Ski Norway
Ski in Norway without long queues or pistes crawling with skiers. Here you are quite literally far from the madding crowd, it's so much more peaceful than the horde ridden Alps. The quiet slopes have a great range of runs from green all the way to expert blacks. It's true, Norwegian skiing is perfect for beginners and intermediates and particularly suited for families with great English speaking ski schools. But experts will find plenty of untouched off-piste as well as pockets of challenging runs, even the Norwegian ski team uses Trysil's slopes to practice.
Home to the father of modern skiing, Sondre Norheim, Norway is a different kind of ski experience. Yes, you have all the modern lifts and mountain huts like any Alpine ski resort, however, it's as much about the skiing as the overall mountain experience.
The locals are naturals and it's no surprise when the snow last for six months at a time. Meaning both Christmas and Easter are about as snow sure as you can get - you even get snow guarantees on your lifts pass they're so confident about it. Forget the race for high altitude, it's high latitude that really makes the difference.
That's not to say it doesn't get a little cold, just pack an extra layer or two. The pristine slopes more than make up for it. And they don’t let the short days of winter get in the way of a ski break either as night skiing is commonplace in most resorts and allows you to whizz down the slopes until well after dinner time. Skiing isn't the only option with a wide range of activities from dog sledding to star gazing you won't be short of intrigue whilst you're here.
Flight times are similar to flying to the Alps and with regional flights to Oslo it's easy to pop over for a quick ski break, why not tag on a couple of days in vibrant Oslo whilst your at it.
Why we love Norway
- Overall mountain experience, it's not just the skiing but everything that comes with it
- Queue-less lifts and quiet slopes
- Long season, both Christmas and Easter are about as snow sure as you can get - you even get snow guarantees on your lift pass
- Regular night skiing
- Fantastic English speaking ski schools and wide, well-groomed slopes for all levels
- The night sky stars are quite simply incredible
Worth knowing
- Alcohol can be expensive in the bars - stock up on the duty-free
- It can be particularly cold in mid-January reaching a low of -12 degrees - wrap up warm