we are a group of 9-10 who normally ski blue to black, mainly interesting red. We have been looking at Lillehammer valley, as the pass covers 4 places. Where in that area or else where in Norway is good for social on an evening, yes we know it's not cheap, but some lively bars would be nice still. A night club and good food even better, but good skiing is more important.
Any tips out there which town to stay in?
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Trysil is the biggest (I think). I've just noitced that you're from Sweden before I was going to launch into go to France or Austria mode! I'm not sure how long it will take you to travel vs France, Italy, Austria.
My experience of Norway skiing is it's cold, expensive, pretty, flat, expensive and cold...... Actually Norway makes Sweden look cheap in comparrison. A freind of a friend has a cabin in Norway which is the only reason I've been. For me it doesn't make sense otherwise not to do the southern resorts. Then again if X-country is your thing Norway is hard to beat!
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?
I live in sweden but skiing with a group from the UK, I should have clarified, yeah it's not cheap, but we were looking to go somewhere different. Probably in Feb / early March time. We have skied europe a few times, as for travel, no where is more than a few hours in a plane away!
summo, Hemsedal have the best skiing in Scandinavia, and an excelent nightlife to, and are the biggest area for skiing in Norway, I think Are in Sweden has more km slopes, but alot of them are flat and just for transporting, in Hemsedal alot of option for real good offpists I have skied the most importent resorts in Norway/Sweden, and in what you call Lillehammer Valley, the name is GudbrandsValley, but anyway the main resorts are Hafjell and Kvitfjelland have better
acces from Gardemoen int airport, kvitfjell has a little more step skiing, mens downhill wc race is here every year I think in March, Hafjell is more a family place but with alot of good slopes, but if you like offpistskiing, this is not the place to go,,
Quote:
pretty, flat
Grizwald, What are you talking about Norway is after Switzerland the most mountainous country in Europe
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
freeheelskier wrote:
Grizwald, What are you talking about Norway is after Switzerland the most mountainous country in Europe
OK allow me to try and quantify my response. Trysil is in a relatively flat area, where the Trysil summit is the only distinct elevation, I wasn't eluding to the fact that Norway as a country was flat. I stand by my previous comments i.e.Norway is most suitable for those skiers who'd like to combine cross-country skiing with alpine like slopes.
freeheelskier wrote:
excelent nightlife to
Perhaps if you like/can afford to to wipe your backside with £20 notes!
Summo, Norway is beautiful but if your group want a variety of slopes e.g. long runs, challenging runs, off piste then I think they'll be dissapointed. What I want from a ski resort isn't what others do though so each to their own! I just think there are, if you want to try something different and are prepared to fly then there are better choices, then again you haven't mentioned where you've been previously or what the needs and wants of your group is?
I'll admit I don't know a great deal about skiing in Norway just what I experienced in Trysil vs numerous resorts in Europe, North America, and NZ.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Tue 1-11-11 15:11; edited 1 time in total
Grizwald, yes the area near Trysil is flat, but thats all,,, About offpist, there is one of the best lines for backcountry in europe in Norway, for example, Stranda and other place in Sunmöre area, Hurrugane in the heart of Joutenheimen not liftservice, but still one of the best skiing in europe, and also in Lofoten and Lyngen, one of the most spectactular places in the world to ski,, Mike Pow here on this forum can confirm what I know about the skiing in Norway
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Grizwald, If I had ski one resort in a country, I will never say whats the skiing like in that country
After all it is free
After all it is free
freeheelskier, You obviously know your stuff when it comes to skiing in Norway, I just wanted to answer your comment about my previous post/back it up. As for someone who lives in the UK as a pretty serious off piste skiier Norway isn't high on my list of places to return to over places like Le Grave, St Anton, and Verbier et al but this is all just my opinion.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
freeheelskier wrote:
Grizwald, If I had ski one resort in a country, I will never say whats the skiing like in that country
freeheelskier, OK but in that same vain where else have you skied to offer a fair comparrison. I offered my opinon on where I'd skied in Norway vs other destionations I've skied in, no more no less.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Grizwald, Yes for UK based skier it will be cheeper to visit the alpes or Pyrenees, But i have been guiding french and Italian friends in Norway offpist in excelent powder with vertical drop of 2000m and they had been very impressed
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
freeheelskier, I think we'll have to agree to disagree, and If I'm ever in Norway I'll look you up for some guiding...!!
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.
Quote:
where else have you skied to offer a fair comparrison
Grizwald, Im scandinavian that lives in france, I have skiing the alpes, pyrenees, US/Canada, Iran, Japan, Patagonia, and also Climbing/skiing trip to Bolivia and Peru, so I hope that Im able to compare
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Grizwald, I will say to You next time I visit Norway, proberly not this season, other projects going on
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
summo, I know some parts of Norway fairly well, but am not an alpine skier, so won't attempt to point you at a particular resort. You might find this link useful.
As for Lillehammer, check now far it is from where you are planning to ski, and what the transport is like. I think it is about 15 km from there to Hafjell. Lillehammer is a nice little town with quite a bit going on and a choice of accommodation, but I think for ski-ing, it might be better to stay nearer the slopes.
For an example of off-piste in Norway, I like this video of ski-ing from Gaustatoppen. The neighbouring resort of Gaustablikk is quite small and probably not what you want. However, it is fun, has some cheap (for Norway) accommodation, and Garasjen has the nightlife, if it's been rebuilt after the last fire.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
thanks for the advice, I will look at those place. Off piste is less critical, I and some of the group have skiied at La Plagne, Chamonix, Courmayer, Verbier before. I know the stuff in Norway isn't as big as some of these places, it the change of scene we were after, it's only for a week, so we just need enough variety for that. Some of us can kill have a day in a playpark too, so we don't need hundreds of km or runs. Thanks again.
I'm more a mountaineer than skier, so I do some touring and telemark, but the rest don't so I get my fix of that in Sweden nearer home.
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
summo,
Norway sounds ideal for you then and the Ski touring scene is getting bigger and popular with the UK market-and does looks awesome. With skiing the resorts you mentioned, I still reckon your crowd might be dissapointed with the variety, length and vertical of the what's on offer on piste from the experience of the one place I've been in Norway. If you do choose Norway let us know how you get on!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
freeheelskier knows his stuff re: Norway.
I'm also a fan of Norwegian skiing. More than enough piste, off-piste, powder and steeps at the two resorts I've visited - Stranda and Narvik.
Ricklovesthepowder, Im a fan of spanish skiresort, but in Norway you can ski liftservice skiing every month of the year, in spain from late november to end of april
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
I thought Greece was the most mountainous country in europe?
Anyway, I loved hemsedal, good skiing, great snow. Nippy in Jan as the front face doesn't get the sun. Norwegians are a pleasure to ski amongst (don't think I'll ever return to the numptyville of fr/au). Probably not great if you want to get drunk every night unless you're a two pint wonder of course.
Pass/lessons/gear all insanely cheap. Lunch on hill - deals approx. 10 pound pp. In the evening you might want to eat toilet roll, snow or your own flesh though. Eye-wateringly expensive.
Mike Pow, Sogndal skiresort is not good, but the area around is excelent for backcountry,,
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
About vertical drop, its a little bit overrated, for the alpes for example, how many days on the season you can ski all way from the top to the base in excelent snow, in Norway its possible near all the season, so here is a list over the most important resorts in Norway with the vertical drop more than 500m
Björli 675m
Hafjell 830m
Hallingskarvet 500m
Hemsedal 808m
Kvitfjell 840m
Målselv-Bardufoss 590m
Narvik 875m
Norefjell 1010m
Oppdal 534m
Röldal 800m
Stryn summerski center 518m ( open from mid May to beginning of July )
Trysil 685m
Uvdal 619m
Voss 725m,
As you can see, not less vertical drop than some wellknown resorts in US and Japan, and with good snow all the vertical drop most of the season.
Over that there is in Norway not liftservice skiing in high worldclass with verticaldrops up to 2000m, the season for alpinetouring start normaly at mid october and ended mid june, yes U can compare with Alaska even if Alaska has more number of summit, The bad thing with Norway is, expensive, bad roads, take long time to drive, there is possible to travel with bus, but it take long time,
For a good skier that hav understand that skiing is more than numbers of lifts and km, Norway is excelent
After all it is free
After all it is free
Quote:
second most mountainous country in Europe
Brilliant. How on earth do you measure something like that? Is it done by the International Institute of Mountainousness? Which, if it existed, would be in Switzerland ....
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.
... I should also say, i have skied in Norway, only a small resort but within its limitations it was great. I am big fan of both Norway and Sweden, beatiful countries and lovely people.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
summo, first off, I'm gonna come clean and declare I've never been, but FWIW.......
My mate is determined to drag me out to Norway, so having done a lot of digging, Hemsedal seems to be head and shoulders above the other areas, rated for nightlife too. Early March onwards, into April, is also the advice.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Isn't Holland the second most mountainous country in europe
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.
Quote:
Isn't Holland the second most mountainous country in europe
...that depends whether you use the Schleswig-Holstein Index or the Duckworth Lewis Method
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
freeheelskier wrote:
Mike Pow, Sogndal skiresort is not good, but the area around is excelent for backcountry,,
Thanks. Even better
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
thanks for all the great advice and banter of course. Shirley switzerland is the most mountainess if you ironed it out flat, or wales?
Yeah we will be taking duty free to top up the alcohol quota, but as I live in Sweden now, the price difference in drinking out when in Norway won't be that much more My mates from the UK will be moaning though!
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
summo, If your mates are travelling out from the UK, it might be worth looking at a package. If they can get to Gatwick, Neilson do a weekly charter to Fagernes, and serve Geilo, Hemsedal and Beitostølen from there.
I have been to Geilo two years running with them - the prices were good and everything was fine. We shared a chalet with alpine skiers the first time, and they all seemed to be having a good time. I spent about £30 on top of the package. Mr N doubled that, but he bought a round of beers. The downhillers enjoyed the ski-ing, the empty slopes, the lack of lift queues and liked the Swedish instructors. We self-catered with some friends the second time. I am looking at trying Beitostølen this year, which has a very short transfer, but maybe not enough alpine for you.
(edit to remove Lillehammer; not in the brochure this year)
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Thu 3-11-11 21:32; edited 1 time in total
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
sanman, lol Or perhaps the rhythm method???
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Mike Pow, You will like this, video from Sogndal,, I have ski with some of this guys, and I have ski Sogndal
We're going back to Hemsedal for our 4th trip self catering (Salmon's cheap if you don't mind the whole fish!). Some nice bars in town, and the skiing's good. Compared to the queues in France they are a lot more civilised and not long either. I ski red/blacks and the night skiing is good fun and adds a new dimension! If you are mileage hungry there might not be enough on piste for a week, but there seems to be a lot of off-piste around, and I'm going to try x-country this year to investigate some of the terrain further afield. We book direct through skistar and saved £000s (we have kids so have to go in haf term). Bus trip from Oslo takes while - especially in snow, take a good book!
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
nordicfan wrote:
freeheelskier, Great video - I wish I could ski like that. The bit at about 4 mins in, is nuts - they appear to be ski-ing down a rock field!
Yeah great video. Salomon are killing it at the moment.
It will be different to anywhere else I've been and so far its cost £410 each for 2 large apartments, lift passes and flights woohoo ..Yeah i know its expensive to eat and drink out but we plan on eating in a few days .
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
Norway is after Switzerland the most mountainous country in Europe
