A Scandinavian Saga (Part 2 of the Trilogy)

Part 2 of our Scandinavian Saga has John and Val heading off for their third trip to Beitostølen in Norway.

Three years ago now, in search of a different experience and the possibility of some gentle uncrowded slopes for my wife Val, who by her own admission is a competent but cautious skier we stumbled upon the Norwegian resort of Beitostølen, tucked away on the edge of the Jotunheimen National Park. Beitostølen’s unique appeal and wonderfully laid-back atmosphere stem largely from the fact that it remains very much a family run resort. Inspired bizarrely,  by time spent as a ski instructor in Scotland, Steinar Hovi started the resort back in the 1960’s, at first offering equipment hire to visitors, then adding some simple accommodation.

Val enjoying the peace and quiet

This little gem so impressed us, and in particular Val, that in early February this year we headed back for our third trip. Now I should say at this point that this is very much our opinion and if you are looking high mileage days and a lively nightlife then this is probably not the place for you but if you enjoy a wilderness feel, super friendly locals and a different experience then read on.

The empty piste wasn’t a one off

Beitostølen in reality is better known in Norway as a cross-country resort with over 300 km of prepared tracks and a purpose built Stadium for cross-country events. The cross-country trails are clearly waymarked and graded to suit all abilities and give you the opportunity to head out into some real Norwegian wilderness.

Well marked and graded cross-country trails make it accessible for all abilities

Many cross-country skier use the lift system to access the plateau and the wilder areas beyond and at the local supermarkets you’ll find many pairs of skis left outside while the owners pick up their shopping.

Picture Courtesy of Beitostølen Resort                                                                     Heading out past the Bitihorn

The downhill ski area is small and compact with perfectly groomed quiet pistes and no lift queues, even at weekends, so this is a great place to learn to ski especially given the good ski school and excellent instructors who all probably  speak better English than me. For the more adventurous there are a couple of runs that are left unpisted and off piste opportunities through the trees and from the top of the Knausenheisen Chairlift but as I said earlier this is not a high mileage resort.

Another quiet run

Access to the neighbouring Raudalen Ski Centre is by bus and here there are some harder runs and more off piste opportunities.

Meeting the Team

There are a great number of other winter activities to try but top of the list for me was dog sledding, why had I never done this before? This was arranged through Beito Husky Tours and was a complete hands on experience meeting the 40 or so dogs in their compound, harnessing your team and then driving the sled over frozen lakes and through snow covered forests. having experienced day tours on our trips a multi-day trip is definitely on the bucket list.

A winter wonderland

So if you fancy something different why not give Beitostølen or Norway or Scandinavia a go we certainly feel we left it way too long to try but now we’re hooked. We travelled with Crystal Ski, the pro’s, flying into the tiny airport of Fagernes is a real treat and the transfer is only 45 minutes and the flight back is in the evening so you can fit in 7 days of skiing / activities, the con’s, the flights are from Gatwick. You could try independent travel via Oslo and a 5 hour bus ride to resort. For our three trips we have used self catering cabin accommodation (with private sauna!).

Our cosy cabin complete with log fire and private sauna

Oh and because it’s Norway don’t forget you can pick up duty free on the way out, as one thing that is expensive in Norway is alcohol. Skål!