Skiing in Norway

Norway is known as the cradle of skiing, and Norwegians themselves claim to have been born with their skis on. If you are a cross-country skier, you can hardly find a better place to go - Norway offers the best cross-country terrain and facilities. If you are a nature lover with an inclination towards beautiful vistas, the Norwegian mountains are a good alternative. The facilities for Alpine skiing are also very good, with high standards for ski-lifts, as well as slopes. The ski resorts offer runs of all difficulty levels, and are suitable for experienced skiers as well as beginners. Additionally, the ski resorts have good terrain parks.

Downhill skiing actually began in Norway (And there had been cross country skiing here for thousands of years too). Sondre Nordheim invented the ‘Telemark’ technique of downhill skiing here in the 1860s. He won lots of ski competitions with it and since then Norwegians have been winning in all disciplines, particularly Ole Einar Bjorndalen in biathlon who has become the most successful ever male winter athlete.

There are over 150 ski areas right across the country including famous resorts like Voss, Geilo, Hemsedal, Trysil and the 1984 Olympic town of Lillehammer. You can even ski at a number of resorts around the capital, Oslo (another Olympic host), including at Tryvann which can easily be reached by tram from the city centre and where you can ski in the evenings most days of the week. Norway is the perfect choice for families with children. Many of the destinations have very good ski schools, and also offer good infant day care solutions with friendly English speaking staff. Many travel agencies have specialised in ski vacations in Norway, and because of the proximity thousands of Danish and British skiers and boarders choose to go to Norway in the winter. Norway is the most preferred country to go to on winter vacation for Danes, and many drive their own car, take the ferry across the sea, and live in cabins or hotels. Norway was the most popular ski destination for Brits in the 1960s and early 70s before the advent of low cost flights, and with climate change on the agenda and flight cost rising, is regaining popularity in the UK too.

At Norwegian ski resorts the country’s many natural advantages ensure a good experience; most resorts have guaranteed snow, and the slopes are freshly groomed in the morning. The days in the winter season are short at this northerly latitude, but most of the larger resorts have night skiing. The good thing is that the ski season is long, and low temperatures ensures that there is rarely any lack of snow.