Cross-country Skiing: Kvitavatn

• Seven nights in a lodge with shared facilities
• Five days guided cross-country skiing
• Group normally 4 to 14, per leader
• Travel by private bus
• Option to travel by train to your adventure

Breakfast, packed lunch and evening meals are included. The food provided includes ample buffet breakfasts, from which you make up your packed lunch, and self-service three-course dinner. Tea and coffee are available all day at no extra charge. Vegetarians are extremely well catered for. Beer and wine can be purchased at the Fjellstue but alcohol in Norway is expensive due to high taxes. Licensing laws mean only alcohol purchased from the Fjellstue may be consumed in the dining room and other public areas.

Kvitavatn is almost 3,280ft (1,000m) above sea level; at this height, snow can lie from November to May, with fresh snowfalls at any time. Average daytime temperatures in winter range from 0C to 10C (32F-50F), though they can fall as low as -25C (-13F). At Christmas and New Year, daylight hours are limited, with about six hours of good light plus twilight. By mid-February, this increases to about eight hours and by mid-March there are about 12 hours of good daylight. In winter, you can hope for periods of clear bright weather and in February and March it can become surprisingly warm in the sun. Equally, you need to be ready for the occasional stormy day at all times.

Each trip departure has two grades of skiing, ranging from Beginner to Advanced. The specific grades vary depending on the departure (trips could be: Grades 1 and 2, Grades 2 and 3, or Grades 3 and 4). Please check Dates & Prices to ensure you are picking the right week for your skill level. Please contact us ahead if you prefer to assess which grade is more suitable to your physical conditions and ski experience.

Below is a guide to the different grades:

Grade 1 Beginners: Equivalent of Activity Level 2 (Leisurely/Moderate).

A week for complete beginners. We start with the basics, including how to stop using the snowplough technique and how to turn. You will be on skis for at least five to six hours a day with a focus on tuition, getting comfortable on skis and building towards longer tours through the winter landscape. This grade is recommended to people who have not skied cross country before or only skied for a couple of days.

Grade 2 Improvers: Equivalent of Activity Level 3 (Moderate).

These weeks are ideal for those who have enjoyed at least one Grade 1 holiday and grasped the basics, including a snowplough and kick turn. They offer tuition to refresh and improve technique and typically will ski a little further than Grade 1 weeks, and over more varied terrain. In some cases, these weeks are acceptable for newcomers to cross-country skiing. Beginners should be very fit and proficient in sports that develop balance. Please contact us if you wish to book a Grade 2 holiday but have not skied before.

Grade 3 Intermediates: Equivalent of Activity Level 3 (Moderate).

A Grade 3 week is ideal for those looking to push on, tackle some slightly steeper terrain and cover more ground each day. Typical groups will have a few weeks skiing behind them, be very comfortable with the basics including snowploughing and kick turns, and happy on longer day tours. There will still be tuition on these weeks, at the required level.

Grade 4 Advanced: Equivalent of Activity Level 4 (Moderate/Challenging).

Choose this level if you can tackle ‘ups and downs’ competently, manage a controlled snowplough descent, execute kick turns on steeper slopes and ski at a lively pace. You should also be able to get up swiftly and easily by yourself after a fall. The mix of track and off-track skiing varies.

Please note, for at least four of the six days of skiing, you will be on full-day tours, returning at the end of the day.