FAQs

Norway Cross Country Ski and Yoga Weekend

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  • You are responsible for booking flights and trains to Ringebu. You can book any flight that fits the schedule, but transfers run on time and can’t be delayed, even if your flight is listed.

    Please note, if your flight is late or cancelled, you’ll need to make your own way to the start location, but we’ll support you with local transport information on the day.

    We strongly recommend travel insurance that covers delays, cancellations, and missed connections.

  • Yes — a group transfer is included on both the arrival and departure days. This is a shared transfer, running at fixed times to and from a designated location (usually an airport or train station).

    There is one transfer each way, and your flight must match the timing. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to make your own arrangements.

    • Pickup Point: Ringebu train station at either 16:53 or 18:49 (or 18:35 on Saturdays)

    • Drop-off Point: Ringebu station in time for the 12:06 or 13.57 trains

    The group transfer is included in your trip package. There is no discount if you choose not to use it.

Travel

  • Meeting Point: Ringebu train station

    We will pick you up from Ringebu train station at either 16:53 or 18:49 (or 18:35 on some Saturdays). These transfer times line up with our suggested trains below. The transfer to the hotel is a 20-minute drive.

    Arrival Flight to Oslo Gardermoen:

    Book a morning flight to Oslo Gardermoen Airport. Aim to arrive at least 1 hour before your train departure time to Ringebu, preferably more.

    Train from Oslo Gardermoen to Ringebu

    Book one of the following trains:

    • Depart 14:29 Oslo lufthavn (Gardermoen), Arrive 16:53 at Ringebu Station

    • Depart 16:29 Oslo lufthavn (Gardermoen), Arrive 18:49 at Ringebu Station

    On some Saturdays:

    • Depart 14:29 Oslo lufthavn (Gardermoen), Arrive 16:53 at Ringebu Station

    • Depart 15:59 Oslo lufthavn (Gardermoen), Arrive 18:35 at Ringebu Station (Train to Lillehammer, then change to bus VY710 to Ringebu)

    The railway station is in the same building as Oslo Gardermoen Arrivals Terminal, downstairs.

    For details on booking your trains, please read “How do I book my train tickets?”

  • Train from Ringebu to Oslo lufthavn (Gardermoen)

    Book one of the following trains:

    • Depart 12:06 Ringebu Station, Arrive 14:21 at Oslo lufthavn (Gardermoen)

    • Depart 13:57 Ringebu Station, Arrive 16:20 at Oslo lufthavn (Gardermoen)

    On some Saturdays:

    • Depart 12:12 Ringebu Station, Arrive 14:32 Oslo lufthavn (Gardermoen)

    Departure Flight from Oslo Gardermoen to home:

    Book an afternoon or evening flight from Oslo Gardermoen Airport. Ensure there’s at least 2 hours between your train arrival from Ringebu and your flight departure.

    For details on booking your trains, please read “How do I book my train tickets?”

  • Missed transfers are rare, but we want to be upfront so you can plan with confidence.

    If your flight is delayed or cancelled, you’ll need to arrange your own transport to meet the group. We’ll support you as best we can — your host will be your main contact on the day and can help coordinate locally. You can also contact our bookings team, available Monday to Friday, 9am–5pm UK time, though replies may be delayed outside of these hours.

    Even if you booked a flight from our Suggested Flights, group transfers run on schedule and cannot wait for late arrivals.

    In some locations, arranging a private transfer is straightforward — but in more remote areas, it can be limited and expensive. That’s why comprehensive travel insurance is essential, not only for delays and cancellations, but also in case you need to cancel your trip before departure.

    Make sure your insurance covers travel delays and missed connections — it could save you a significant amount if things don’t go to plan.

  • You should buy comprehensive travel insurance as soon as you book your trip — not just before you travel. This ensures you’re covered in case you need to cancel before departure, as well as for any unexpected issues while you’re away.

    Your policy should include cover for:

    • Travel delays and missed connections

    • Trip cancellation

    • Medical emergencies and evacuation

    • Baggage and equipment loss

    • All activities included in your itinerary


    Travel insurance is a requirement for joining any Gutsy Girls trip, and it’s your responsibility to check that your policy includes the kind of adventure you've signed up for — especially outdoor or sporting activities.

    Booking your insurance early gives you peace of mind and protects your trip from the very start.

  • Book your train tickets through the Vy website (https://www.vy.no/en) or the SJ website (https://www.sj.no).

    Tickets are available 60-90 days before travel. Book as soon as possible to secure your seat.

  • If you catch a later train, we can arrange a taxi between Ringebu station and the hotel.

    • Between 8am - 8pm - 300 NOK (approx. £22/€25) each way per person

    • Between 8pm-8am - 790 NOK (approx. £58/€65) each way per person

    Please email our Bookings Team to book the taxi.

    If you take a later train on the first day though, you’ll miss dinner (no refund available).

Accommodation & Food

  • The hotel we stay at is a family run hotel, known in Norway as a "fjellhotell". This term conjures the image of a warm, cosy cabin in the mountains, down to earth and with a focus on its place in nature. It has a reputation for friendly hospitality and excellent food. The views of an open landscape of lakes, mountains and forest are spectacular. You can ski right from the door!

    There is a spacious lounge or ‘stua’ with an open fire and a bar. Complimentary teas and coffee are always available in the lounge. There's also a drying room and dedicated skistall for expert advice and recommendations.

    For those of you who may have dog allergies or simply don’t like dogs, please be aware that this hotel is dog friendly and there are at least three resident (very gentle) dogs. They won’t enter any bedrooms, but you are likely to encounter them in the lounge area, which is big and airy. There is no obligation to engage with them at all if you would rather not, but please be aware of this.

  • The rooms are simple, light and airy with a mountain style and there are superb mountain views from the dining room and many of the bedrooms.

  • Yes it does!

  • Yes!

  • No - you could bring some soap flakes / travel wash to wash your base layers if you think this will be necessary!

  • The delicious, traditional homemade food on this trip is a real highlight. We will have a three course meal (set menu) every evening, a sumptuous breakfast buffet and a plentiful packed lunch for our days out.

    Good quality, local ingredients sourced from local producers and healthy, homemade food are important values ​​in the kitchen. Chefs use quality ingredients where the flavours speak for themselves.

    The hotel is committed to catering for all dietary requirements and allergies and offering safe – and tasty – food.

  • We can cater for all dietary requirements and we will request information prior to your arrival.

    Please note the dinner is a three course set menu, so if there are foods you can't eat or dislike eating, please makes sure this is clear well in advance of your arrival!

Activities

  • Our cross country ski holidays are rated moderate.

    The trip is perfect for beginners, with no previous ski or winter sport experience, however you’ll need a good level of fitness to get the most from this experience.

    Fitness Requirements

    You take part in medium to high-intensity cardio exercise 3 times a week, for around 45 minutes each time.

    What That Might Look Like

    Your weekly routine regularly includes activities like running, HIIT sessions, crossfit, cycling, or spin classes. While you don’t need to be a world-class athlete or breaking records, you're accustomed to workouts that raise your heart rate and leave you breathing heavily for about 45 minutes each time.

    Engaging in low-intensity activities like walking, yoga, and pilates will be beneficial, but these alone won't be enough to meet the cardio demands of this trip.

    What to Expect

    Duration: Each day, you’ll be active for 6-7 hours, some days will consist of two sessions, each lasting 2-3 hours. Some days may have longer full-day tours.

    Distance: We'll cover between 8km to 25km daily. Consider if you can comfortably walk these distances and on consecutive days.

    Intensity: Cross country skiing often feels like "running with skis on" on long, flat sections. Uphill climbs can be physically demanding, so you do need a good level of fitness!

    Downhill: The trails are not overly steep, but you will need to be comfortable gaining speed on a slope.

    Sliding Motion: Being comfortable with a gliding sensation is essential.

    Falling: Expect a few tumbles while learning cross country skiing. Though these falls are generally softer than in alpine skiing, you’ll need to be comfortable with the idea of falling!

    Cold Exposure: While activity generates warmth, January and February often see temperatures dip below freezing. We'll advise you on effective layering to stay warm.

    Consecutive Activity: This trip involves several days of consecutive skiing, which can be tiring.

    If you have any questions about this, please do get in touch before booking, we're happy to help!

  • We’re here to support you out of your comfort zone as you learn something new, by creating fun and supportive environments. We believe cross-country skiing is a fantastic sport for beginners with no previous skiing experience, but it may not be the sport for everyone.

    The Movement and Terrain

    Cross country skiing is a gliding and sliding motion. If you do not like the sensation of sliding or are nervous about falling, this winter sport might not be for you.

    Cross country skiing does have downhill sections and they aren’t super steep, but you will learn to go down them and control your speed. If you do not like the sensation of going downhill, maybe from previous skiing experiences, then you may not enjoy cross country skiing.

    You need to be prepared to fall over a bit while learning! Usually, the soft snow makes these falls relatively painless.

    Fitness

    Cross country skiing is a physically demanding sport at times! It does get described as ‘running with skis on’. In as far as cardio fitness goes, this is true - it can be hard work! We do recommend you have a good base fitness level to get the most out of the experience. Each day, we will have 2 x 2-3 hour lessons and tours and on some occasions, full-day tours.

    If you do physical activity that gets your heart rate up a minimum of 3 times a week for at least 45 minutes, you’ll have a great time on skis!

    We encourage you to be kind to yourself when deciding if this is the sport for you.

  • No! This trip is designed for complete beginners. We can’t wait to share the joys of nordic and cross country skiing with you! Working with fantastic ski instructors and guides, you’ll receive excellent tuition progressing your skills throughout the week, learning new techniques and building your mileage to explore incredible remote and snowy landscapes.

  • Have a read of our blog post here for  why we have chosen cross country skiing!

    For cross country skiing we use light-weight skis and boots. There are no ski lifts and instead, we glide across the snow, powered by our own effort. Cross country ski areas have prepared tracks where the snow has been pressed to create a smooth gliding surface. The terrain is gently rolling, for the most part. We will teach you the techniques you need to travel across the snow, and up and down gentle gradients.

    You can also go further afield - away from the prepared tracks, exploring more of the wilderness, still in gentle rolling terrain. This is done at a gentle and appropriate pace to suit the group.

    Cross country skiing is an activity enjoyed by a variety of people and for different reasons: it can be a way to explore and take in the winter landscape away from the crowds and it is also an exciting sport which combines learning ski technique with great exercise.

  • Most people find learning to cross country ski much easier than alpine skiing. If you are active in daily life and have a good fitness level, then you'll be well on your way to exploring a good portion of the ski area surrounding our hotel after a few days.

    The great thing is that skiers of different abilities can ski the same tracks - the only difference is that they may be travelling at a different pace. This means you feel like you're making rapid progress and gives you a great sense of achievement!

    Cross country skiing is a gliding and sliding motion. If you do not like the sensation of sliding or are nervous about falling, then this winter sport might not be for you - we have snowshoeing adventures!

    Cross country skiing does have downhill sections. They aren’t super steep, but you will learn to go down them and control your speed. If you do not like the sensation of going downhill, maybe from previous skiing experiences, then you may not enjoy cross country skiing. 

    You do need to be prepared to fall over a bit while you’re learning! Usually the soft snow makes these falls fairly painless.

  • Very quickly, skiers of different abilities can ski the same tracks (although they may be travelling at a different pace), so you won't be stuck on the baby tracks!  

  • Cross country and alpine skiing are distinct and very different from one another. Any prior ski knowledge is certainly a help, but the techniques and equipment used in cross country skiing are not the same, and foundational training for cross country is essential. Even experienced alpine skiers should start as beginners!

  • Working on your cardiovascular fitness will help you with endurance and stamina. Walking at a good pace (where you feel slightly out of breath) is really useful, or of course, running or cycling or performing other higher-intensity exercise.

    Improving your strength, core stability and balance really helps with cross country skiing too. Good balance is essential for weight transfer from one ski to the next. We will be balancing on one ski as it glides – so if standing one one leg is a challenge then practising will help!  You could stand on one leg every time you clean your teeth! Activities and sports that challenge our balance can help us develop our balance in a progressive way, including Pilates, yoga and dancing.

  • Please see our blog about cross country ski clothing here.

    In a nutshell, when we are cross country skiing we are very active and generating heat while out in the cold. While moving, we get hot (and sweaty!) but then when we stop in the cold, we cool down quickly. The mistake people often make is overdressing, getting too hot and sweaty whilst moving and then cooling off quickly and then feeling cold and damp at every stop. In addition, when we’re skiing with a group we may stop more frequently or for longer than you would if you were alone. Cross country skiing does NOT require the same sort of clothing as downhill skiing because the warm, padded clothing for downhill skiing takes into account long stretches sitting still on chairlifts at the mercy of the weather - not needed whilst cross country skiing! 

    We recommend a variety of wool or synthetic base layers, topped by a windproof, breathable waterproof hiking jacket (shell) with a hood, with a warm, insulated jacket in a backpack to put on at rest stops. On your legs, we recommend windproof, water repellent, breathable soft shell type fitted trousers or leggings.

    We recommend avoiding cotton clothing as it gets wet and cold and doesn't dry fast.

    Other vital items are warm socks, sunglasses, sunscreen, waterproof and insulated gloves, a buff and hat.

  • Yes! Ensure you bring a daypack with you that has plenty of space for layers that you need to peel off and put away. We recommend a backpack of about 25 litres. 

    It is a good idea to carry a warm, insulated jacket in your bag that you can put on at rest stops to stop you from getting cold, and a spare pair of gloves because wet gloves are the worst! Make sure there is some space in your bag before you begin as you are likely to need to put layers away as you warm up.

    It is a really good idea to carry a couple of smaller, lightweight dry bags to keep the clothes in your backpack from getting wet.

  • The yoga sessions are slow and restorative to help you recover from a day of skiing! Wear a jumper as you won't get hot in these sessions.

  • Yes! You can find it here.

Other

  • Of course we cannot predict the weather on any given week, but temperatures around -10°C are considered perfect for cross country skiing, and we may sometimes have temperatures of more like -20°C. This sounds cold, however, for most of the winter in Norway, it is a “dry” cold which tends to feel less cold than “damp” cold.

  • On this trip, everywhere you will visit accepts cards, so you don't need to withdraw any Norwegian Krone at all!

  • Whenever possible we use female instructors and guides on our day events and trips, however, we cannot always guarantee this, simply because there are fewer female instructors available!

    Our first priority is to work with the most highly experienced and considerate instructors and guides, who are patient, friendly and as passionate as we are about building women’s confidence in the outdoors.

    Simply due to the ratio of men to women in the outdoors industry, sometimes this means our guides and instructors are male.

    We keep a close eye on the feedback our guides receive from our guests as we believe that overall this is more important than their gender. We sincerely hope that as more women are introduced to adventure sports and activities, the number of female guides and instructors in our industry will increase.

  • Yes! We encourage you to book in solo!

    Over 95% of our guests join our holidays on their own.

    Our aim is to connect you with like-minded new friends! We are a very friendly bunch, come as you are, we can’t wait to meet you!

  • The Gutsy Girls community is filled with fun, friendly and supportive women from 18-70+. We never ask your age, just that you are up for an adventure!

    As a rough guide, most Gutsy Girls guests are 24-65 years old, with around 60% in their 30s-40s. After a day learning to surf, mountain biking over the hills, hiking to peaks for incredible views or exploring remote locations by paddleboard, age becomes irrelevant as we are all connected by our experiences.

  • There is no upper age limit for our adventures - we have women up to 70 years old join us.

  • Our hosts are volunteers who are passionate about our mission and want to help more women get outdoors. They're not professionals in the sports or from the countries the trips are based in. Instead, they are there for you. Our guides on the other hand are employed by our local partners in-country and are there to teach you epic activities, lead your sessions and answer all your questions.

  • Tipping is not compulsory on our adventures, but if you've had a great trip and brilliant service, a tip for your guide or host is always appreciated. We recommend giving €20-€30, or whatever you can or feel is the right amount.