‘It’s a wonder that British skiers haven’t flocked north before’

Norwegian slopes

Skiing is the national sport in Norway. It wasn’t until the patchy 2022/23 winter season in the Alps, though (when the cost of living crisis simultaneously bit into our ski holiday budgets) that eyes turned to Scandinavia, properly, for the first time.

With a long, snow-sure season (October to May), picture-perfect wooded slopes and a strong culture of coffee and cake, it’s a wonder that British skiers haven’t flocked north before. Now, though, ski tour operators are reporting a massive uptick in bookings. Crystal Ski Holidays cites a 442 per cent annual increase after launching a new charter flight to Oslo – and that trend is only set to increase once word spreads.

You don’t need to be an all-action adventurer to make the most of this country’s skiing. In the south and east, there are more than 300 mountain peaks that reach higher than 2,000m, and more than 170 snow-sure, family-friendly resorts. Try places such as Trysil, Hemsedal, Gausta and Geilo.

While there isn’t the same level of luxury accommodation as in France or Switzerland, everything – from food to childcare – is quality, which adds huge value. It is ideal territory for beginners and intermediates. Adventurous, expert skiers should head further north to summit a mountain that soars above a deep, shimmering fjord (left).

The ski areas are smaller than elsewhere in Europe, but with the northern lights, ski-in/ski-out accommodation and dog sledding for aprés-ski, you will have forgotten about the British craze for miles of pistes by the first morning.

How to do it

Iglu Ski (igluski.com; 020 3131 6526) offers seven nights’ full board at the four-star Gudbrandsgard Hotel, Kvitfjell, from £740pp, including flights and transfers.

Abigail Butcher is a travel and ski writer who has visited Norway many times for ski touring, cross-country and alpine skiing as well as adventure racing.