 Poster: A snowHead
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Just booked a trip to Norway for early/mid-march. I am not certain yet where I will ski and we will most likely engage in quite a bit of off-piste. We are all excellent skiers with extensive race backgrounds, racing at university level in the US.
Also important will be the general terrain, meaning we prefer challenging on-piste, but also love to rip on long reds as well.
I am considering, Hemsedal, Hovden, Voss, Myrkdalen. Any thoughts from people who have skied these resorts? Am I missing something? Any unknown gems?
Finally, how easy is it to find accommodations if I don't book ahead. We are the type of crowd that will follow the snow and prefer to make a decision once we arrive, if possible.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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I don't know very much about Norway, except my Mother had her first ski trip there.
What made you pick Norway? It's a slightly unusual destination for North Americans in Europe?
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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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I am starting to pick unusual places to ski. I have skied about 8-9 times in Europe and love the Alps, but I wanted a different experience and the fact that its unusual to Americans appeals to me. Also, you cant beat $339 round trip airfare from Boston!
Next on my list is Poland. The Tatra mountains.
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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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If you are bringing some skins then the Fjord region is well worth a look.
http://www.ski-norway.co.uk/resorts/fjord-region/
Some pretty epic off piste in this area, would not actually bother with the pistes at all as it is limited. The off piste with a touring set up is all but unlimited in some of the most amazing scenery in Europe.
The Oppdal area can be great with fresh snow. It can also suffer a bit with bad weather. There is a massive amount of off piste skiing in the area. http://www.oppdal.com/en/Winter/Global-top-menu/Information/Alpine-skiing/ Train from Oslo is easy enough though it does take a long time. Probably easiest to get to from Trondheim.
Skied Hemsedal a couple of times. Both times at the start of the season, no off piste when we were there, but the pistes were fine. A lot of national teams were training there at the start of the season so it seemed to agree with them.
Skied a couple of other areas, but weather and the time of year meant they were pretty limited when we were there.
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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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@skiberg, fair enough then a good plan!
The only Norwegian skiing chums have done is skinning round the Fjords. Which is apparently magnificent.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Been to two - Stranda and Narvik - would definitely go back to both.
Bring plenty of duty free if you're a thirsty bunch.
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Narvik has some good off piste and some very good local guides + your only a 40 min drive from Riksgränsen in Sweden which has some superb off piste and very good heli skiing.
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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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What about "Side Piste" or easily accessible lift serviced off piste. I am not sure I want to bring my skins and touring set up, as I can only bring so many skis on the plane.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Narvik has some good off piste a short walk from the top station. Riksgränsen has lots of off piste between the piste's plus some a short walk.
No need for skin's at either resort.
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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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Bit off original question, and never been, but Nuolja is near Riksgransen not a million miles from Norway. Looks to have just one lift and all offpiste.
Internal flights in Norway are pretty cheap. The fjord towns are well connected (I expect those airports are run at a loss to keep the communities alive).
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Norway sucks for powda.
Trysil, the biggest station, only gets about 200cm of snowfall per year.
Somewhere like Niseko gets 1500cm per year.
Cancel and go to northern Japan.
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You know it makes sense.
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Nuolja is at Abisko? There is a huge amount of Off Piste skiing there, though it is one long lift and you can get very cold on it. Have only skied there late in the season, but there is vast terrain.
Also just over the hill is the small resort of Björkliden which in my view is a very underrated resort. This ski resort is owned by the same people that own Riksgränsen and thus the ski pass covers both. Nuolja is about 10km from Björkliden which is then about 40km from Riksgränsen. These resorts are easy to get to via car from either Kiruna or Narvik. Also worth noting that the train also goes from Kiruna to Narvick and that it stops at lots of areas to ski on the way, as well as these 4 ski resorts. I believe a poster above did this in the past year. You can easily spend a week skiing Nuolja, Björkliden , Riksgränsen and Narvik.
But personally all these resorts are much better with the ability to tour.
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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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I live in Norway...I'll come back with some tips later today...but where are you flying into?
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Poster: A snowHead
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I am flying into Oslo, but open to flying north from there if it makes sense. Basically, we will go wherever the snow is, within reason.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Just talking about geography and logistics, flying into Oslo you have Trysil and Lillehammer in easy reach. The other places you mention - Hemsedal, Myrkdalen (or Geilo) would be quite a trek by car or train. For Voss you would need to fly to Bergen.
Since your aim is unusual, I would look for an internal flight up to Narvik and consider Narvikfjall, and across into Sweden - Riksgransen, Abisko, Nuolja, Björkliden etc. Or a drive from Narvik down to Stranda (2 hours) or up to Tromso (4 hours) and the Lyngen Alps.
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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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Hemsedal is only an hour further by car than Trysil (3 hours vs 2)? And possibly easier by public transport (though I'm no expert there). I think the more northern mountains are closer to the OP's original request though.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I am starting to think about the flight to Narvik and then go from there. Those Swedish resorts look really appealing, big mountain skiing. Much more than I anticipated or expected. Plus absolutely snowsure and I imagine not subject to icy conditions due to fluctuation in temps. The snow falling this week probably wont melt until June. Even if we cant get pow I bet I can find good soft snow.
I am from the States so we drive everywhere anyhow. Except I don't think I can rent a big Cowboy pickup truck.
Not really interested in Trysil, the terrain looks to mundane and limited in terms of challenge. Looks like a great family holiday though.
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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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+1 for Narvik and Riksgränsen. We rented a Volvo v40 from Evenes (Narvik) airport, we managed to get 4 pairs of skis and our luggage in it.
Great car apart from hertz written all over it in 18" high yellow letters. Came fitted with studded winter tyres fitted as standard.
We had great skiing in late April this year. And we really enjoyed the helli skiing from Riksgränsen.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Røldal should be on your list. Usually gets epic amounts of snow each winter and has some excellent off-piste decents (steep). It is small, but great. And it is relativly close to Voss/Myrkdalen. They also have some great off-piste runs.
For powder in generall, the west and north is best. The East is flatter.
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Heard great things about Sogndal
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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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| peter42 wrote: |
| We rented a Volvo v40 from Evenes (Narvik) airport, we managed to get 4 pairs of skis and our luggage in it. |
Only 2 passengers? Need to put the back seats down and put skis diagonally in the back of a V40. In a V60 you can fold down the back centre seat and its long enough for skis, so can seat 4 people.
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I would consider Are in March.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Now I'm excited. Roldal looks like the real deal. Averages 1100Cm per season! I cant think of an area on mainland Europe that gets that much snow. That's up their with the good US and Canadian resorts.
As for Norway in general, its obvious to me now that no one really knows much about the skiing there. Sure we know Hemesedal, Trysill etc, but there are literally 100's of ski areas within a few hours of Oslo. Those are just the main tourist destinations. Who here knew about Roldal, Hovden or Narvik prior to this forum?
Who knew you could take an underground train, similar to Val D'Isere, up Gaustabanen and ski 1000 meters vertical of true off piste within a few hours of Oslo?
Norway is a goldmine and an unknown destination. Sure the mountains are a bit smaller and inverted (steeper at the bottom), but the off piste opportunities are absolutely limitless. Its a place where skiing and Winter sports are in the soul of the local people.
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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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@Themasterpiece, Yes only 2 of use and back seats down.
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Roldal gets 11 meters of snow in a season 
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You know it makes sense.
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Yes, but you are already in the know. Really considering Narvik and Swedish resorts. How was the snow quality? Was the Heli skiing as cheap as it appears? How easy was it to drive from Narvik? Did you see any Northern Lights, these are a big draw for my wife?
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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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The times I have skied up north there has not been a huge amount of fresh. Only skied in the north 3 times on the piste. A few touring trips around Kebnekaise which is where some of the Helicopters fly to. I only know one person who has done Heli skiing in the north. They went out of Abisko staying at Abisko Mountain Lodge.
http://www.abiskomountainlodge.se/en/activities/
They had a great time and thoroughly recommended it. Abisko is the area that has the northern lights centre, but not sure how much you will see in March: https://www.visitabisko.com/highlights/northern-lights/ You basically head up the Chairlift to the cafe at the top. All a bit rustic, but tourist seem to like it. Other than this there is not much to do in Abisko, and the north can feel very isolated.
But if i was heading to Scandinavia with to ski as a one off, i would make sure you get the Fjords in, either up north around Narvik, or further south.
We were skiing near Stranda last March, and the conditions were fabulous. Sadly there was not enough snow to ski right down to fjords, but up high there was plenty of wonderful snow. So much so, we are heading back there at the same time this season.
http://www.strandafjellet.no/winter/activities/ski-lifts/
Norway is expensive, and very different to other places in Europe. But the skiing is wonderful. We have been seeing more Europeans touring Norway in the last few years. It is becoming a lot more popular.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 20-10-16 18:42; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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I wouldn't bank on seeing the northern lights. I've lived in Sweden for 8 years, been to Lapland plenty if times and not seen them. But I haven't really been looking. Best way to see the northern lights is by a boat cruise with hurtigruten - they wake you up if there is northern lights activity during the night.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@skiberg, as you say, Norway is getting on the radar for a lot of people in the know. I am a Norwegian and when skiing with mountain guides in the Alps, always every one of them have either been to Lyngen or planning to go there for some serious spring skiing/skinning.
I was you, I would have either gone for a combined trip to West Coast where I would have spent a few days skiing in Røldal. Then I would drive to Hardangerfjord for some skinning and here I would recommend doing the Oksen (the ox). The view there is pure magic on nice day and you literally feel you are skiing down in the fjord. It is tricky first part of hiking and before doing such a trip, you should talk to locals or hire a guide. Then I would drive to Voss for some good days both in Voss and in Myrkdalen. Having a car here is really good getting around but you should be used to drive in mountains and in difficult conditions.
The other trip I would recommend is going to Narvik and combinding it with a trip to Riksgränsen on the border between Norway and Sweden. It is two different trips with its pros and cons (it can get much colder in the north and the light last less in the norht), but the landscape is pretty similar.
Remeber one thing, the avalanche conditions here is a little different than the alps given that it is coastal. There has been some nasty avalanches with foreigners (mountain guides) in the north who are not used to these conditions.
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