The story of Charles Rabot and Klemet Person is so exciting that they each have their own mountain cabin named after them and they have their own musical instrument,
Charles Rabot was a good friend of Fridtjof Nansen and shared Nansen's sense of adventure and exploration. Through many letters between the two, which are now available to the public, we can read about new areas they have explored and peaks they have climbed. Nansen also wrote a nice article about Rabot in the DNT yearbook in 1929, see link to the right.
While Rabot and Nansen traveled widely around the world and reported to the elite in Oslo and Paris, the Sami Klemet lived with his family under a rock ledge at the top of Leirskardalen at the foot of Okstindan. Klemet both fascinated and frightened the others in the village and it was said that he could not only eat, but also heal with herbs and magic.
One day in August 1883, Rabot came to Leirskardalen and needed a guide to show him around Okstindan. At that time, it was not common to travel in the high mountains, but the Sami Klemet had a great love for the mountains and knew the area like the back of his hand, and so it came about that the Frenchman Rabot and the Sami Klemet set out on trips together.
Today, Rabot and Klemet's names are engraved on a memorial plaque on the top of Northern Norway's highest mountain, Oksskolten, along with the name Peter Stordalen and the year 1883. However, we have no proof that Rabot made it to the top. He and Klemet allegedly made two attempts, but had to turn back on Vestisen due to bad weather, and had to settle for a trip up Søndre Okskalv. It is thus Peder Stordal from Vefsn who is the first person we know for sure who climbed the 1916 meters above sea level and looked out over the roof of Northern Norway.
Rabot later spoke highly of Klemet and clearly valued the knowledge Klemet could share with him about local conditions. Klemet was also Rabot's glacier guide when he mapped Svartisen. In a fine article in the DNT yearbook in 1935, Rabot tells about his trips to Helgeland, a link to which can be found in the margin to the right.
Rabot left behind a wealth of photos from his travels in Norway, and below you can see one of the very few photos of Klemet, taken by Charles Rabot.
