– I’ve been a lot in the mountains, but I have never experienced such a big change in the weather in such a short time that we had yesterday, said Jon Øvrehus, who was a tour guide for the party that would take care of Besseggen.
Among the 16 people, there were six people with cerebral palsy. At 19.30 on Wednesday night they had to call for help.
Then they were at Bessvatnet Lake, on the eastern side of Besseggen. The water is about 1400 meters above sea level.
It was then disclosed that it was bad weather in the area, with winds of 12 m / s, little rainfall and a temperature of six degrees.
Two helicopters had to turn
First, should a Super Puma helicopter from Rygge attempt to get the rescue, but it had to turn back because of cloud cover. So they tried to send air ambulance from Dombås to help them, but it could not land.
– Our problem was that the wind came from the south. We landed there night and day, with much and little wind many times. Yesterday it came from like the direction that we would not have gained buoyancy where we could land. The wind would shut down there, explains Arne Utby, pilot and base manager at Norwegian Air Ambulance at Dombås.
Thursday morning tried Super Puma helicopter again and got picked up all 16 down from the mountain.
the plan to entourage was getting over Besseggen today, Thursday, after three days on the trip.
– the participants of the trip is tired now. It is part emotions that need out. They are happy to have come down, but sorry that they did not come over the ridge. It was a terrible weather. Had it gone according to plan, they had been on edge now, says Øvrehus.
– Not far from extreme
He says that they had to stay overnight at Besseggen. One tent was taken by the wind, while the other was torn in stronger winds.
– With the wind we had, it’s nothing holding. When I was going to sleep tonight, overturned wind me from side to side, he said.
– One should be careful not to call it extreme, but this was not far away.
slept under the open sky
Wednesday night they had to sleep under the open sky, where it was the remains of tents on the ground, with mattress upstairs. They lay in sleeping bags, with wind bags around them.
He says that it has not had any complaining.
– They have been wet and tired but had a top recommendation. It has been a fantastic effort all the way, he said.
When Aftenposten chatted with him at 12 o’clock Thursday was party on Gjendesheim, where the tour started and the place where the Super Puma helicopter loaded them off.
– We had a little debriefing. Everyone agrees that what was done was correct and that we took measures we should. For my part, I got use to it I have tried to teach to others for years. This is the first time I’ve gotten use to a lot of what I’ve taught in practice, says Øvrehus.
Do not endangering life
Both Øvrehus and Simon Torgersen, CEO of DNT Drammen and region, which was the organizer of the trip, stressing that there was never a danger to life and health.
– My feedback from tour guides is that they felt well cared for. It is a fresh bunch, says Simon Torgersen, CEO of DNT Drammen and region, which was the organizer of the trip.
Torgersen says that the initiative for the trip came from the participants themselves, and everyone left with one or more companions. In addition, two experienced tour guides on the trip.
– Also bodied saved
He argues that the impression the police have provided over the weary participants were, is wrong.
– Was it prudent to send them on tour?
– We have completed similar trips for years. Admittedly, this is the toughest tour that is completed, but we considered that it was manageable. Such bailouts are also conducted for able-bodied, he said.
– In light of the challenges you did, is there anything you think should have been done differently?
– we intend to evaluate in retrospect, after the operation is completed terminated. Then we’ll have a debriefing with evaluation. This is too early to answer, says Torgersen.
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