You should never go out into the Norwegian wilderness without listening to the advice of the locals.
Every year, tourists delve into Norway's beautiful nature, treating it like a harmless theme park. Norway is completely safe if you take the necessary precautions, but if you don't, it can be deadly.
This is Nigardsbreen, an arm of the Jostedal Glacier, the largest glacier in continental Europe. It looks innocent enough.
Due to the calving, it can be dangerous to get too close to the glacier. A warning sign has been posted informing tourists of the dangers of getting too close.
A group of tourists ignored the sign and crossed the line marked by chains to get a closer look at the glacier and take photographs. Unfortunately, a block of ice broke off and struck three people, killing one.
This kind of thing happens every year. Tourists get into trouble by underestimating the dangers. In most places, we don't have signs like this, because Norwegians generally know how to stay safe in nature. We don't have fences to protect people from avalanches, blizzards, or falls from great heights. You're out there on your own responsibility.
Do you know Bear Grylls? The man behind Man vs. Wild? This guy:
Here he is crossing a river in Norway. In the season six episode "Norway: Edge of Survival," he tried to survive a Norwegian storm. It's the only time in six seasons he's given up. He knew if he kept going, he'd die. He literally cried during the filming of that episode.
Bear Grylls knew his limits and knew he shouldn't push them further. If you visit Norway, know your limits and respect nature.