Rondane-Nationalpark

The Rondane National Park (Norwegian Rondane nasjonalpark ) is the oldest national park in Norway. There are ten mountain peaks that are higher than 2,000 m in it. The highest peaks of the national park is the Rondslottet with 2,178 m. The national park is an important habitat for herds of wild reindeer. It is located near the town of Otta, was established on 21 December 1962, extended in 2003 by 383 sq km on an area of 963 km ².

Geography

Rondane lies to the east of Gudbrandsdalen in the municipalities Dovre, Sel, Nord-Fron, Sør -Fron, Oppland and Ringebu in Fylke and Folldal and Stor - Elvdal in Fylke Hedmark. Nearby are two more national parks, the Jotunheimen National Park and the Dovre Sunndalsfjella National Park.

Rondane is a typical high mountains with vast plateaus and 10 peaks over 2,000 m. In the central and northern part, there are the highest mountains. The highest peaks form of Rondslottet ( Rondaner lock) with 2,178 m, 2,138 m and the Storronden with the Høgronden with 2,118 m height. The lowest point is below the tree line, the height of Northern Europe here lies 1,000 to 1,100 meters high, which is due to the mild climate, but also very dry (500 mm rainfall per year). In the south of the park are flatter plateaus.

The landscape is clearly divided by mountains and valleys. The deepest valley separates the great Storronden - Rondslottet group from the Smiubelgen ( blacksmith). Between the steep slopes of this valley lies the narrow lake Rondvatnet, which is also the center of the park. From it all over 2,000 m high summit can be reached in less than a day's walk.

Fall in Rondane not enough precipitation to form permanent glacier as in the Jotunheimen National Park can. In some sheltered valley slopes but find solid snowfields. Widely used to find dead ice holes as remnants of the Ice Age glaciers. Continue to shape peculiar small hills of the countryside. This Esker were formed in the melting glaciers by the moraine.

Geology

The bedrock in Rondane originated before 500 to 600 million years ago as a deposit on a flat seabed. Today's fossil -free metamorphic rock formed by Gebirgsauffaltungen.

The current landscape was mostly shaped by the last ice age, before nine to ten thousand years. This produces large amounts of ice were formed and it is believed that ice melting and ice accumulation alternated cyclically. The ice melted at the end very quickly how deeply excavated river valleys testify. Rondane includes some small canyons (the best known are Jutulhogget and Vesle - Ula ), which were incised by meltwater.

Fauna and Flora

Rondane is one of the few places in Scandinavia, where wild reindeer (not the domesticated Rene of seeds) occur. The Norwegian Nature Inspectorate sees Rondane as " particularly important habitat of the indigenous reindeer ". It is estimated that approximately 2,000 to 4,000 reindeer live in Rondane and Dovre in the nearby nature park. To protect the Renpopulation in its core area, hiking trails were added in the 1990s. 2003, the park was enlarged to protect the reindeer even better.

Other large game, including deer and elk, usually occur in the marginal zones of the park. Occasionally, musk oxen are seen living as a herd in the nearby Dovre National Park. Wolverines and a small population of brown bears live in the park, wolves are rare.

Apart from the bog birch trees in the lower elevations in the dry and nutrient-poor soils and the rocks are covered by heather, robust grasses and lichens. The highest mountains are almost entirely barren; over 1,500 m grow almost only the robust lichen on the bare stones. One of the most well-adapted flowering plants is the glacier buttercup that grows up to 1,700 meters altitude.

The reindeer is dependent (especially the reindeer moss ) relies heavily on lichens. The lichens thus serve as food for the reindeer, which then fertilizes the soil. This may also be less undemanding plants thrive, in turn, deliver food for mice and lemmings.

History

Prehistory

Only after the end of the glaciation of the last Ice Age, the park could be re- colonized by plants and animals. Larger climate change allowed the reindeer to spread far beyond Scandinavia. But only a few hundred years later they were displaced again and could only in much smaller areas, including Rondane, survive. Archaeologists have found that the forest grew rapidly even at great heights after reforestation: in 1030 m height grew 8,500 years ago birches.

On the high plains apparently lived nomadic hunter-gatherers from Ren. The major use for Renfang traps can at Gravhø and be seen at Bløyvangen and are also common in the park. This stone traps form openings or large fenced areas, could be enticed or led in the reindeer by deception.

In connection with these large traps there are also small arched stone walls, which are believed that they served as a hiding place for waiting for prey to archers. Various dating methods suggest that the oldest traps could be about 3,500 years old. Most finds, including houses remains, on the other hand are from the years 500 to 700 AD It can be safely assumed that the major traps and stone walls were used by the sixth century to the depopulation by the Black Death in the 14th century.

Establishment of the National Parks

After a nearly ten -year planning phase in 1962 Rondane was reported as the first Norwegian National Park, first as a nature reserve on December 21. The main reasons for the establishment of " the protection of the natural environment with its native plant and animal life and cultural heritage as well as the security of the environment as a recreational space for future generations " are mentioned.

Legal efforts to protect the nature in Norway, started in 1954 with the adoption of the Nature Conservation Act. 1955 were held in the municipalities to Rondane and established a Commission, whose president was Norman Heitkøtter sessions. The establishment of the then 580 km ² of the Rondane National Park was made possible by a Royal Decree.

After this first National Park was followed by many more, which are maintained by the Directorate for Nature all.

Extension

As a special measure for the protection of wild reindeer in 2003, the park was greatly expanded by 383 km ² to 963 km ², mainly to the northwest, to a lesser extent to the east and south. In addition, areas were lower protection ( landscape protection and nature conservation areas ) named in connection with the park. Through the newly established Dovre National Park between Rondane and Dovre Sunndalsfjella National Park is now before a large, almost continuous strip of protected mountain areas. Only a narrow strip of a road and towns around separates the Dovre National Park of Rondane.

Tourism

Visitors to the Rondane National Park is permitted in almost all areas, free to wander and camp, except in the immediate vicinity of the mountain huts. Besides the principle motorized traffic, there is little additional restrictions. Also fishing and hunting are possible with license.

The Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT) owns and operates a network of mountain huts as a service to hikers. In Rondane, there is the central hut Rondvassbu at the southern end of the lake Rondvatnet. The mountain huts Grimsdalshytta, Dørålseter and Bjørnhollia lie on the northern or eastern edge of the park. These four cottages are managed and offer food and lodging for hikers. There are also unstaffed cabin as Eldåbu for which a key is required.

DNT also features hiking trails in the park with red Ts, which are simply painted on stones. These labeled paths connect the lodges with one another and lead to a few peaks near Rondvassbu. Some of the trails have now been relocated to disrupt less the wild Rene.

The cottages are open in the winter, however, offer out of season only self-service. Ski trails are marked by either DNT or of some hotels in ski resorts near the park and sometimes prepared.

Rondane in the literature

The landscape of Rondane has many Norwegian inspired writers. Probably the most well known is Henrik Ibsen's 1867 written poem Peer Gynt, the partial ( Act 2, Scene 4:. Ronde in the mountains) plays in Rondane. With this work Ibsen wrote one of the best dramas of the 19th century and made Rondane become a symbol of natural beauty in Norway.

The writer and collector of Norwegian folk tales of the middle 19th century, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, collected many stories about Rondane. Among them was the legend of Peer Gynt, which served as inspiration for Ibsen's drama. A third writer Aasmund Olavsson Vinje also made his famous ser eg atter slike No Fjell og Dalar play in Rondane.