Ice driving, snow shoeing, snowmobile safari, dog sledding.
Great fun!
And if your wife allows, a sauna!
Great fun!
And if your wife allows, a sauna!
Planning Norwegian Ski Trip (with 6 year old)
- Thread starter Paul_B
- Start date
What is Norwegian sauna etiquette? Us prudish Brits wear swimming costumes.
I'm personally hoping to get a gym session in. That's one thing I had to drop due to commitments. It's a good way to relax then a steam room and / or sauna afterwards.
We're half board so most food is in the price. Lunch might be a supermarket visit. Must remember to pack an opinel. Or forget it as a ploy to visit brusletto and the oyo brothers (I think that's the other knife maker there).
We're even thinking of bringing some packets of food as a back up. The better world foods noodle packets. There's a kettle so pot noodles might be a reasonable snack. I guess the resort will have a good buffet breakfast. Fill up then and big evening meal. Although you do need to eat for warmth ime. So lunch will be needed.
As a beginner I think a little rucksack isn't a good idea as you'll probably fall on it. I was thinking of taking one for snacks when out and about. Might not want to stop when outside due to cold but could be good for extra layers or to take layers off if we get too warm. What's your advice on rucksacks when new to skiing?
I'm personally hoping to get a gym session in. That's one thing I had to drop due to commitments. It's a good way to relax then a steam room and / or sauna afterwards.
We're half board so most food is in the price. Lunch might be a supermarket visit. Must remember to pack an opinel. Or forget it as a ploy to visit brusletto and the oyo brothers (I think that's the other knife maker there).
We're even thinking of bringing some packets of food as a back up. The better world foods noodle packets. There's a kettle so pot noodles might be a reasonable snack. I guess the resort will have a good buffet breakfast. Fill up then and big evening meal. Although you do need to eat for warmth ime. So lunch will be needed.
As a beginner I think a little rucksack isn't a good idea as you'll probably fall on it. I was thinking of taking one for snacks when out and about. Might not want to stop when outside due to cold but could be good for extra layers or to take layers off if we get too warm. What's your advice on rucksacks when new to skiing?
Well, the Swedish and Finnish old etiquette is - naked with a towel around you.
There is a saying: your parents met in a sauna. You were concived in a sauna, you spent your best times in one and when you die your corpse will be lied out ( awaiting funeral) in a sauna.
Fear not, separate saunas seems to be the norm these days.
If the sauna is mixed, remember, you either stare at the walls, or into the eyes.
Never scratch your family jewels, do not offer to use the birch twigs on somebody unknown.
Never pour vodka on the hot stones unless everybody agrees.
Do not eat beans before.
It is good to have wide vision!
I have never worn a rucksack while downhill skiing.
Too much risk hurting the spine.
You can buy good food in the supermarket, I would not bring any. Try Norwegian brands!
There is a saying: your parents met in a sauna. You were concived in a sauna, you spent your best times in one and when you die your corpse will be lied out ( awaiting funeral) in a sauna.
Fear not, separate saunas seems to be the norm these days.
If the sauna is mixed, remember, you either stare at the walls, or into the eyes.
Never scratch your family jewels, do not offer to use the birch twigs on somebody unknown.
Never pour vodka on the hot stones unless everybody agrees.
Do not eat beans before.
It is good to have wide vision!
I have never worn a rucksack while downhill skiing.
Too much risk hurting the spine.
You can buy good food in the supermarket, I would not bring any. Try Norwegian brands!
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Yes I've been looking at webcams for a while now. It only gets me more and more excited. Like a kid in a candy store or a gear freak in a huge sporting goods store!
There's one camera showing Geilo Sentrum. A road and some steps coming down a high retaining wall to the road. It looks like everywhere is snow. Will the paths in and around town be covered in snow or compacted snow? It looked like that to me, the steps too.
There's one camera showing Geilo Sentrum. A road and some steps coming down a high retaining wall to the road. It looks like everywhere is snow. Will the paths in and around town be covered in snow or compacted snow? It looked like that to me, the steps too.
Unless they salt or it gets above zero, yes.
Do not worry, even OAP’s can handle it!
And they have good doctors in Norway. No doubt the drs in Geilo are very skilled with fractures, both simple as compound.
Do you need some special document from UK when you travel to Norway?
I always travel and use my Swedish passport, so I do not kniw how it works between UK ( EU) and Nirway (outside EU)
Do not worry, even OAP’s can handle it!
And they have good doctors in Norway. No doubt the drs in Geilo are very skilled with fractures, both simple as compound.
Do you need some special document from UK when you travel to Norway?
I always travel and use my Swedish passport, so I do not kniw how it works between UK ( EU) and Nirway (outside EU)
Btw, do NOT exchange much money at that bank that is just by the exits in Gardemoen. Thirves. Just maybe £100 or so to give you some little cash.
Plastic rules in Scandinavia
Plastic rules in Scandinavia
So now it's not far off before I'll be eating reindeer burgers in Geilo. Some time after about 8pm Saturday I think. Depending on trains sticking to the timetable.
Ski lessons booked, passes and equipment sorted. Travel insurance decided and bought. Flight and train bookings being printed off. Taxi / Hotel pick-up from the station sorted and details printed. Passports and Ehic cards ready to go. Final packing tomorrow morning. We've got two days at relatives, half a day in Edinburgh and a night in a hotel near the airport. All booking details printed off. We're very nearly ready to go.
Ski lessons booked, passes and equipment sorted. Travel insurance decided and bought. Flight and train bookings being printed off. Taxi / Hotel pick-up from the station sorted and details printed. Passports and Ehic cards ready to go. Final packing tomorrow morning. We've got two days at relatives, half a day in Edinburgh and a night in a hotel near the airport. All booking details printed off. We're very nearly ready to go.
Well we're over here. The pistes are empty lifts stopped and I've got time for a quick update and thank you for all your input. I had a two hour private lesson with the whole family before the group lessons started in the Sunday. Snow plough was taught but only partly taken in. The instructor obviously spent more time with our son. Felt great and confidence was high. 2 hours really moved us forward.
Next day no lessons (we thought we could avoid a week of lessons). Very strong winds and ice broke my high spirits as everything went wrong. So we got onto group lessons for our son and I got another hour long private lesson. Last run of the lesson something went really right for me. A positive end to the third day.
Today? First bad run where I forgot everything and the feeling wasn't there. Second run it clicked. A short green run but it had icy parts. I always had difficulty in one part. I got into difficulty again on that second run but as I almost always did I stayed upright and recovered to carve a near perfect turn (well still slightly snow plough form obviously) round the Marmot kind of cartoon post. That after being on one ski only, the lower one I was trying to turn with if that makes sense.
Right now I have confidence. I can carve a turn. I've got confidence in my snow plough stop. I can go over some bumps built up in the snow. Who cares if a Norwegian 4 year old goes past me twice a quickly. I can do it..
To all those who have never learnt or who have forgotten what it was like learning I say the moment your body does things right is a great feeling. You know when something clicks and you're not having to think about the broken down technique but you're thinking more about where you want to go next. You're no longer looking down at your skis but you're looking at what's coming up on the piste. Where you want to be next.
Tomorrow? Well our son has an hour and half group lesson so me and my partner will do the 1.1km green run. It goes from the top and it's actually one of the resorts longest pistes. It's steep in parts but we'll just carve long and winding turns to lessen the slope. Or so the plan is.
Next day no lessons (we thought we could avoid a week of lessons). Very strong winds and ice broke my high spirits as everything went wrong. So we got onto group lessons for our son and I got another hour long private lesson. Last run of the lesson something went really right for me. A positive end to the third day.
Today? First bad run where I forgot everything and the feeling wasn't there. Second run it clicked. A short green run but it had icy parts. I always had difficulty in one part. I got into difficulty again on that second run but as I almost always did I stayed upright and recovered to carve a near perfect turn (well still slightly snow plough form obviously) round the Marmot kind of cartoon post. That after being on one ski only, the lower one I was trying to turn with if that makes sense.
Right now I have confidence. I can carve a turn. I've got confidence in my snow plough stop. I can go over some bumps built up in the snow. Who cares if a Norwegian 4 year old goes past me twice a quickly. I can do it..
To all those who have never learnt or who have forgotten what it was like learning I say the moment your body does things right is a great feeling. You know when something clicks and you're not having to think about the broken down technique but you're thinking more about where you want to go next. You're no longer looking down at your skis but you're looking at what's coming up on the piste. Where you want to be next.
Tomorrow? Well our son has an hour and half group lesson so me and my partner will do the 1.1km green run. It goes from the top and it's actually one of the resorts longest pistes. It's steep in parts but we'll just carve long and winding turns to lessen the slope. Or so the plan is.
Did the instructor show you how to stop 'properly' ?
Skis together, then a quick flick sideways. Skis at 90 degree angle to the direction of travel.
Plow stops can be a little bit dangerous if your speed is higher, plus if you hit something ( ice bump, stone) with the tip of the skis.
Maybe he planned that at the end of the week.
Is the food to your liking? Hot Dog at the petrol station, have you had a few yet?
Skis together, then a quick flick sideways. Skis at 90 degree angle to the direction of travel.
Plow stops can be a little bit dangerous if your speed is higher, plus if you hit something ( ice bump, stone) with the tip of the skis.
Maybe he planned that at the end of the week.
Is the food to your liking? Hot Dog at the petrol station, have you had a few yet?
No hotdog. Not seen a petrol station since we have only buses, trains, planes and foot to get around (no xc skis). The buffets are good but I wasn't sure if the steak was reindeer or beef that was a bit different. Nice food.
Home tomorrow but at least all three of us have done the longest downhill piste route in geilo. Was only a very steep green but still fun for us novices. Fast too. It felt like 40+mph feels like on a bicycle going downhill. Or perhaps 50+mph. Fun!
Home tomorrow but at least all three of us have done the longest downhill piste route in geilo. Was only a very steep green but still fun for us novices. Fast too. It felt like 40+mph feels like on a bicycle going downhill. Or perhaps 50+mph. Fun!
To clarify, the skiing speed created an adrenaline rush like I got doing 50+mph on my road bike on rough country downhill roads. Complete with the gritty, bumps from where the stones / gravel was poking through the thin snow layer near the steep top section of the piste. It got scraped clean in patches by late afternoon. Lower section was a lot deeper and fast.
It's 7 degrees at 7am today! Glad we're coming home. It's probably cooler at home than here today. The instructors say it's a strange year with the weather / temperatures. They had a very early snow which melted completely then it came back literally just in time for the season to officially open.
It's 7 degrees at 7am today! Glad we're coming home. It's probably cooler at home than here today. The instructors say it's a strange year with the weather / temperatures. They had a very early snow which melted completely then it came back literally just in time for the season to officially open.
Picked up a nice folder over there. Not an EDC because it's probably too long and locks (stand to be corrected if my understanding of UK knife laws is wrong but let's not go there because I doubt it'll be spotted by anyone with powers to arrest). Oyo brand if that's any good? Couldn't find the other Geilo knife maker of note (Brusletto).
It's a thick blade with an effective enough shape I reckon. Brass pins (a little pronounced for my liking) and a small through hole that's brass lined. The scales of the handle are in a nice, light honey coloured wood with red grain that kind of glitters a little. An unusual wood with fine grain (the edge of the wood shows maybe 5 or 6 grain lines across its thickness before showing nicely on the shaped handle surface.
It cost less than £30 and came in a blister pack with a leather case (plus belt loop). Not bad considering I "forgot" my opinel I "planned" to pack for lunch cutting duties. We had no knife to cut supermarket bought food so it really was the cheapest knife I could find.
Seriously I had every intention of getting a Brusletto or oyo if I found one at a reasonable price. Not a knife collector just own a few that get used when appropriate to do so. Mostly DIY, picnic, camping or bike fixing duties when needed.
Back in UK BTW. A fun week away! Back to ordinary work Monday. With good memories and a new skill. I can now get down snow covered slopes with metal edged, fibreglass planks on my feet.
PS what are ski poles for? They tended to get in the way of chairlift safety bars and flags you're trying to turn at closely at. I learnt on day 3 they are not needed for my level of skiing.
I also wonder if geilo is as nice a trip when there's no snow. Would a ski resort look ugly in summer?
It's a thick blade with an effective enough shape I reckon. Brass pins (a little pronounced for my liking) and a small through hole that's brass lined. The scales of the handle are in a nice, light honey coloured wood with red grain that kind of glitters a little. An unusual wood with fine grain (the edge of the wood shows maybe 5 or 6 grain lines across its thickness before showing nicely on the shaped handle surface.
It cost less than £30 and came in a blister pack with a leather case (plus belt loop). Not bad considering I "forgot" my opinel I "planned" to pack for lunch cutting duties. We had no knife to cut supermarket bought food so it really was the cheapest knife I could find.
Seriously I had every intention of getting a Brusletto or oyo if I found one at a reasonable price. Not a knife collector just own a few that get used when appropriate to do so. Mostly DIY, picnic, camping or bike fixing duties when needed.
Back in UK BTW. A fun week away! Back to ordinary work Monday. With good memories and a new skill. I can now get down snow covered slopes with metal edged, fibreglass planks on my feet.
PS what are ski poles for? They tended to get in the way of chairlift safety bars and flags you're trying to turn at closely at. I learnt on day 3 they are not needed for my level of skiing.
I also wonder if geilo is as nice a trip when there's no snow. Would a ski resort look ugly in summer?
The poles assist you when you turn.
Snow makes any place beautiful, but even if Geilo is not ’scenic’ summertime, the nature around it is.
Nature is beautiful all around Scandinavia as soon as you leave the cities, towns and villages!
Snow makes any place beautiful, but even if Geilo is not ’scenic’ summertime, the nature around it is.
Nature is beautiful all around Scandinavia as soon as you leave the cities, towns and villages!
I checked on Google Earth, and the Brusletto factory is just across the road from Øyo factory!
Well, there is always next time!
Well, there is always next time!
Got the knife in a town centre outdoor shop. I looked and although about 0.8 miles out from town (about 1.6 miles from where we were staying) it cut too much into family skiing time to visit. It didn't look a particularly nice walk alongside the main road in the area to get there. From what I saw Brusletto do factory tours on certain days but oyo don't unless by special request for groups. Could not see much about a factory shop neither.
I guess we became ski obsessives. To be fair it was a big part of the trip.
This is the knife I got same price but from a retailer not direct. It looks nicer in the hand than on a phone screen. You get a better view of the grain on the handle. Nicer than a flat photograph.
https://www.oeyo.no/shop/friluftsliv/marka-foldekniv/
I guess we became ski obsessives. To be fair it was a big part of the trip.
This is the knife I got same price but from a retailer not direct. It looks nicer in the hand than on a phone screen. You get a better view of the grain on the handle. Nicer than a flat photograph.
https://www.oeyo.no/shop/friluftsliv/marka-foldekniv/
