FAQs
Intermediate & Improvers
Cross Country Ski & Yoga Retreat in Norway
Travel
-
Meeting point: Ringebu train station
You are responsible for booking flights and trains to Ringebu.
We will pick you up from Ringebu train station at either 16:53 or 18:49 (or 18:35 on Saturdays). These transfer times line up with our recommended 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 StationOn 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. -
We will transfer you from the hotel to Ringebu station in time for the following trains: 12:06 or 14:27.
-
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 14:27 Ringebu Station, Arrive 17:04 at 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.
-
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 don't land in Oslo early enough for our recommended trains, you are welcome to catch a later train to Ringebu and we can book a taxi to take you from Ringebu to the hotel. The cost of this taxi is NOK 275 - please email bookings@gutsygirls.co.uk to arrange this.
Please note: by arriving late you will miss dinner on the first night (no refund possible)
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
-
We will be skiing for several hours each morning and afternoon or doing full day tours. We ask that you are realistic in assessing your fitness for this trip. Many people of all ages enjoy cross country skiing. If you lead an active life and perhaps take some time to prepare yourself (see "How can I improve my fitness for cross country skiing?"), you will have a great time. You do not need to be an Olympic athlete! If you exercise at high intensity (gym, swim, run, spin etc) 2-3 times a week you’ll be good to go for this adventure!
If you have any questions about this, please do get in touch before booking, we're happy to help!
-
Yes, you need to have some previous cross country skiing experience to join this trip. If you have previously been on a Gutsy Girls cross country ski weekend or week or have spent a few days cross country skiing elsewhere, and can move efficiently on cross country skis, you'll be at the right level.
Please note that downhill (alpine) skiing experience is not enough to qualify you for this intermediate trip! The skills needed for cross country skiing are different (though downhill ski experience helps!), so you definitely need to have skied cross country before joining this trip.
Working with fantastic ski instructors and guides, we'll progress our skills further and take on longer tours and distances throughout the week, enabling us to explore more of the incredible remote and snowy landscapes.
-
No. 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 is 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! You can find it here.
-
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.
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 amount 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.