 Poster: A snowHead
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Thinking about an early season weekend in Åre - either mid December or January after new year - as it's an easy overnight train journey for 3 days skiing with 1 day off work.
Who's been at that time of year, and what was the snow like? And if you've been during the Skistar ski test weekend, was it ridiculously busy?
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 18-10-18 21:17; edited 1 time in total
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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 was there over new year 2 years ago. Mild weather, rain and very few runs open.
It was crazy busy due to the lack of decent snow and few runs open. I think if we had been a couple of weeks earlier or a couple of weeks later their would have been less people, but the snow would not have been any better. Duved had the best runs when we were there.
I have heard it can be good at that time of year, but we wont risk it again. I've skied in Are 15 days now, and only on 2 days have the lifts been running to the top. I'm jinxed when it comes to skiing at Are
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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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@mgrolf, I was up there for the ski test weekend last year (9-11 Dec). It was a decent early season. I was mostly doing other stuff and didn’t ski much, so I can’t be certain, but it was only the VM8 and one snowpark lift open. Also the main lift in Duved I think. There was snow on the whole mountain, but they were preparing for the main opening which was 21 Dec last year.
There were a few people ski touring from the top of VM8. But it was cloudy also those days.
For the ski test weekend, it was quite busy in the village and nice atmosphere. I would assume it’s mostly locals or people with apartments there, as I don’t think it’s worth the trip for the limited skiing otherwise.
After season opening, all the low zone area is open. It’s rare that they open the high zone lifts, but they have over Christmas/new year when I’ve been there. I was also there mid-Jan, again only low zone area open, but I went on a morning ‘intro’ ski tour with Åreguiderna a few hundred meters up and skied down into the eastern ravine, which was good.
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Like all of Europe, global warming is hitting it hard.
Used to be freezing cold in December.
Now, it is a lotto. Could be cold and snowy. Could be warm and unsnowy.
Book lastminute.
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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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@yuppie, @Themasterpiece, thanks. Doesn't sound like it's worthwhile if it is only one or two lifts open in the low zone. Back to the drawing board for early season skiing then 
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we have tried a few places in Norway in November and December. Not to far from you, might be a better option and you could do last minute.
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Skistar website says that Are will not be opening up fully until 20-21 Dec., same as last year. Went there a couple of years ago in mid-Feb. and the first day was 7 degrees C and peeing it down. Got far better after that, mind
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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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Not sure if this is still the case but both times I have been to Are (2006 and 2012 I think) and was roughly keeping track of the season, they didn't open the Upper Zone at all until the very end of Feb.
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@JimiHendrix, upper zone opening seems to be dictated by the wind and/or defrosting of lift cables. In 14 days skiing in mid Feb (two weeks in consecutive years) we went to the high zone about three times in total.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hmmmm, so Åre doesn't look like such a good option. Friend at work suggested Hemavan - further north, and opening earlier. Travel links aren't so good though (flight from Stockholm, so I'd have to get to Stockholm first). It got me thinking about alternatives, so let's rephrase the question slightly: where would be good for a long weekend mid December, with reasonable travel from Gothenburg?
Hemsedal opens from late November I think, and has decent off-piste options (if there's enough snow); it's at the limit of how far I'd consider driving (6 hours ish). Geilo is just about in range, as is Trysil (not a big fan) and Lillehammer (going there in Feb). Abisko and Narvik are at the end of the same overnight train as Åre, so travel is OK but I've tended to think of them as spring options.
Thoughts?
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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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@mgrolf, I tried looking on the Skistar website for Hemsedal lift opening. I suspect that they don't open many lifts until 20 Dec. or so (just a hunch), but you'll not need many lifts if the off piste is good 
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6 hours driving from Goteborg could bring in a few options. Salen area in Sweden can be ok at that time of year though I'm not sure all lifts will be open. We were there last December and the snow was good and most runs were open. Another option is to look in the lilliehammer area. There are 5 resorts in the area but you will need a car to drive between them. We did that 3 years ago in December and it was OK. THe Norwegian tolls can end up costing a lot though.
Trysil is also popular for early season skiing though can be busy at week ends if the snow is good. Hemsedel and Geilo are both good options if plenty of snow. We skied Hemsedel the first week in December a few years ago. Snow was not great but the main chair was running for about 18 hours as lots of national teams were training there at the time.
Another resort that can open early but gets little attention is Norefjell. Close to Oslo and can be forgotten about if the other resorts are open.
https://vinter.norefjell.com/en/home/
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You know it makes sense.
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If you’re looking to drive, then probably best to wait and see as there’ll be no probs to get accommodation. Or try a bit of cross country rather than downhill?
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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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@Themasterpiece, I'd prefer not to drive (part of the reason for thinking about Åre to start with - the overnight train is a good option). But I don't want to leave out decent options if the car is the best way to go.
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Poster: A snowHead
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You can easily catch the train to Lilliehammer and Geilo. There is no ski resort in Lilliehammer though so you will need to find your way to those resorts from the stations in that area.
Hemsedel has a bus collection from Gol from memory.
You can also catch a train to Oslo airport, and then get a bus onto Trysil.
I have found it easier to get to the Norwegian resorts by car from where i live in southern Sweden. Train wise we have done Are, and you can also do Vemdalen with a bus connection.
You never know Isaberg might have some very early snow 
One place that has opened this last week end in Sweden is Idrefjall.
http://www.idrefjall.se/english.html
Sadly there is no easy way to get there other than by car. Or an overnight coach
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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There are a lot of those Swedish resorts that are just a little to far away and hard to get to. Driving in Winter with the constant fear of hitting an älg whilst wondering if the 5 hours of daylight really makes an 8 hour drive for skiing worth it.
Vallasen is our closest ski resort, and 80 percent of the cars parked there at week ends have Danish number plates. Maybe now with the new ski center in Copenhagen their might be less coming to southern Sweden to ski.
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| yuppie wrote: |
There are a lot of those Swedish resorts that are just a little to far away and hard to get to. Driving in Winter with the constant fear of hitting an älg whilst wondering if the 5 hours of daylight really makes an 8 hour drive for skiing worth it.
Vallasen is our closest ski resort, and 80 percent of the cars parked there at week ends have Danish number plates. Maybe now with the new ski center in Copenhagen their might be less coming to southern Sweden to ski. |
Tell me more about this Copenhagen ski center!
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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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Sadly its only an artificial slope though it is very impressive due to it being built on a trash recycling building.
https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/amager-bakke-copenhill-gdk1088237
Opens December, and will probably go and ski it once due to how unique it is. A few years ago there was talk of it having snow canons for the winter, but i think that was just a hopeful rumor.
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Just moved to Borås from Cornwall and looking forward to exploring a few resorts this winter. Visited Isaberg this Jan after a bit of snowfall and was fun to bomb around for an afternoon, but can’t wait to get up to Sälen / Åre etc
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@newrealm22, I’d save your Scandinavia trip to later in the season. Åre is great in March, and Lapland is good into April-May.
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We went Are twice in the early season for two consecutive years (96 and 97), stopping at the Are Fjallby apartments. 96 was -20 and sunshine every day, the locals wanted more snow but for us there for a holiday it was fantastic. 97 was the total opposite, it was above freezing, rained almost everyday and was too windy for the lift at the side of the hotel to run so we had to walk 15 mins to the funicular railway to get on the mountain. At least we could get home at the end of the day with the hotel being at the side of the piste.
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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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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@newrealm22, you've got Bollebygd right on your doorstep, no need to go anywhere else...? 
@yuppie, ski jump practice? It'll certainly be an unique experience. I think I'll wait for the slope in Oslo though, it's about the same distance for me.
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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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You know it makes sense.
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Dont forget Mullsjö Alpin Center
An epic 80m decent
http://mullsjoalpin.se/
Still a good morning skiing if you live nearby, you can pay by the hour
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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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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| yuppie wrote: |
You can easily catch the train to Lilliehammer and Geilo. There is no ski resort in Lilliehammer though so you will need to find your way to those resorts from the stations in that area.
Hemsedel has a bus collection from Gol from memory.
You can also catch a train to Oslo airport, and then get a bus onto Trysil.
I have found it easier to get to the Norwegian resorts by car from where i live in southern Sweden. Train wise we have done Are, and you can also do Vemdalen with a bus connection.
You never know Isaberg might have some very early snow
One place that has opened this last week end in Sweden is Idrefjall.
http://www.idrefjall.se/english.html
Sadly there is no easy way to get there other than by car. Or an overnight coach |
Idrefjäll has kept snow from last year to be able to start early.
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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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I noticed Sälen had received a dusting, earlier on the webcams. Getting much colder next week too!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Never had any problems with out of control idiots in either Are or Hemsedal. Oh, hang on, the one British bloke who couldn't ski at all and was kicked off the group by the Crystal ski leader/chaperone/whatever they are called. During Oslo winter holiday the problem in Hemsedal was the huge number of ridiculously slow snowploughers...99% of whom were older people who seemed to like chatting more than skiing, and chatting while skiing and chatting on the lifts...
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@dobby, only problem I've had at the Norwegian resorts was at Hemsedal, the weekend of the Oslo holiday - the sudden influx of people rocking Norrøna, fat expensive skis and terrible lift line behaviour (2m tall blokes literally pushing my 12 year old daughter on to the floor to get past her) was a huge surprise given the normal chilled friendly atmosphere.
Out of control missiles have been largely limited to the small hills in southern Sweden, at weekends as @Hyst notes.
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Here is a webcam from the southern ski resort of Vallasen. They stored a lot of man made snow from last years late cold spell. And they have been making some more already for this season. There is the chance they might be open before Christmas.
https://www.vallasen.se/backar-och-liftar/dagsskidakning/
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FAQ
(however I have never been there!) 
