Cross-country Skiing: Sjusjoen

Our Clients’ Reviews

Here at Exodus we thrive on feedback from our customers. It's the only way we can ensure our trips continue to be the best they can be. So, for the real tales, twists and turns of the trip you're interested in, look no further than the reviews from our previous travellers. Any feedback collected (Good or bad) from Exodus clients is posted straight onto our website - totally unedited. Read more...

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  David Sampson

  CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: SJUSJOEN

  

  Written March 2009

  Lovely snowy environment with lots of flexibility depending on ability and reasons for your holiday 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Just getting out on the endles trails and getting up some high points for expansive views

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Experienced and very helpful

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Do not travel with Exodus arranged travel arrangements as exodus travel arrangements mean that you arrive in the early hours of Monday moring ( the first day of the skiing holiday) and arrive back late to England so if you work - bad luck. Easy to get to sjusjoen.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  Most thought that ski hire was included and some went on this holiday because of this when considering finances but just to make it absolutely clear, it is not. On checking paperwork it was agreed that information was ambiguous.

  Norway is wonderful winter or summer

   
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  Hilary Beech

  CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: SJUSJOEN

  

  Written December 2008

  Intense...athletically challenging...a chance to focus on building skill and then putting it to use to explore far and wide through inspiring winter scenery...100km in 6 days over rugged up and downhill terrain.  The only Christmas week I've ever lost weight! 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Following our leader off-trail to cut across virgin countryside, gliding silently through fresh powder.  On our final day, we returned to our hotel across the frozen lake, again on untracked snow.  Magical!

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Committed, willing to engage all questions, positive and encouraging.  He seemed slow to offer technical instruction in the early part of the week: I had to ask directly for this kind of feedback since I felt I was working too hard and not really getting the hang of gliding.  Once I asked for help, he had some very useful tips.  I also asked if there was a way to get comments from the other instructor, who was working exclusively with the Group1 skiers but who seemed more experienced in instruction.  This instructor did then give me some pointers when the two groups skiied together briefly but I think we would have benefited from a bit more of his perspective.  Both the leaders seemed a bit uncomfortable in addressing the group in more formal settings to share information, itineraries for the following day and so on and lacked confidence and smooth delivery.  Neither introduced themselves spontaneously while we were in transit to the hotel from the airport.  I had to take the initiative to ask their names.

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  Bring a range of different weights of layers to allow for varying temperatures.  Downhill goggles were extremely helpful on days with dull light to see the snow - better than sunglasses.  The rental skiing boots had zero arch support which caused me quite a lot of foot pain: bring your own orthotic inserts to ensure that you're not effectively "running" more than 10 miles a day on skis in shoes you'd never consider exercising in under normal circumstances.  Bumbag/fanny pack with external water bottle carrier didn't work well - the bottles went flying when I fell over!  So as not to get bored with the food for lunch, bring some other snacks - trail mix, biscuits, chocolate, protein bars etc.

  Is there anything else you would like to add?

  I think the accommodation was officially given 2 stars but that was a real stretch.  It was highly substandard and did not seem good value for money.  The building we were in was woefully undermaintained, had a very unpleasant stench of bad milk in the hallways, the bathroom had no shower stall and the floor didn't dry fast after a shower which was annoying for any continued use of the bathroom after a shower, fixtures were old and in poor repair, the bed had no back support, there was no easy way to plug in a hairdryer and see what you were doing in a mirror, no maid service the whole week etc.  There were also very limited places for apres-ski and so the whole social side felt really limited.  I would definitely not return to Sjusjoen as a result of this poor experience.

  The instructors didn't seem prepared for people with more athletic capabilities.  There were a couple of us in the group who could definitely have gone to the next level with a bit more support but the leader said in so many words that the goal was more of a "walk in the country" rather than a workout.  This is not to say that we didn't get great aerobic exercise and work hard but there was an opportunity to stretch us a bit more that was left unexplored.

   
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  Patricia Sharman

  CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: SJUSJOEN

  

  Written April 2008

  The skiing was fantastic.  The accommodation was not up to the usual Exodus standard. 

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  What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?

  Achieving a snow plough!

  What did you think of your group leader?

  Peter was the best, so patient.  He knows the area and going off loipe into the woods was fun

  Do you have any advice for potential travellers?

  If you are prepared for very basic hostel accommodation the area around Sjusjoen is great for skiing both for the beginner and for those who have a bit more experience.

  Get to the showers early, the hot water doesn't last long.

  Exodus Response

  We always appreciate feedback from clients, good or bad, and in the case of Ms Sharman's, we had already been carefully monitoring questionnaires and made an inspection visit last winter. Although the accommodation in question represented excellent value for money, we feel that the over all standard of the basic rooms no longer matched the Exodus client expectation for a ski holiday. To this end, we have removed the basic room class and are concentrating on the better equipped ensuite rooms, plus we now offer the option of upgrading to the Hoyfjellshotel, a short walk from the Fjellheimen. Of course, there is always a downside - as with anything of a better standard, this is reflected in the price at which we are able offer the product. However, we are certain that our clients will appreciate the need to make these changes. An added benefit of the move to the ensuite rooms is that clients will no longer be in such close proximity to the frequent military groups often staying in the basic room accommodation.
  

  - Exodus Staff