 Poster: A snowHead
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Hello all
I am looking to take my mum (65yrs) away for a cross country and snowshoeing holiday this winter in Norway.
There seems to be huge recommendations for great cross-country spots, but I can't find any that also offer snowshoeing and the varied mountain terrain for this. Does anyone have any recommendations for areas or even Hotels that offer both?
We would be flying into Oslo so need to be able to access fairly easily by train. We want some comfort, log fires, and a bit of luxury but want to keep the traditional feel, and good food. Happy to be quite secluded or nearby to a town/village. We would want to hire all our equipment there.
Many thanks in advance for any help you can offer!
Kelly
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Welcome to SHs, @kellyarichardson1. That sounds a wonderful idea. Think about having some lessons for XC - it might be harder than you think!
I would have thought anywhere with good XC would also be OK for snowshoeing. Unless your mother is very fit she might not want to be doing anything very steep. And the best XC areas are not, of course, flat!
Some people here know Norway resorts quite well so hopefully you'll soon have some specific suggestions.
For snowshoeing, you'll need to take your own stout walking boots and perhaps some gaiters too.
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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?
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Geilo appears to do some snowshoeing, but as a guided tour. Snowshoeing appears to be quite new in Norway, so may be that's why you cannot find many places doing it. In a way it's not surprising because XC is Norway's national sport. XC is not as easy as you would imagine and I would have at least one lesson. It's great fun, though. I have had a look at the websites of a few of the bigger ski resorts (Hemsedal, Trsyil and Geilo) and can find nothing about snowshoeing. May be worth e-mailing some of the larger ski centres which are well connected by rail like Geilo, Voss and Gol to see if they rent-out snowshoes - they may know someone who does.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Hi Pam, thank you for the reply. Yes, we're very much looking forward to it. We've snowshoed and XC skied a fair bit before and so keen to see how it is in Norway.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Thanks Dobby - that's really helpful. I will look at these larger centres initially and see what I can build up from there.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@kellyarichardson1, you won't be needing lessons then! I loved the XC last year and may have to do a bit this year in Norway.....
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Hi Kelly,
Are you fixed with Norway ? There's places in Finland that would be right up your street. Post back if you're interested and I'll let you have the details as we go regularly
Thanks
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Hi dsoutar - i'd love to hear more! Thank you. I am quite set on Norway, but that may be from being a bit misinformed.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I was looking at Ruka in Finland with Inside Out (but decided on Tignes in November instead!). I liked the idea of being able to do XC and snowshoeing - and having visited Norway last summer was interested to go back to Scandinavia in winter. It can be exceedingly cold, I understand and if I were going XC skiing in Norway (something I'd love to do if I didn't have an apartment in a resort with one of the best XC areas on France!) I'd want to go later in the season, to get longer days.
I think I'm a slow learner at XC. I've done 3 weeks of lessons over the years and anything but the gentlest descents still scare me! I'm pretty good at the "demi chasse neige" with one foot in the track, unless the snow is very icy, but as soon as the tracks disappear (which they do on significant gradients) my pulse rate goes up. I have been known to take the skis off and walk down sometimes. I have yet to master the "petits pas tournants" which others make look very easy. 
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I found snowboarding easier to learn - socking great metal edge to slow down with!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@kellyarichardson1,
From my limited experience of XC I would take a look at skeikampen near to Lillehammer http://www.skeikampen.no/en/
They have all the facilities on your wish list.
Well set up for XC, they even have a chair lift access to allow a gentle XC route around the hill.
It is also used by many of the XC teams, also check out their events section you could time your visit to take in one of the bigger XC events.
There is a Hotel and apartments, although I would recommend one of the private cabins which are on the many XC routes.
Where ever you go, enjoy, and let us know how you got on.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Try Exodus Holidays, they took over Waymark Holidays some years ago and kept their programme of XC and ski touring holidays in Europe and Norway including the concept of providing an experienced leader for each trip who can provide knowledge and advise and ski with you on a daily basis
They used 3 star plus hotels in difference locations and though not cheap were always professionally run and provided a great winter experience including snow shoeing and other activities
Norway is a great place but is extremly cold in January and February with short daylight hours, I would suggest going in March when you have longer, warmer days and the snow is great
Please post how you got on
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| Quote: |
Please post how you got on
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Yes, please do. It would be good to have more reports from Norway - and more reports about XC and snowshoeing, too.
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You know it makes sense.
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| kellyarichardson1 wrote: |
| Hi dsoutar - i'd love to hear more! Thank you. I am quite set on Norway, but that may be from being a bit misinformed. |
The main difference I guess between Norway and Finland is that Norway has larger mountains whereas the hills in Finland don't tend to get much above 800m. You don't need huge mountains snow-shoeing to be honest as it's a fairly tiring activity. We go regularly to the Yllas area (this season will be our 5th time). We originally went with Inntravel who I would thoroughly recommend but now for various reasons (nothing to do with the company) we do DIY. The Yllas area has exceptional xc trails - there's over 300km of well marked and about 40km illuminated and you get a real feeling of being in the wilderness when you're out which I've never had in the central European resorts. There's also lots of other activities to do there and certainly lots of snow-shoeing. We've snow-shoed up Kuer and Kukas which are the local hills which have marked snow-shoe paths; there's also a small alpine resort which might be OK for beginners or people with young kids I guess but I wouldn't go there for the alpine skiing.
You can also do reindeer herding, snow-mobiling, husky sledging amongst other things.
The main town, Akaslompolo is very pretty and set on a lake and has a reasonable selection of shops. It's about 45 minutes from the local airport. If you go with a tour operator you'll be able to fly direct whereas we have to go via Helsinki. There's a variety of accommodation and they have cabins with log fires in them. And of course being so far north, there's an improved chance of seeing the northern lights.
More info here
http://www.yllas.fi/en/activities.html
If you need any more info, just ask ! I would also mirror what valleyboy has said as Finland before March can be very cold indeed
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Are you set on Scandinavia? If not have a look at the Jura in France. If interested let me know and I can give more info.
Ian
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