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On the fjord ice with the right safety equipment
3 January 2026 · 3 min · 125 views · Gjerdrum, Norway
Red pole on frozen fjord at sunset
What this video covers
Ice skates on fjord ice carry a real risk of falling through, and the video walks through a layered safety system built around that scenario. Ice picks — worn around the neck for instant access — rank as the top priority; they let a skater self-rescue from a crack in the ice.0:14 A single ice spike is carried as a secondary tool, though the speaker notes fjord ice is dense enough that breaking through with it takes many strikes.0:55 A rescue line stored in a backpack serves as the third layer, primarily for pulling others out; when skating alone, the ice picks matter more than the line.1:33 The backpack itself is waterproof and airtight, so it doubles as a makeshift life jacket when floating, with a cord rigged under the torso to keep it in position.2:11 Dry clothes packed inside add hypothermia protection after a fall-through.2:01 A whistle is flagged as essential for solo skaters.2:21 A helmet is mentioned but ranked lower than the other items for genuinely unsafe ice.1:52 The speaker draws on a previous season when thin ice gave way, confirming the self-rescue technique works.1:18
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