Here you will ski like a Viking
VENUE OF THE 1994 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
Lillehammer is located in the center of Norway, so the cold and continuous snowfall are its currencies. Hence it was the host of the Winter Olympics in 1994 , although, in reality, it does not have high-ranking mountains such as the Alps.
Its maximum altitude does not reach 1,000 meters , a figure more than low, but that's where your secret is : Lillehammer does not need height; its proximity to the Arctic Circle gives it the optimal amount of snow for good skiing.
To get to this snowy paradise, you can avail of a fleet of shuttle buses from Oslo (or you can also bet on its rail network, with very fast trains leaving the central station of the Norwegian capital frequently).
The village, a Norwegian delight
** KVITFJELL : PURE NORWEGIAN SKIING**
Two resorts compete for alpine skiing in Lillehammer. Kvitfjell Alpine Center was the place chosen for the Olympic downhill competition the queen specialty of alpine skiing in which they reach speeds above 120 km/h.
Indeed, the Kvitfjell downhill run is open to everyone. The mechanical means will deposit us at the top of the station, about 950 meters . So, the dance begins: we have ahead almost a kilometer of vertiginous descent with a extra cold snow which promotes slippage. And attention we are going to finish at 200 meters above sea level.
At that point, we'll assume that when it's really cold, altitude isn't necessary. In Norway latitude always wins. Arctic stuff. At Kvitfjell we are also going to enjoy the tracks that cross its forests.
Or better yet, we can rent some of the wooden chalets - like all Norwegian architecture - that rise within the skiable area. Houses so equipped that they have outdoor hot tub . That of taking a restful bath of hot water surrounded by snow and with the mercury at -6 ºC It is a unique experience.
But the most suggestive of these accommodations is that we reached them skiing and came out of them with the boards on. A more than interesting option because Norway is a country focused on winter sports, where tranquility rules when the sun goes down. There is no excessive nocturnal “walking”. The best: your cabin and your sauna.
Imagine yourself here, with your sauna in the middle of a snowy landscape
** HAJFELL : A 7 KILOMETERS TRACK**
Hajfell is our second choice in Lillehammer. It is located about 15 minutes by car from the city and offers a ski area of 44 kilometers . 17 mechanical means are in charge of the distribution of the skiers, who do not have to worry about the lack of rainfall because 85% of the facilities are covered by snow cannons.
This resort is perched on the foothills of the mountain Mosetertoppen with an altitude of 1030 meters, but again we have ahead more than 800 meters of unevenness to the base of the station rising only 230 meters above sea level.
But the most paradoxical thing is that this unevenness It serves to have traced a track of 7 km in length. A descent of those that cause your legs to "burn" from the effort. Although we can also decide on a video recording of our descent.
The track that starts at the Mosetertoppen has a television circuit throughout its length that collects our progress and measures time. This fight against the clock has a prize: you download the video for free and share it with friends on social networks.
Hajfell
* The journalist Alfonso Ojea is the Director of the Cadena SER program specializing in snow, Pistas Blancas, which has been on the air for 20 years
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This lucky Norwegian steppe is the best place to ski