where should i go?

[t-$]

forgot this site logs me out, so i'm not gonna retype everything again.

hi folks, long time, no talk. hope you are all well!

moved back to europe, got a break in march, looking for backcountry ski places.

thinking norway, but not opposed to austria or alps in general. trying to keep it within a reasonable budget cause i'm po folk. got any specific recommendations for me?? planning now so i can get lodging and flights. thanks in advance!

t-$

[Woodserson]

Explain “move back to Europe” I find this intriguing! Also where are you n Europe? This might help shape advice for budgetary reasons. Post pics, yo!

[fisheater]

Europe??? I just discovered some easy access glades at a soccer field just outside of Traverse City. I was planning on reaching out to you for snow reports

[t-$]

hey ya'll,

it's good to see some old names again and read through threads once more! ahhhh, it brings me back to the good old days of just 2 years ago

fishy, yes i'm sad that i didn't get a chance to ski with the mi crew except for a couple of ya. maybe next time i come home in winter we can make it happen. btw, if you go up to the leelenaw pen, there is a golf course called bayle farms which is some phenomenal skiing. nice hills, some steeps, and a group of local tele skiiers who were way better and more old skool than i. i was only introduced to it last winter but made for some nice afternoons (and apparently the owners have given skiiers their blessing so it no problem to go out there, best access is off the road in back)

as far as why i moved back, well i just found repatriating much more difficult than i thought. i was living in west germany before going back to michigan, and now moved back here to dusseldorf. maybe i'm a socialist at heart, i don't know.

but the upshot of living in central europe is that travel to most other places is is like ridiculously dirt cheap. so the travel bit isn't the expensive part. (round trip flights for less than 50 bux a lot of times) but going to places like chamonix or the really well known resorts is too $$ much for me. finding the best places to ski is what i need help with! anyone skiid norway?? i feel a strong calling to go to telemark and visit the home of our sport. worth spending a vacation on??

thanks for any info or suggestions all!!!

[Leo Tasker]

I'm currently living in Norway and it's pretty awesome - different areas will suit different types of skiing, there are the flatter plateaus for long tours and also steeper mountains for more downhill focused stuff. The trail networks are really well signed and maintained during the winter, and the DNT (Norwegian Trekking Association) has hundreds of manned and unmanned cabins throughout the country for overnight stays. XC and ski touring is really ingrained in the Norwegian way of life, so its very normal (and easy) to use buses, trains & planes while toting ski equipment.

However, none of this comes cheap! Norway is super expensive for just about everything, food, drink, accommodation, etc. Definitely something to be aware of if you're planning a trip!

If you prefer lift accessed skiing, places like Andorra and Bulgaria will be far cheaper places to go than the main resorts in France and Switzerland.

Hope this helps!
Cheers, Leo

[Woodserson]

I can't speak for much of Europe except CH as I lack the experience. Switzerland is expensive, for sure, but there are lots of little resorts where you can often get a good deal for skiing, and the transportation, or course, if easy easy. Lodging can be relatively cheap too in the smaller towns, at least compared to the USA. This is due to the large resorts sucking up customers, the high cost of the CHF, and Austria and Italy draining the tourists, and the small villages, especially people with one apt to let, can be desperate for anything.

It won't be cheap-cheap like Bulgaria or some parts of Italy, but I'm just going to throw that out there.

Check out Les Marecottes or Andermatt.

https://www.telemarecottes.ch/
https://www.skiarena.ch/en/plan-your-tr ... ss/Daypass (39chf a day for adult)

A three little small areas around the Gd. St. Bernard, look at La Fouly, for instance. Cheap, with little cheap towns.
https://www.saint-bernard.ch/fr/skier/domaines-skiables

[t-$]

hey guys, thanks for the rec's!!

Leo, might i dig for a little more info?? for instance, when you say there are cabins for overnight stays, do i need to make reservations at those cabins? are there some @pre-planned@ routes that are doable in like 3 days/3 nights of skiing with bus or train access at both ends?

a hut-to-hut sort of trip is exactly what i am looking for. terrain wise, i'm up for almost anything except for super-steeps and avalanche stuff. does this maybe help to make a more targeted suggestion? might there be a website devoted to norwegian ski-trails and trips? all i've been able to find are guided trips worth thousands of euros and that's not what i'm looking for!

thanks again!

[t-$]

thanks again leo,

found this link just now for any interested

https://english.dnt.no/routes-and-cabins/

[Leo Tasker]

Some cabins are private and need to be booked in advance, but most are DNT owned and either manned or unmanned, the latter need a key to access which is available from the main DNT office in Oslo or by post I think.

Another useful website worth looking at is https://ut.no - this will give locations of cabins, ski trails and suggestions for single and multi day routes.

If you want to use public transport, a good place to go would be around Lillehammer, not only is the town worth visiting for its Olympic and ski history, it's only 2 hours from Oslo by train and there are lots of options for huts and routes in the mountains around!

[CwmRaider]

thanks again leo,

found this link just now for any interested

https://english.dnt.no/routes-and-cabins/

Hi t-$

I also live in Norway (Trondheim) and have done several hut to hut ski tours in the past easter periods, and some smaller ones outside of this.
The main trips I did were several in the Sylan massif near the Swedish border (I did up to 5 nights but longer trips are possible) and one three night trip in the Trollheimen massif, what is called the "Trollheimen Trekanten". The Trollheimen trip had quite a bit more topography and was overall more spectacular, however the Sylan area is also very nice.
Regarding Sylan -
We did on one trip use cross the border into Sweden but the Swedish touring agency STF has a different, much more massive approach to mountaineering and in some Swedish cabins eg. Sylarna Fjällstasjon there were >150 people staying, which we did NOT like. The Norwegian cabins were much cozier. So far my favorite trip there was:
- Drive in to Bjørneggen DNT cabin (self service, we did not stay there as it is not a nice cabin)
- Ski to Schulzhytta (full board), then to Ramsjøhytta (self service), then to Storerikvollen (full board, highlight in terms of cozyness), then back to Bjørneggen. 3 nights, 4 days, 18-25 km / day.
With public transport the possibilities have to be checked, there are buses to some trailheads but I have not used this option so I am not sure.

Re-Trollheimen:
https://www.tt.no/trekanten-vinter/
In Trollheimen, the best way to go with public transport is probably to fly to Trondheim (Oslo is further) and then take the train to Oppdal. From there find your way to Gjevilvasshytta (bus? + ski), then ski over to Jøldalshytta, Trollheimshytta and back to Gjevilvasshytta. Then ski + bus back to Oppdal.
Here is some other users website with some pictures so you get an idea http://folk.ntnu.no/strimbec/Personal/T ... eimen1.htm
If you like steep, it is possible to summit the Snota mountain with BCD skis from Trollheimshytta.

Other tours we have not done include Hardangervidda (many DNT cabins there!), Rondane (not much snow usually).
Hardangervidda is accessed from, for example, Finse wich I think can be reached by Train from Bergen.

The DNT cabins are spaced out about 15-25 km between them, this makes a reasonable distance.
Accomodation - It is worth getting DNT membership if you sleep in 3 cabins per year or more.
Around Easter many of the main DNT huts have a warden there which means that you are not allowed to cook in the huts yourself. Accomodation costs 860 NOK (=86 euros) for full board for DNT members, including dinner, accommodation, breakfast and pack lunch. To me living in Norway, this is pretty good value. Cabins which have wardens should be booked! But no cabins have wardens year round. Next year for example, Trollheimshytta has wardens from 3 April. Before that, you will have "self service" meaning that you take care of yourself, and pay less.

It is not possible to use the kitchen when there is a warden, this means that in the high season, you pay full board or go to another cabin.
If you are a DNT member, you can obtain a key for all the "self service" cabins. These cost less at 390 NOK/night (39 euros), and you can get preserved food from the supply (self service) for which you have to pay what you use.

In some of the flatter topography tours - e.g. Sylan and Hardangervidda, some people pull ski sleds with tents and camping equipment. However be aware that temperatures around easter can be down to below -20 centigrade (or colder, but that is the coldest tour I had in Sylan), and we had hurricane force winds (180 km/h) in the mountains a few years back at easter in Trollheimen, which made us abort that trip.
A ski sled is not manageable in the steeper terrain of, for example, Trollheimen.
Camping in a winter hurricane is potentially fatal.

How many days did you want to ski for?