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Hemesdal Season

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi there folks,

thinking of heading to Hemesdal in norway this winter to work ans ski a season.

Any of you out there got any adivce? Have you been there on a trip? worked a season?

I'm a highly experienced chef who's travelled a fair bit doing working holidays in canada, NZ and Auz and a spell working in Chamonix. So im no stranger to living working aborad.

few things i'd like to know are :-

When does the season properly kick off?

how easy is it to find work if i just rock up? (although today i sent a bunch of emails out to all the hotels/restaurants/cafes with my CV)

is gear more expensive there or in france?

right cheers to everyone for your time Smile
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Season kicks off any time when the snow arrives, usually mid-November, but really gets going after Christmas and can last until May.

Most accommodation in and around Hemsedal is self-catering in apartments and log cabins. There are a few hotels, but Hemsedal is nothing like an alpine resort in France or Austria in terms of accommodation, restaurants, night life etc. I've no idea how easy it is to find work, but most places seemed to be staffed by Danes, as the main target market is Danish and Norwegian families. Norway is not in the EU, so check requirements for work permits etc.

Gear is horribly expensive, as is everything else (beer, spirits etc.) which is why most people self-cater. The Danes stock up in Denmark and buy booze on the ferry over. I only remember seeing one small corner shop about the size of a small mini-market and no supermarkets or drinks off-licence/liquor stores.

The skiing is good but limited in size. It also gets cold. Very cold. Minus 30 in December/January. Very short days. Very cold.


Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 27-08-14 13:13; edited 1 time in total
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Excellent quinton thanks for your advice. My hope is to get a job with accom as is the case with most hospo' jobs. If i can...

Norway is in the EEA (european economic area) which entitles members of the EU to work freely so no probs there.

Off to france in a few weeks so will get my kit there early then. As far as beer expnse i figure if i get work then i'll be on their wages so it won't seem quite as bad as an englishman with his holiday pocket money!

just a beginner so the skiing sounds fine and the low temps suit my main passion: ice climbing Smile

thanks again
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
frazer_burley, Go to the "Vinmonopolet" and stock up on beers
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
frazer_burley wrote:
Hi there folks,

thinking of heading to Hemesdal in norway this winter to work ans ski a season.

Any of you out there got any adivce? Have you been there on a trip? worked a season?

I'm a highly experienced chef who's travelled a fair bit doing working holidays in canada, NZ and Auz and a spell working in Chamonix. So im no stranger to living working aborad.

few things i'd like to know are :-

When does the season properly kick off?

how easy is it to find work if i just rock up? (although today i sent a bunch of emails out to all the hotels/restaurants/cafes with my CV)

is gear more expensive there or in france?

right cheers to everyone for your time Smile


Do you speak Norwegian?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
fraid i do not no :/
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
glasgowcyclops, IME (1 week last year so not much) the lingua Franca in Hemsedal (even for the seasonnaires) seems to be English (seasonnaires are mainly Danish and Swedish). Punters seem to be mainly Norwegian and Danish, as quinton says. I'll be interested to find out how you get on.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
Expensive is expensive for all not just Englishmen on Holiday Smile It's only not expensive if you're on expenses!

I may be preaching, but i went to Helsinki in January one year and it was 'baltic' no-one can even use the term unless they've been there, went out with a scalf over my mouth and within a minute i had ice on the outside where my breath had frozen. You need to be properly prepared for -30
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Levi215, Minus 30 was the temperature when I was in Hemsedal in December/January one year. On top of that was the wind-chill factor, which took the temperature down another 10 deg. It was so cold that most lifts were closed and it was painful to even step outdoors. Even wrapped up in double layers (2 thermals, 2 fleeces, gilet, padded jacket, gloves with liners, hat and buff etc.) it was too cold to do much most days. Skiing was largely out of the question, but the husky-sledding and short walks in the forest on crunchy snow were fun.

I would not contemplate going there again any earlier than late Feb or early March - spring skiing is supposed to be OK there and the season extends well after the resorts in the Alps have closed.
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Ski the Net with snowHeads
Skiing in Norway is a different experience to skiing in France in my humble opinion. The Norwegian ski resorts appear to be much more intimate and make you feel as though you are part of the resort. My last experience in France ( Flaine) made me feel like I was one of millions on an anonymous slope down to the bottom and the sooner you did it the better. Tourmaline late on a busy afternoon scared the living daylights out of me, mind it was foggy, but they don't slow down! Norway is more relaxed. Hemsedal is good and makes a change. Good snow as its so cold.
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