Gaustatoppen
Encyclopedia
Gaustatoppen is the highest mountain in the county Telemark
in Norway
. The view from the summit is impressive, as one can see an area of approximately 60,000 km², one sixth of Norways mainland. There is an elevator system inside the mountain, built for military purposes, that lately has become accessible to the public. This ascends from the base of the mountain almost to the summit. The mountain is popular for downhill skiing in winter, and competitions have been held on its slopes. These competitions include the "Norseman triathlon
", 'Norseman Xtreme Triathlon, billed as "the world's most brutal iron-distance triathlon. It starts in Eidfjord and finishes at the top of Gaustatoppen." The summit is relatively easily accessible on foot in the summer, on a rocky pathway, although the southern side of the mountain is very dangerous and inaccessible. The wreckage of an airplane crash lies there, as it is too difficult to remove it.
'. The name Gausta is probably a shortened form for *Gaustafjell (Gausta mountain), because Gausta originally was the name of a farm beneath the mountain. (For the same development se Dovre
.) The Old Norse
form of the name was maybe *Gautstöð, the name is then a compound of gaut f 'flooded place', and stöð f 'stead, landing place for boat'. (The farm lies at Rjukan
river.)
Telemark
is a county in Norway, bordering Vestfold, Buskerud, Hordaland, Rogaland and Aust-Agder. The county administration is in Skien. Until 1919 the county was known as Bratsberg amt.-Location:...
in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The view from the summit is impressive, as one can see an area of approximately 60,000 km², one sixth of Norways mainland. There is an elevator system inside the mountain, built for military purposes, that lately has become accessible to the public. This ascends from the base of the mountain almost to the summit. The mountain is popular for downhill skiing in winter, and competitions have been held on its slopes. These competitions include the "Norseman triathlon
Norseman triathlon
The Norseman xtreme triathlon is a non-Ironman branded triathlon, point to point, race held in Norway annually. The distances are equivalent to those of an Ironman race with the swim starting from the loading bay of a car ferry, through the water of the Hardangerfjord fjord to the local town,...
", 'Norseman Xtreme Triathlon, billed as "the world's most brutal iron-distance triathlon. It starts in Eidfjord and finishes at the top of Gaustatoppen." The summit is relatively easily accessible on foot in the summer, on a rocky pathway, although the southern side of the mountain is very dangerous and inaccessible. The wreckage of an airplane crash lies there, as it is too difficult to remove it.
The name
The first element is Gausta, the name of the whole mountain, the last element is the finite form of topp m 'top, summitSummit
Summit may refer to:*Summit , the highest point of a mountain, hill, road, or railway.-Locations:United States* Summit, Arizona* Summit, Arkansas* Summit, California** Summit, Butte County, California** Summit, Kern County, California...
'. The name Gausta is probably a shortened form for *Gaustafjell (Gausta mountain), because Gausta originally was the name of a farm beneath the mountain. (For the same development se Dovre
Dovre
Dovre is a municipality in Oppland county, Norway. It is part of the traditional region of Dovre. The administrative centre of the municipality is the village of Dovre....
.) The Old Norse
Old Norse
Old Norse is a North Germanic language that was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and inhabitants of their overseas settlements during the Viking Age, until about 1300....
form of the name was maybe *Gautstöð, the name is then a compound of gaut f 'flooded place', and stöð f 'stead, landing place for boat'. (The farm lies at Rjukan
Rjukan
Rjukan is a town and the administrative center of Tinn municipality in Telemark . It is situated in Vestfjorddalen, between Møsvatn and Tinnsjå, and got its name after Rjukanfossen west of the town. The Tinn municipality council granted township status for Rjukan in 1996. The town has 3 386...
river.)