Vic woman falls to death from Norway cliff
A Melbourne exchange student has fallen to her death at a popular mountain attraction in Norway while posing for a photo with friends.
Kristi Kafcaloudis, originally from the Sunshine Coast, fell several hundred metres from a rock formation known as Trolltunga in Norway's southwest on Saturday local time.
It's understood the 24-year-old lost her balance as she was preparing to pose for a photo with classmates from Norway's University of Bergen.
The exchange student and two friends had hiked 1.1km above sea level to the scenic spot, which juts out about 700m above Lake Ringedalsvatnet.
Kristi Kafcaloudis sadly died at a popular mountain attraction in Norway. Photo: Facebook
The trio were part of a larger group who had gone camping nearby.
The hike to Trolltunga - which translates to "troll's tongue" - takes between three to four hours.
After Ms Kafcaloudis fell her friends immediately tried to contact emergency services but poor mobile coverage made it difficult for them to notify authorities.
A helicopter was dispatched several hours later and landed on a nearby plateau just before midnight on Saturday.
At daylight an alpine rescue time hiked several hours to reach Ms Kafcaloudis.
Ms Kafcaloudis had only moved to Norway last month. Photo: Facebook
The 24-year-old had moved to Bergen in August to study music and cultural studies.
Trolltunga is about a three-hour drive east of Bergen, and the rock formation is considered one of Norway's most spectacular scenic cliffs.
"It's a one-of-a-kind thing, this rock literally sticking out like a tongue," Norwegian journalist Fredrik Ljone Holst told AAP.
"It's not regulated or anything, it's just out there in the wilderness."
Ms Kafcaloudis's friends and university peers have been offered counselling by her university.
She was a student at Monash University in Melbourne where she studied arts science.
The university reportedly said in a statement: "The Monash University community is deeply saddened at this news and Monash is liaising with the family, and officials here in Australia and in Norway, to provide support."
The Australian government is supporting Ms Kafcaloudis' family.
"We are providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian woman who died in Norway," a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman told AAP.
News break - September 8
