If you are a cross-state skier looking for a fairly easy tour in the Norwegian mountains, just one space worth considering is the hill-place to the west of Espedalen, which is a very long valley situated about 70km to the northwest of the city of Lillehammer.
In the mid-nineteenth century, Espedalen was a very chaotic area, for it was then the world’s biggest centre for nickel mining, and hundreds of guys worked there. But nowadays several indications of that exercise stay, and the valley is tranquil and empty.
You can reach it by taking a morning teach from Oslo airport to Lillehammer and then the afternoon bus to Espedalen. The bus drops off at every single of the 3 inns in the valley. For logistical factors, it can be greatest to prepare to commit both equally the very first and previous evenings of your holiday at a single of these resorts, because you will just about surely want to use their transport at the conclude of the tour, as we will see. (You may possibly also want to use their transportation at the commence of the tour, potentially to shorten the first day.)
After the very first night in your hotel you can established off on your tour, every evening keeping in cabins managed by DNT, the Norwegian Mountain Trekking Affiliation. All other than one of the cabins in this space are un-staffed, but they are well outfitted with food items, cooking tools and firewood and they have bunks with bedding. The un-staffed cabins are locked, but you can borrow a important from DNT (just after initially turning into a member of that organisation).
Generally talking, in the course of the period among mid-February and Easter the routes among the huts are marked by canes put into the snow at common intervals. But you continue to require to be able to navigate, just in scenario you stray absent from the canes in bad climate.
There are quite a few doable tour itineraries, but the subsequent variation is pretty normal. As you will see, the tour is a small a single. Nevertheless, many skiers spend much more than a single night at every hut, and take the opportunity to do working day-excursions with gentle packs.
Stage 1 requires you to Storholiseter cabin, a length of 15 to 20km, dependent on your commencing point. The route goes mainly via forests of birch and spruce, until eventually you arrive out of the trees a few of kilometres just before reaching Storholiseter, which is a cluster of cabins that previously served as an upland farm. The DNT lodging is unfold among two of the cabins: in total there are 18 beds.
Stage 2 usually takes you to Storkvelvbu cabin, a distance of about 12km. On the way you climb slowly to a peak of 1200m and you should have a great see of the Jotunheim Mountains, Norway’s best, off to your proper.
Stage 3 goes to Haldorbu, a 16-bed cabin situated at 1025m earlier mentioned sea stage. The distance is about 14km.
Stage 4 goes to Liomseter (915m), which is a staffed cabin. (Or, at any level, it is staffed through the busiest component of the touring season, usually the two months working up to Easter. For the relaxation of the winter season a small component of it, with just 10 beds, can be utilized on an un-staffed basis.) The length from Haldorbu to Liomseter is about 16km and on the way you reduce about 100m in altitude and occur down underneath the treeline. Liomseter is a fairly big creating and when staffed it has a full of 40 beds, some in modest bunk-rooms, some in a more substantial dormitory. When staffed it serves foods and you can also enjoy the luxurious of a incredibly hot shower.
Stage 5 To end your tour you will ski down to an isolated location termed Synsgardsætra, very little more than a car or truck park at the end of a small road, about 15km from Liomseter. Your greatest alternative then is to return to the lodge where by you expended the 1st night time. By prior arrangement the hotelier will arrive and gather you from Synsgardsætra and drive you again to the resort. Early following morning you can choose the bus again to Lillehammer and from there a teach to Oslo airport.
