Båtskaret means "the boat pass" in Norwegian. This narrow mountain pass between Beitostølen and Lake Vinstre got its name in medieval times, when people from Øystre Slidre would drag their fishing boats through here to reach Vinstre. The lake was known for its fine trout, but there was a problem: a long-running feud with people from Gudbrandsdalen on the other side.
If you left your boat behind in the mountains, it would be destroyed. So every time you wanted to fish, you had to drag your boat up and over this pass, and back again afterwards.
The origins of this feud make for a good story. A young woman was being married off to an old man she didn't love. She managed to send word to her true beloved, who came across the mountains with friends and took her away. Later, one of the rescuers was accused of burning down a storehouse, and as punishment, his people lost their fishing rights. The conflict over who could fish where lasted for generations.
Many people believe the pass was named after the MS Bitihorn, the historic boat that has sailed on nearby Lake Bygdin since 1912. The story goes that the boat couldn't be transported over the pass in time before winter and had to be left here. But it's not true. The MS Bitihorn was built in Fredrikstad, transported in parts, and assembled directly at Bygdin. It was never stuck at any pass.
If you left your boat behind in the mountains, it would be destroyed. So every time you wanted to fish, you had to drag your boat up and over this pass, and back again afterwards.
The origins of this feud make for a good story. A young woman was being married off to an old man she didn't love. She managed to send word to her true beloved, who came across the mountains with friends and took her away. Later, one of the rescuers was accused of burning down a storehouse, and as punishment, his people lost their fishing rights. The conflict over who could fish where lasted for generations.
Many people believe the pass was named after the MS Bitihorn, the historic boat that has sailed on nearby Lake Bygdin since 1912. The story goes that the boat couldn't be transported over the pass in time before winter and had to be left here. But it's not true. The MS Bitihorn was built in Fredrikstad, transported in parts, and assembled directly at Bygdin. It was never stuck at any pass.