RONDABLIKK SKILLS WEEK

8 days from GBP1,199 to GBP1,299 including flights
Tripcode: CXR

Countries Visited: Norway

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Our Clients’ Reviews

Average Review Rating: from 10 reviews.

Graham Allen

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: RONDABLIKK SKILLS WEEK

Written March 2011
This was our second trip cross country skiing and confirmed our belief that we have found a new sport that we love ! There are so many tracks and trails around the Rondablik area that we feel we could go back again to the same area and still have plenty new trips to make. Also an excellent way to get fit.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Being outside skiing all day is brilliant, it was fun to venture off the tracks and see signs of wildlife too which include ptarmagan wing prints in the snow and moose tracks.
What did you think of your group leader?
Ingrid is a brilliant leader, very knowledgeable about skiing and patient , her general knowledge of the area and history is also great.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
If you are thinking about cross country skiing DO IT , it is great
Maurice Needoff

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: RONDABLIKK SKILLS WEEK

Written February 2011
This was the first time we had tried cross country skiing. Already thinking about going cross country skating next year with Exodus. The hotel was comfortable, food very good and plentiful. Ingrid our group leader was excellent.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
29km ski tour through the national park, a mixture of tracks and untracked. Felt like intrepid explorers.
Dog sledding, harnessing your team so that you got to know their different personalities then driving them out. Really exhilarating.
What did you think of your group leader?
Ingrid was excellent. Her friendly manner made everybody feel relaxed so learning how to cross country ski was made all the more pleasurable.
Ingrid instilled confidence in us about our abilities and therefore we felt able to do a 29km tour on our 4th day.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Make sure if you want to do the dog sledding you take plenty of cash as also have to pay for the bus transfer as well as the sledding
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Go on give it a try!!!
Neil Whitmore

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING: RONDABLIKK SKILLS WEEK

Written January 2011
An excellent introduction to cross-country skiing with a very good instructor. Each day was designed to develop new skills and endurance.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Being told that I was getting the technique of kicking off one ski onto the other and that what I really needed was lots of practice.
What did you think of your group leader?
An excellent instructor who dealt with each person individually as well as addressing the group well. She made the learning and the activities fun; and her evening sessions showing videos and teaching us about the nature of cross-country skiiing were very informative.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Do some exercise before you go to ensure your fitness levels are good enough to enjoy the skiing and not simply be exhausted all the time. Once you're there, just go for it. You'll fall over whilst trying to get the technique but it doesn't hurt as you fall on snow. Laugh, get back up and have another go.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Go for it!
Emilia Crighton

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AT RONDABLIKK

Written January 2010
An amazing week! This has been my first time cross country skiing and really loved it. The scenary was simply beautiful, the weather very good even if very cold and the group gelled really well.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Skiing at -31C and the 25 km round trip to Rondane
What did you think of your group leader?
Ingrid was really nice. She did look after everyone and ensured that we were all fine. She always had a trick up her sleeve - one wouldn't have expected her to carry marshmallows or wood and fire lighters in the rucksack for the fire!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
As it gets very cold in January get layers and the wool body warmers are best as you will perspire inspite of Ingrid's advise on matching your speed and the number of layers. Also have balaclava, sports specs, hand mittens.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
As there are no shops with the exception of a small coffee shop, take anything you think you might need with you. And train before you go - it will help you enjoy the scenary and the skiing.
Ailsa Lawton

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AT RONDABLIKK

Written March 2009
This was a return visit, had a great time and would go again
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The views at the top of the hills and all round
What did you think of your group leader?
Ingrid was brilliant, a very good instructor and guide, she had a lot of local knowledge and was able to light a fire anywhere!
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Try the Hot chocolate and Cinnamon buns
Is there anything else you would like to add?
Can't wait to go Cross Country skiing again!
Alan Keen

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AT RONDABLIKK

Written March 2009
Great location, views, hotel, food and guiding. Only thing that just prevents five stars is need to ski quite a way to get much variation in trails, and the way back to the Hotel is uphill. Maybe that's nitpicking. Would say 5* for beginners weeks.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
Just being amidst so much snow - taking lunch around a wood fire outside or in the tepee.
Dogsledding.
What did you think of your group leader?
One of the best I have been with on any trip of any kind. Confidence-inspiring, fun and an excellent teacher.
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Not specific to this trip, but as always it's worth getting fit before you go.
Take advantage of the food. I did and still lost three pounds!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
A satisfying and memorable trip. Hard work but fun, rewarded by just enough luxury. The experience of being 'out there' balanced with interesting local culture.
Nigel Davies

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING AT RONDABLIKK

Written March 2008
My second time at Rondablikk, and there were a few other returnees, so it's a popular place to go back to. The weather was much more changeable than before so made for more challenging skiing conditions, especially when the tracks are covered by new snow. I went looking to improve my skiing, and the conditions and coach certainly made me realise that ambition.
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What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
The highlight – as on the first trip – was on the last day, when we skied from Hovringen back to Rondablikk, a trip of roughly 30km. Starting above the treeline the route climbs for a couple of kilometres, then flattens out and snakes between huge bluffs on either side, forming a wind tunnel, so pray the wind is behind you! Thankfully for us it was, and the best moment was standing tall with arms outstretched, being blown along by the wind, enough to elicit some American-style whoops of joy (luckily no-one was around to hear). The snow, sculpted by the wind, made stunning patterns and textures, and the scenery is breathtaking.
What did you think of your group leader?
I found Heathley to be a very good leader, combining tips and instruction out on the tracks with video analysis of technique later, as well as instructional dvds that gave me a mental image of the correct technique to (try and) copy the next day out on the snow. I feel my skiing has improved a lot in the week I was there. Having said that, probably a bit too much time was spent in the hotel conference room watching these dvds when I'd rather have been downstairs in the bar enjoying a beer with the others, but then, considering the price of a beer in Norway …
Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Rondablikk's a wonderful place to start learning cross-country skiing, and great to go back to. If you can find time to snow-shoe to Sukker-Toppen, the mountain that looks down on the hotel, it's worth the effort (I just hope it's not so windy when you do it.) Take a head torch for a bit of night-skiing, and clear/yellow glasses for the not-so-sunny/snowy days.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
You won't believe how much food you tuck away. When making your lunch, grab a couple of tubes of the chocolate spread, great to just squeeze into your mouth while out skiing. And peel oranges first before going out for the day, it's easier at the breakfast table than out on the trail with cold hands. And finally, if you want to take hot chocolate in your thermos rather than tea or coffee, there's a small shop in Ruststugusetra (the cinnamon bun shop) that sells hot chocolate powder, 10 sachets for about 30Kr, much cheaper than asking for it in the hotel.

Enjoy!