Ski Areas Near Oslo, Norway

[madskier6]

This may be a far-out request but I will be travelling to Oslo, Norway on business next week. I may have a free day to fit some skiing in. Can anyone recommend one or two good ski areas close to Oslo that I might be able to hit?

I won't have a car so it will have to be an area that I can take a train or bus to. I've done some searching on the web but I'm mostly interested in anyone's personal experiences skiing over there. Any suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[BeanoNYC]

When are you leaving? I'm trying to get in touch with my wife's family over there but noone is answering. I think the one place I saw was Tryvann. A little flat, with Poma lifts. I didn't ski there but it looked like fun. Oslo is not too high up in the mountains so you'll definitely have to train it or bus it for an hour or so.

A few practicalities about visiting Norway:

The NOK is killing the dollar now so be prepared.
Alcohol is VERY expensive, expect to pay around 10 bucks for a beer at a bar.
The people are very nice and can speak English very well but appreciate when you try Norsk...here are a few phrases (spelt phonetically)

Unshilt: Excuse Me
Takk: Thanks
Toosen Takk: Thousand Thanks (very common)
Vor air two-a-let: Where is the toilet
En earl takk: A beer please
yay vill yearna she, hvor can yay gaw? I would like to ski, where can I go?
Had det bra. Goodbye
Hvor costa? How much does this cost?
yay er fra amerika. I am from America.
Can doo snaker engelsk med may, jeg snakker ikke Noesk: can you speak english with me, I don't speak norwegian.
Yay heter Yeff: My name is Jeff
en cuppa caffey, takk : a cup of coffee please
...and if you meet the girl of your dreams (you just may!)... "Vil du yifta day med may" ... will you marry me

 

[kingslug]

After staying in Sweden for a few weeks I came to the conclusion that trying to speak the language is almost impossible. German was easier. Their favorite phrases: no problem, and "it's OK. Wish I could have hit Norway but will have to next time. They are VERY BIG on snowmobiling.

 

[BeanoNYC]

Duh...Why didn't I think of this???

I just got the phone with my wife's cousin. He suggested Lillehammer! You can catch a train that takes a little less than 2 hours from the airport. He told me that it's been warm in Oslo so the skiing in Tryvann won't be that good. He was up at Lillihammer a few weeks ago. Apparently the town didn't have snow yet and he wasn't sure if the resort was open yet. You have to double check.

 

[madskier6]

Thanks for the responses. I'm leaving this Sunday night, arriving Monday afternoon for a Tuesday meeting. It looks like I'll have all day Wednesday off so I'm going to try to hit something. I was thinking about Lillehammer but wasn't sure how far it was. 2-hours by train is very doable for me. I'll check and see if it's open yet.

Thanks also for the advice on practicalities and the language tips.

 

[BeanoNYC]

Thanks for the responses. I'm leaving this Sunday night, arriving Monday afternoon for a Tuesday meeting. It looks like I'll have all day Wednesday off so I'm going to try to hit something. I was thinking about Lillehammer but wasn't sure how far it was. 2-hours by train is very doable for me. I'll check and see if it's open yet.

Thanks also for the advice on practicalities and the language tips.

I go there often, so let me know if you have any questions. What airline are you flying? Connections? Keep us posted, this is exciting!

 

[madskier6]

I'm flying KLM Royal Dutch Airlines thru Amsterdam (coming and going). It looks like my choices for alpine areas near Lillehammer are Hafjell or Kvitfjell. Both are apparently close to Lillehammer.

I'm leaning towards Hafjell because it appears to be bigger so there may be more terrain variety. It's not clear how many trails are open at Hafjell (late on Sat. night anyway) but I'm going to check their website real time on Sunday. There are only 4-5 easier runs open at Kvitfjell.

It's clear that Norway is hurting for snow just like we are.

 

[BeanoNYC]

I'm flying KLM Royal Dutch Airlines thru Amsterdam (coming and going). It looks like my choices for alpine areas near Lillehammer are Hafjell or Kvitfjell. Both are apparently close to Lillehammer.

I'm leaning towards Hafjell because it appears to be bigger so there may be more terrain variety. It's not clear how many trails are open at Hafjell (late on Sat. night anyway) but I'm going to check their website real time on Sunday. There are only 4-5 easier runs open at Kvitfjell.

It's clear that Norway is hurting for snow just like we are.

Nice, have you ever flown through Shiphol before? It's literally my favorite airport in the world!!!! I actually enjoy long layovers there. The casinos are great, the shopping is through the roof and there is this great irish bar. I hope your bringing your camera with you for the ski report! Any chance of you visiting Amsterdam as well? Wow...have a good time and don't hesitate PMing me if you have any questions.

 

[madskier6]

Nice, have you ever flown through Shiphol before? It's literally my favorite airport in the world!!!! I actually enjoy long layovers there. The casinos are great, the shopping is through the roof and there is this great irish bar. I hope your bringing your camera with you for the ski report! Any chance of you visiting Amsterdam as well? Wow...have a good time and don't hesitate PMing me if you have any questions.

Never flown thru Shiphol before. I'll have to check out that Irish bar. I won't be able to visit Amsterdam at all, just going thru the airport.

If their website is to be believed, it appears that Hafjell does not currently have any runs open. I've also been told about Geilo, which is not near Lillehammer (it's on the way to Bergen, I think) but has had ski area(s) operating since 1909. I'll have to find out from the locals which resort is my best bet for one day of skiing under current conditions. Thanks again for the advice, Beano!

 

[BeanoNYC]

Bergen and Oslo are quite far from each other (different coasts) Just ask anyone in the area for a skiing suggestion...try to find a ski shop. The people there are quite nice and eager to use their English (Especially the 15-40 y/o group.) Have fun!!!!!!!!!

I'm subscribed to this thread so if you need anything just post and I'll get emailed.

 

[madskier6]

Just got back from Norway last night. Had an enjoyable time but no skiing. They have less snow (at least in the areas within a couple of hours of Oslo) than we do. I ended up having to work on my "free day" so I couldn't have gone skiing anyhow.

It rained several days and the temps were in the 40's and 50's. The weird thing was (and I expected this anyhow) was that it was dark more than it was light. The sun wouldn't come out until 9:30 or 10:00 a.m. and then it would start getting dark around 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. While I expected this somewhat, it still is weird when you actually experience it.

Hopefully our company will be awarded this contract and I'll be able to go back in January. Everyone said there will be plenty of snow in Jan and Feb.

The Norwegians were very nice and I enjoyed the food (I had reindeer steak one night for dinner) and the entire experience. You were right about everything being expensive (especially the beer). Schiphol airport is unlike any I've ever flown through.

 

[kingslug]

When I was in Sweden it only got dark for 4 hours. I didn't even know I was eating dinner at midnight on night. And yes, by January they should be buried in snow.

 

[BeanoNYC]

Glad you had a good time. In the summer you can have a beer under the sun close to Midnight!!! Do any gambling at the airport?