Weather can be unpredictable, distances misjudged and accidents can happen. So, while the majority plays, a group of dedicated people watch and wait. In an antenna studded cabin in the Gol mountains, eleven experienced Red Cross Volunteers comprise the nucleus of an information, search and rescue organization that has become a national institution. From a nation-wide volunteer pool of 12.500 search and rescue members, about 4,500 will be on duty to cover all the major skiing areas from April 7 to 16. There's a 'Search and Rescue' team in practically every community in Norway.
Membership is completely voluntary and members receive no payment whatsoever.
In the weeks before Easter, the Red Cross, through the media, bombards us with information about safety in the mountains. Easter comes every year and every year skiers either underestimate the weather or overestimate their own prowess. During a 'normal' Easter, safety teams are in action between 30 and 40 times. Deaths in snow avalanches, while not commonplace, are significant, and they underline the seriousness and necessity for the Red Cross initiative. For almost 70 years, the Red Cross teams have been part of the national safety force.