EXPOSED AREA: Lillian Larsen says that Sofiatinden and the surrounding mountains are becoming increasingly popular hiking areas, despite the fact that it is a risky area to travel in. Photo: Torbjørn O. Karlsen, Future in the North
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LYNGEN / OSLO (FRAMTID I NORD / VG) Lillian Larsen is Sofiatinden Mountain’s closest neighbor. Several human lives have been lost in the mountains behind her house in Lyngen.
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– You sometimes feel that you have death in the backyard. It is tragic that this is happening again.
That’s what Lillian Larsen says, who lives only kilometers from Sofiatinden in the Lyngsalpene – the mountain there two young men in their 20s from Tromsø died in an avalanche Saturday. The men were found one and a half meters down in the snow.
It is not more than two years since another Tromsø man lost his life in another landslide accident on the neighboring mountain Sultinden.
Larsen tells about hikers in the mountains every weekend, as long as the weather is good. This weekend it was probably both fresh snow and nice weather that lured more people out into the Lyngen Alps.
– On days like this, there are often lots of people. We saw a lot of people who went up, and fortunately we have also seen people who have come down, says Larsen.
On Sunday, Lyngen mayor Dan Håvard Johnsen (Sp) to NRK about incitement and speculation that has flourished on social media in the aftermath of the landslide. The comments are described as ugly characteristics.
– It is simply very ugly. People are out early and judge those involved in such accidents, without thinking that there are many relatives and involved, he says.
The whole “normal route” came loose
Leader of the Lyngen Red Cross Auxiliary Corps, Daniel Larsen, fears more could have been taken if the groups had been closer to each other.
– It has loosened from 1100 meters approximately, and is quite difficult. Those who were there from us have seen many landslides, but this they said was big, he says.
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Larsen is himself an experienced skier and is said to have been to Sofiatinden several times. According to him, it is a demanding mountain, which leads down into a valley and thus is a terrain trap.
Sofiatinden is 1222 meters high and is located 12 kilometers from Lyngseidet. The route up is 35 degrees at the steepest, according to the website Kugo.
The landslide must have stopped at around 700 meters.
– This is described as the most common route up, directly to the top, and is probably the road that is drawn down in books about summit trips in Troms. But the mountain has several different channels. I have been to many of them, says Larsen.
– Could have quickly been 40- 50 pieces
When asked how great the risk is of landslides on a so-called “normal route”, Larsen answers that such a route does not necessarily say anything about how safe it is.
– As long as it is steeper than 30 degrees, there is a risk of landslides. And there are relatively frequent landslides in the various gutters there, he says.
Still, he can not remember that there have been landslides at this particular place in the past, although the mountain is very popular with skiers.
– From what we have managed to collect, there were 12 people on a trip in the valley there, plus the two who died. Now there are only Norwegians out on trips, but normally there would have been a lot of foreigners as well, and then there could quickly have been 40-50 pieces in the area on a day like this.
– Maybe it’s just coincidence that there were no more there. Had it been closer between the groups, more could have been taken.
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