Vic woman falls to death from Norway cliff

A Melbourne woman has fallen hundreds of metres to her death after losing her balance at a popular scenic cliff in Norway.

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, 24, fell several hundred metres from a rock formation known as Trolltunga in Norway's southwest on Saturday local time.

It's understood Ms Kafcaloudis 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.

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.

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.

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.


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Source: AAP


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