An avalanche occurred at Trollfjordvatnet in Hadsel municipality in Vesterålen on Wednesday, involving a group of 13 people. According to police, one person was lightly injured. Two of them were trapped in the avalanche for 15 minutes, according to reports.
The exact location and details of what happened during the avalanche incident remain unclear. The situation is still not fully clarified, according to Emil Engebrigtsen, daily manager of SeilNoreg. This was an organized tour by SeilNoreg, which arranges summit tours for Norwegian and foreign ski enthusiasts and sails from mountain to mountain.
Daily manager Emil Engebrigtsen says that this week they have three boats on tour in the area, and two of these were involved in the avalanche. It involved two groups totaling ten guests, two ski guides, and one of our crew members, according to Engebrigtsen. We take today's incident seriously, and we are very relieved that it went as well as it did, Engebrigtsen stated.
The ski guides are certified and have a lot of experience with avalanche assessments for travel and skiing in general, Engebrigtsen added. They have many years of experience from exactly these areas. However, what professional assessments were made before taking the group into the specific terrain is unknown.
There was significant avalanche danger in the area when the avalanche occurred, specifically danger level three. According to the avalanche warning, it can be very easy to trigger avalanches, and they recommend people avoid all avalanche terrain. Whether the recommendation to avoid terrain steeper than 30 degrees was followed, and how the route choice was quality-assured in advance of the tour, has not been disclosed.
The group is now gathered in Svolvær and talking with supervisors and the police. One of the guests is at the emergency room with an injured ankle, and two are receiving some extra follow-up, Engebrigtsen reported. The most important thing now is to be together and calm down, talk it out.
We are following up with the guests and taking it step by step, he said. The current condition and identities of all individuals involved, beyond the reported injuries, are not fully known. Daily manager of Vesterålen Turlag, Trond Løkke, says that the area has become a popular tour destination, especially for organized tours.
Trollfjorden is one of the most exciting areas we have for alpine ski tourism, but it is demanding. It is a very exposed high-alpine area, Løkke noted. You need a boat to get there, and according to Løkke, they have counted between 100 and 120 people who go in the peaks there.
Visiting the peaks around there I would guess is the highlight of the entire stay, he added. Løkke himself experienced being caught in an avalanche in exactly the same area six years ago. He says it is possible to find safe places to ski there, but perhaps not when there is significant avalanche danger.
Right now the danger warning is orange and there has been a lot of precipitation, so it might not be the best place to choose tours now, Løkke advised. Police, volunteers, and rescue helicopter were alerted to the incident. A message about an avalanche at Trollfjordvatnet in Hadsel municipality was issued.
There is a contradiction regarding whether people were caught in the avalanche. NRK Nordland reports that a group of 13 people was caught in an avalanche, while NRK Nyheter states that a group of 13 people was involved, with unknown if anyone was caught. Whether any regulatory or safety investigations will be initiated following the incident has not been announced.
The group continues to receive support as authorities and tour operators assess the aftermath.