Poster: A snowHead
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For anybody thinking of venturing to Sweden this season, to familiarise yourself with all the resorts, check www.snorapporten.se. This is the definitive website that all Swedish resorts are signed up to. It's in Swedish but you'll manage. On the main page you'll see a snazzy map of Sweden that is divided into 3D segments. Click on one of these at a time. The best ski area with the highest concentration of resorts is Jämtland/Härjedalen. Click onto that. 13 resorts will appear. Many of these are tiny places. However, there are some gems. You have all heard of Åre, no doubt. This is considered by most as the top resort in Sweden and has a great snow record. In my view, it's worthy of its premier position. Åre is divided into two area and both are covered by the lift pass. A short bus ride links the two. Then there is Vemdalen, which is made up of three different ski areas, all interconnecting by bus, all on the same pass . YOU CANNOT SKI BETWEEN THEM!!. All three are great fun for a few days. Then the other two major resorts in the region are Funasdalen and Lofsdalen.
I believe I am correct in saying that the only resorts served by UK Tour Operators are Åre, Sälen-#-see below--- and Vemdalen. Nielson holidays go to Vemdalen and Sälen--or did last year anyway.
If you book private cottage accommodation in any resort in Sweden it's almost always the case that you have to bring your own bed linen and towels. You then have to sign for an inventory. For those trying to keep within a ten kilo budget flight limit this could be challenging!
Sälen is considered by many as number 2 behind Åre and is in Dalarna. It is split into three areas though like Vemdalen, no ski link between the three. Best to pre-plan which slopes you'll commit to that day so you don't waste time with transport in the middleof a ski day. Good apres ski/nightife in Sälen centre and attracts a younger crowd.
Swedish bar prices not cheap but interestingly, a beer costs roughly the same in any ski resort as it does in a bar in Stockholm, around 65 kroners, or six pounds in English ...for a short pint, i.e 500 ml.
KLÄPPEN, near SÄLEN (according to my 17 year old son) is the best Snowpark in Sweden. Beware, early season the snowpark is not at its peak. They have a JIB arena there.
Lofsdalen and Vemdalen, for the independent traveller can be reached by coach on a Saturday morning from the Central Bus Stn in Stockholm, next to the main railway stn calle T-Centralen. Check times with the local resort's tourist office. Travelling time from Stockholm is around 6 and a half hours to Lofsdalen and Vemdalen. Funasdalen an extra 125km. Åre takes a long long time, around 9 hours. Better to get a flight to Östersund from Gatwick. There are connecting services to Åre from there. Lapland resorts are too far to get to by car from Stockholm, especially if you've flown in from England. You would probably need an overnight stop.
I have run trips to Lofsdalen... no vacancies left this winter but if you'd be interested next season, I'd be happy to get in touch. I half live in Sweden, part-own a wooden cottage very close to the centre of Lofsdalen resort and usually arrange 2 ski buddy trips there per season. I have a four wheel drive and pick up at a Ryan Air airport, Stockholm (Västerås). I have skied many resorts in Sweden and am happy to offer practical advice about skiing in Sweden.
Ossy Evelyn
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 8-01-11 9:07; edited 7 times 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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The best resort i Sweden is not the biggest, number one for good skier is Kittelfjäll
http://www.kittelfjall.com/
The second is Riksgränsen, they start season mid february and close round 20th-25th june, U can get there with nighttrain from Stockholm, and start skiing the day after,
http://www.stromma.se/riksgransen
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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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freeheelskier is right. For expert skiers, Kittelfjäll is awesome though dificult to get to. Riksgränsen does lack runs but yes, the thrill of skiing at Midsummer with the midnight sun is amazing and there is some great off-piste there. Freeheelskier will confirm that Riksgränsen is perhaps the most Northerly ski resort in the world. Am I right, freeheelskier?
Ossy
Last edited by Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see? on Thu 6-01-11 8:29; edited 1 time in total
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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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Ossy Evelyn, Riksgränsen is one of the most northely, but there is at least 1 in norway that are more north, and in Norway there is also near Riksgränsen Narvik, at same longitud as Riksgränsen, that is a real town, with great skiing from 1002m to 127m, very near the centre of the town, you get there with the same train as to riksgränsen, The wiew U have from the mountain over the fjord, must be one of the most great in the world
and I will also say that I know that english skiier want to know about skiresorts that are good for experts, I know some real radical skier from england,
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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My father was a Commando in WW2 and took part in the raid on Narvik. Some years ago he re-visited Narvik to take part in a big anniversary celebration, including helping to re-create the approach on the bridge of a Royal Navy ship. He met a younger man who had been a boy at the time of the raid, and had acted as a local guide. The chap produced a bottle of whisky (costs and absolute fortune in Norway, apparently) and they drank it in celebration. My first ever ski holiday, a school trip, was to Geilo.
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