november-2011

WINTER FUN
Snowboarding in Norway is
an extrovert’s paradise
and Gavin Henson began 2010’s series
of 71 Degrees North here.
Don’t miss: More than six miles
(10km) of lit cross-country trails.
Use TracTrac GPS-based technology
(tractrac.com) to locate freshly prepared
ski paths.
Best digs: The swankiest place to stay
is Skogstad Hotell (neilson.co.uk),
a recently renovated 1905 farmhouse
outfitted with boutique furnishings.
Best eats: Visit the 1870s coaching inn
Fausko Skysstasjon (Tuv, +47 32 05 51
00) for five-course gourmet meals of
reindeer, grouse and rakfisk (salted
and fermented trout).
Best souvenir: A classic, hand-knit
Norwegian sweater from Dale of Norway
(dale.no), the country’s most respected
traditional clothing brand.
96 Thomas Cook Travel
WHILE YOU’RE
THERE, DON’T MISS
THE CHANCE TO:
GO ICE CLIMBING
Explore Scandinavia’s
frozen beauty by hiking
over a glacier arm or icedover
waterfall in Hemsedal
(norgesguidene.no) or Åre
(jope.se). No special training
or equipment is required.
Book in-resort with
Neilson, neilson.co.uk
Geilo, Norway
Where: A diminutive mountain village
halfway along the scenic Oslo-Bergen
railway line.
Nearest Thomas Cook airport:
Fagernes.
Best for: Late season (and late evening)
skiing – into late April and well past
eight in the evening.
Who goes: Families with children,
thanks to activities that include
sledging slopes, treasure hunts,
cross-country ski orienteering and ski
schools – plus an excellent terrain park
for boarders and skiers. Queen Sonja
of Norway herself received her ski
instructor’s certificate in Geilo.
Don’t miss: The IceMusic Festival
(3-5 February, icefestival.no) features