Oh, how I long for mountains sometimes.  I grew up on the prairie, but I feel totally at home in the mountains as well.  Before a couple of years ago, I had never skiied in the mountains.  I had hiked mountains, but the only skiing I had done was in Minnesota, either at Welch Village (Cannon Falls) or Lutsen Mountain (which is not a mountain at all…).  I went skiing for the first time in the mountains at Steamboat Springs, CO.  I really need to plan a trip back there or to another ski resort out west.

I also regret the fact that I never went skiing when I lived in Norway, depspite the fact the first few days I was in the country I was at a friend’s cabin in Hemsedal, one of northern Europe’s finest ski resorts.  Hemsedal is very easy to get to.  You can simply hop on the train in Oslo and take it west to Hemsedal.  We were only there for a couple of days, and it was more of a lazy time enjoying relaxing in the cabin with games and drink:)  Hemsedal is sort of like a city, actually, with all of the bars, restaurants, and nightclubs.  It’s a happening place for snowboarders and skiiers alike (cross-country and downhill).

North of the Arctic Circle, Narvik boasts a small, but supposedly a breathtaking resort with a vertical descent of 875 meters.  The resort only has 5 lifts, but tourists and locals alike seem to love it.  The best time to ski in Narvik is between March and June because of the polar darkness.

Another resort that I definitely should not have missed is Trysil, located within an hour and a half drive from Oslo.  With 66 slopes and 31 lifts, Trysil is Norway’s largest ski resort and it is so conveniently located right outside of Oslo!  There is always a firm promise of snow on the slopes and if you and your family are disappointed about your skiing vacation taking a bad turn, you will get a refund for all expenses incurred.  It is amazing to think that there is snow for nearly half of the entire year on these mountains.

Right outside of Lillehammer, Hafjell is the ski resort which was built for the World Olympics.  Hafjell is a bit more modest in size than Trysil, but it a very popular ski resort, especially among families with younger children.  Barneland is a separate part of Hafjell where children from the ages of 4 and 6 can experience skiing for the first time.  There are instructors who focus on having fun and challenging the children at a reasonable level.  And, if you are a parent who does not really want to deal with your 4 year old trying to ski, you can go out for a few runs and know that your little ones are safe at Barneplassen, the child care center.

There are numerous other ski resorts, but I thought I’d mention just a few to get you excited about skiing in Norway someday!