Cross-country Skiing: Kvitavatn

• 7 nights lodge with shared facilities
• 5 days guided cross-country skiing
• Group normally 4 to 14, per leader
• Travel by private bus

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 3-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 with 0.5ltr [approx 1 pint] of lager costing about GBP 6 so many visitors bring their own supplies. However Norway's strict licensing laws mean that you have to drink these in your own room, and only alcohol purchased from the Fjellstue may be consumed in the dining room and other public areas.

Kvitavatn is located at almost 1000m and at this height snow can lie from November to May, with fresh snowfalls at any time. Average daytime temperatures in winter range from 0º to - 10ºC, though they can fall as low as - 25ºC. At Christmas and New Year daylight hours are limited, with about 6 hours of good light plus twilight. By mid-February this has increased to about 8 hours and by mid-March there are about 12 hours of good daylight. At all times of the winter you can hope for periods of clear bright weather and in February and March it can become surprisingly warm in the sun. Equally, at all times you need to be ready for the occasional stormy day.

At Kvitavatn we offer two grades of skiing most weeks except where stated, ranging from beginner grades to more advanced skiers. This varies depending on the week, please check the dates and prices section to ensure you are picking the right week. For at least 4 of the 6 days skiing, you will be on full day tours, returning only at the end of the day's skiing. At Kvitavatn we offer the below skiing grades: Grade 1 Beginners Equivalent Activity Level - leisurely/moderate-level 2. A week for complete beginners. Inevitably 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 5-6 hours a day with a focus on tuition, getting comfortable on skis and building towards longer tours through the winter landscape. Grade 2 Improvers Equivalent Activity Level – Moderate, level 3. These weeks are ideal for those who have enjoyed at least one grade 1 holiday and grasped the basics. 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 on these weeks 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 Activity Level- Moderate, Level 3. 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 and happy on longer day tours. There will still be tuition on these weeks, at the required level. Grade 4 Advanced Equivalent Activity Level Moderate Challenging, level 4. Choose this level if you can tackle ‘ups and downs’ competently, manage a controlled snowplough descent, and if you want to 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.