Just booked Oslo, any info?

[Ami in Berlin]

It's my girlfriend's birthday next weekend, and we originally planned an overnight tour along the German/Czech border. But a warm rainstorm a couple weeks ago wiped out what had been a damn good snowpack, and it has not been replenished since.

So after spending several hours researching alternatives, Oslo came out as the most convenient and, oddly, cheapest option for flights and hotel. We got a great deal at the Voksenaasen Kultur og Konferanse Hotel, which appears to be right in the middle of the ski area on a hill above the city.

So does anybody have any info on Oslo, ski related or otherwise (I already know about the €8 beer)?

[Cloxxki]

It's my girlfriend's birthday next weekend, and we originally planned an overnight tour along the German/Czech border. But a warm rainstorm a couple weeks ago wiped out what had been a damn good snowpack, and it has not been replenished since.

So after spending several hours researching alternatives, Oslo came out as the most convenient and, oddly, cheapest option for flights and hotel. We got a great deal at the Voksenaasen Kultur og Konferanse Hotel, which appears to be right in the middle of the ski area on a hill above the city.

So does anybody have any info on Oslo, ski related or otherwise (I already know about the €8 beer)?

I did had searching, and found little. Has the snow come to Oslo meanwhile?
I'm about to book for the 16th or thereabouts, and don't kow where to go. It's hard to find links that will give me a fair overview of where the skiing is good, and where bad. If a center has all 200km of trails open, it could all be crappy snow, right?

[Ami in Berlin]

I'm not finding much very specific in my web searching, either. I'm just assuming that maps can be gotten at the trailheads, and with 2,600 km of trails, something ought to be pretty good.

The trails seem to be maintained by the municipality rather than as private ski centers. This means they are free to use, but maybe don't have a centralised information point. This is what we're used to in Germany, anyway. At any rate, I'll ask at the hotel for info and pass that along.

The alpine ski area, which is right next to the cross-country trails near our hotel, is reporting a 80 cm base, so there should be plenty of snow. I think I saw the airport reporting 28 cm. More snow is forecasted this week, so snow should not be a problem. Oslo seems to have gotten hit pretty hard by a storm at the end of last week.

If you haven't made your booking yet, a lot of hotels seem to be doing third night free deals. I guess winter is not the high season. We got a four star hotel for €68 a night through Hotels.com. So there are some good deals there.

[Ami in Berlin]

We're back, and we had a great time.

The trail network is just huge. The trail marking could be better, and nowhere did I see detailed maps on sale (and I asked around a bit), but it was fine. I'd say the trail preparation ins't quite as good as some other places we've been (Seefeld, La Clusaz), but it was fine.

It was quite crowded, but then again it was also a beautiful weekend, so all of Oslo came out to play. I'm convinced that there is no such thing as a bad Norwegian cross country skier. It was rather humbling at times.

So if you go, just take the T-Bane line 1 out to Frognersetern (the last stop). From there you have an array of trails to head out on in front of you. I can recommend making your way at some point to the Skjennungsstua hut. They make incredible muffins there.

Oslo is very beautiful, but just insanely expensive. Look for ways to save if you can, because costs add up very quickly.

[NorwayNick]

sorry a bit late i know, but you can find all the track info you need here
http://skisporet.no/oslo

[Cloxxki]

sorry a bit late i know, but you can find all the track info you need here
http://skisporet.no/oslo

Hi Nick,

Ticket prices to Oslo are mighty attractive now. Hotel prices less so.
Any tips for a budget skier to crash at? I need a bed, some silence at night, and access to food.

Gotta ski Holmenkollen after seeing Worlds on tv...

Thanks!

[PortlandORXCER]

I stayed in a hostel in Oslo when I was there and it was clean, inexpensive and had excellent breakfast. I did have a roommate that snored, however. So, that aspect can be risky.

[Ken Roberts]

The Nordmarka trail network is so extensive that presumably there must be some accommodation somewhere outside Oslo, which is both very close to one of the trails, and close to some public transportation to other trail areas.

Yeah actually staying in Oslo itself is likely the most expensive way. Better to just go into Oslo for one day and have the fave the famous experience of taking the metro up to Frogneseteren (and skiing around, then down to some other bus or metro stop).

Ken

[osloskier]

Hi, this is my first post here :)

I live in Oslo and ski 4-5 times a week as long as there is any snow, so I thought I'd post some links I use all the time plus some tips.

http://www.yr.no/ is the weather service, it's very good and you can type in the name of the place you're planning to go to to get super local weather forecasts. In English too.

http://webhotel2.gisline.no/turkart_loeypekart/ shows the status for all the tracks groomed by the City of Oslo. I often use this one, as it covers the tracks I usually use.

http://www.skiforeningen.no/marka/ This is a more extensive map maintained by the Oslo skiers association. It's based on Google Maps, but overlaid with color coded grooming status and places of interest to skiers.

http://www.skiforeningen.no/webcam/?icons=1 Webcams

About accomodation outside of Oslo, there's a problem with that idea: The tracks are mostly north of Oslo, and the Nordmarka forest covers some 30 by 35 km. I think the best advice is actually one of the hotels near Frognerseteren or Haraldsheim hostel. The T-bane is 5 minutes away from Haraldsheim, and it's close to the tracks at Solemskogen (11 minutes with bus 56).

For the same price as a week in a hotel, you can probably buy a modern Lavvu tent complete with wood stove, food and firewood and camp next to the tracks. This is completely legal provided you're not doing it in somebodys garden or on farmland (if you were to do the same in the summer, you would have to move the tent every other day). It's also possible to rent lavvus and stoves.

Another possibility is to ski from cabin to cabin through Nordmarka or use one of the cabins as a base. There are several both staffed lodges and unstaffed cabins where you can spend the night, for example Sinnerdammen, Katnosdammen, Studenterhytta, Kikutstua, Kobberhaughytta or Tømtehytta. Highly recommended! Prices are comparable to hostels for the self service cabins (currently about USD 35), a bit less than hotel prices for Kikut and Kobberhaughytta (both staffed, about USD 100). Check availability beforehand and book if possible.

All cabins: http://www.skiforeningen.no/marka/stuer/
Cabins owned by the Norwegian Trekking Association (DNT): http://english.turistforeningen.no/

To get the key to the unstaffed DNT cabins you have to become a member, but this is relatively inexpensive, about USD 100. One DNT membership in the group is enough. Call them for advice.

[osloskier]

Updated my previous post with info about cabins.

[Cucicak]

I'm convinced that there is no such thing as a bad Norwegian cross country skier. It was rather humbling at times.

I know how you feel. Im quite fit, just turned 30 now and was skiing in Lapland last year.

Didnt overtake anybody apart from a couple of other tourists which was rare as it was out of season. Mostly I remember being overtaken by old Finns including one man who looked about 90, he shot past, said "hei, hei" and promptly disappeared over the hill.

[osloskier]

Mostly I remember being overtaken by old Finns including one man who looked about 90, he shot past, said "hei, hei" and promptly disappeared over the hill.

Hmm - maybe I should add that in Oslo, you can get coaching/technique lessons from real world cup medalists, if you're lucky (if you're unlucky, you'll just get a very good coach).

http://www.trudedybendahlski.no/klassis ... 36.no.html
http://www.learn2ski.no/Learn2ski%20des ... 02011.html
http://www.annejahren.no/
http://www.skiglede.no/

Also, Trude Dybendahl's book is incredibly good. I think it might be worth the money even if you don't read Norwegian, just for the pictures. If there's any chance of getting her as an instructor, just pay whatever she wants.

[Raubie]

Osloskier,

Thanks for all of these tips. Someday...

[Cucicak]

Mostly I remember being overtaken by old Finns including one man who looked about 90, he shot past, said "hei, hei" and promptly disappeared over the hill.

Hmm - maybe I should add that in Oslo, you can get coaching/technique lessons from real world cup medalists, if you're lucky (if you're unlucky, you'll just get a very good coach).

http://www.trudedybendahlski.no/klassis ... 36.no.html
http://www.learn2ski.no/Learn2ski%20des ... 02011.html
http://www.skiglede.no/

Also, Trude Dybendahl's book is incredibly good. I think it might be worth the money even if you don't read Norwegian, just for the pictures. If there's any chance of getting her as an instructor, just pay whatever she wants.

Some training from Svendson maybe? Or Berger?

Ive just been to the Biathlon here in Czech Rep, in Nove Mesto na Morave. You Norwegians cleaned up almost apart from Fourcade(France) when Svendson was ill and the Belarussian today with Berger second in the womens mass start.

[osloskier]

Some training from Svendson maybe? Or Berger?

Not likely :)

But many ex and even from time to time some current national team skiers are skiing instructors. Trude Dybendahl is the most-winning of them, I think. Anne Jahren is also a former world champion, and Inger Helene Nybråten coached for Learn2ski last year (loads of relay medals, one individual world championship bronze). The number of medals doesn't decide how good a coach the person is, of course.

Ive just been to the Biathlon here in Czech Rep, in Nove Mesto na Morave. You Norwegians cleaned up almost apart from Fourcade(France) when Svendson was ill and the Belarussian today with Berger second in the womens mass start.

Fourcade deserved that :)