Golsjuvet is part of the river Hemsil, which flows from Eikrebekkdammen, down to Hallingdalselva near Gol. Hemsil is a regulated river, and the drop in elevation between Eikrebekkdammen and Hallingdalselva is exploited in the Hemsil 2 power station in Gol. During winter, most of the water flow goes through the tunnel from the reservoir down to the power station, and the water flow down the river is minimal.

Eikredammen is a small reservoir, and cannot hold the water back if the power station shuts down as a result of an accident or other error. If the power station fails, water flow down the Hemsil will increase rapidly, and anyone in or near the river would be in grave danger. At full production, 32,000 litres of water pass through the power station every second. Even under normal operating conditions, ice jams may form along the river. These may break apart without warning, which would also rapidly increase water flow down river, endangering anyone in or near the river.

Fatal accident in 2011

In 2011, a person died while climbing the falls. An ice jam suddenly broke apart, and a huge surge in water flow coursed down river. The person who died was in the river and unable to escape the fast-flowing water.

Planned downtime and maintenance

Maintenance is regularly carried out on the power station. During these times, water flow down the river will be higher than normal. More water in the waterway means a risk of surface water on the river ice, ice drifts, ice jams, and weakened river ice. Ice climbing is not recommended in these situations. Special notice will be issued in these situations, but anyone located in or near the river must be mindful of the potential risks at all times.