv 51 over Valdresflya, several car atioal parks ad brach roads leadig towards the park. Park your car at Bygdisheim ad take the boat over Lake Bygdi to Eidsbugarde, or at Gjedesheim ad take the boat over Lake Gjede to Memurubu or Gjedebu. Iformatio o overight accommodatio ad other services: See the map. Each muicipality has a local tourist iformatio office. Two large, iformative websites are: ad Maps: Jotuheime (1: ) Aust- ad Vest-Jotuheime (1:50 000) Desigated: i 1980 Area: 1151 km 2 Adjacet protected area: Utladale Protected Ladscape Area Natioal Park Ceter: Norwegia Moutai Museum, N-2686 Lom, phoe , Utladale Naturhus (ru by the Norwegia Moutai Museum, ope i summer, exhibitio), N-6884 Øvre Årdal, phoe Maagemet ad supervisio: Couty Goveror of Opplad, States hus, N-2626 Lillehammer, phoe Couty Goveror of Sog & Fjordae, N-6863 Leikager, phoe Norwegia Nature Ispectorate, N-2686 Lom, phoe Norwegia Nature Ispectorate, N-2975 Vag, phoe More iformatio:

16 Norway s atioal parks ature as it was meat to be Norway s atioal parks are regulated by the laws of ature. Nature decides both how ad whe to do thigs. Natioal parks are established i order to protect large atural areas from the coast to the moutais. This is doe for the beefit of ature itself, for our sake ad for geeratios to come. The atioal parks offer a wide rage of opportuities ad experieces. The atural surroudigs are beautiful ad varied. There is hutig, fishig, plats, birds, aimals ad cultural moumets. Accept our ivitatio become acquaited with ature ad our atioal parks. TE1238 Guri Jermstad AS. Grøset Photo: Tom Dybwad, Harald Klæbo, Fylkesmae i Opplad, Lars Løfaldli, Per Jordhøy, Espe Bratlie / Samfoto, Tom Schady / NN / Samfoto, Svei Grøvold / NN / Samfoto Frot page: Hillwalkers o Bessegge