Hallingskarvet National Park
Encyclopedia
Hallingskarvet National Park is a national park
in the Norwegian
municipalities of Hol
(Buskerud
), Ulvik
(Hordaland
) and Aurland
(Sogn og Fjordane
), established by the government on 22 December 2006. More precisely, the park comprises the Hallingskarv plateau and the high mountain areas to the west of it, including Vargebreen and Såtedalen, plus Lengjedalen, Ynglesdalen and parts of Raggsteindalen.
The national park covers 450 km² of the Hallingskarvet
mountain range and hosts large stocks of wild reindeer
, an important factor in the establishment of the park.
The highest point in the national park is Folarskardnuten
, elevation 1,933 m.
The landscape of Hallingskarvet was shaped by multiple ice ages. The park shows the geological
history and the connection between this history and the variation in the species living there. It includes areas of special value and which are home to threatened or vulnerable species such as Draba cacuminum and Botrychium lanceolatum
(lance-leaf grapefern).
, species and populations of, amongst others, the wild reindeer. The protection is designed to safeguard a characteristic element needed to understand the geological
history of the Norwegian landscape. It is also designed to protect valuable elements of the cultural heritage
.
The park is open to the traditional forms of outdoor activities which require little or no technical means.
) and the last is the finite form of skarv (mountain or mountainous area without vegetation).
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
in the Norwegian
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...
municipalities of Hol
Hol
Hol is a municipality in Buskerud county, Norway.-Administrative history:The area of Hol was separated from the municipality of Ål in 1877 to become a separate municipality. In 1937 a part of neighboring Uvdal with 220 inhabitants was moved to Hol municipality. The area of Dagali was transferred...
(Buskerud
Buskerud
is a county in Norway, bordering Akershus, Oslo, Oppland, Sogn og Fjordane, Hordaland, Telemark, and Vestfold. The county administration is located in Drammen.-Geography:...
), Ulvik
Ulvik
Ulvik is a municipality in Hordaland county, Norway. The municipality stretches from the Hardangerfjord to 1,800 metres above sea level, and borders the municipalities of Granvin, Eidfjord, Ullensvang, Voss, Aurland, and Hol. It takes around two hours to drive from Bergen to Ulvik. The nearest...
(Hordaland
Hordaland
is a county in Norway, bordering Sogn og Fjordane, Buskerud, Telemark and Rogaland. Hordaland is the third largest county after Akershus and Oslo by population. The county administration is located in Bergen...
) and Aurland
Aurland
Aurland is a municipality in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway. It is located in the traditional district of Sogn. The administrative center is the village of Aurlandsvangen. Other villages include Bakka, Flåm, Undredal, and Gudvangen....
(Sogn og Fjordane
Sogn og Fjordane
is a county in Norway, bordering Møre og Romsdal, Oppland, Buskerud, and Hordaland. The county administration is in the town of Hermansverk in Leikanger municipality while the largest town is Førde....
), established by the government on 22 December 2006. More precisely, the park comprises the Hallingskarv plateau and the high mountain areas to the west of it, including Vargebreen and Såtedalen, plus Lengjedalen, Ynglesdalen and parts of Raggsteindalen.
The national park covers 450 km² of the Hallingskarvet
Hallingskarvet
Hallingskarvet is a mountain range in southern Norway stretching from Geilo to Finse. The highest point is Folarskardnuten , the highest point in Buskerud.In the north there is a large dammed lake called Strandavatnet...
mountain range and hosts large stocks of wild reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
, an important factor in the establishment of the park.
The highest point in the national park is Folarskardnuten
Folarskardnuten
Folarskardnuten is the highest point on Hallingskarvet, and is also the highest point in the county Buskerud of Norway.The mountain lies within Hallingskarvet National Park....
, elevation 1,933 m.
The landscape of Hallingskarvet was shaped by multiple ice ages. The park shows the geological
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
history and the connection between this history and the variation in the species living there. It includes areas of special value and which are home to threatened or vulnerable species such as Draba cacuminum and Botrychium lanceolatum
(lance-leaf grapefern).
Protection and use
The main objective of this national park is to preserve a large, unique and largely untouched area in order to protect the landscape and the biome with its ecosystemEcosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
, species and populations of, amongst others, the wild reindeer. The protection is designed to safeguard a characteristic element needed to understand the geological
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
history of the Norwegian landscape. It is also designed to protect valuable elements of the cultural heritage
Cultural heritage
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future generations...
.
The park is open to the traditional forms of outdoor activities which require little or no technical means.
The name
The first element is halling (inhabitant of HallingdalHallingdal
Hallingdal is a valley and traditional district in Buskerud county in Norway. It consists of the municipalities of Flå, Nes, Gol, Hemsedal, Ål and Hol.-History:Ancient routes went to Vestlandet through Valdres and Hallingdal and down Røldal to Odda...
) and the last is the finite form of skarv (mountain or mountainous area without vegetation).