FAQs

Sweden Cross Country Ski and Yoga Retreat - Beginners

Travel

  • You are responsible for getting to Røros airport or train station, where we will meet you.

    On arrival day we will collect you from:

    • Røros airport at 19:30

    • Røros train station at 19:40

    Røros is a small town in Norway (not far from the border with Sweden).

    We can only do one transfer on arrival and departure. Due to long distances, private transfers are expensive to arrange.

    There are no direct flights from the UK or the rest of Europe, so you have to fly to Oslo first.

    From Oslo Gardermoen airport (or Oslo Central station) you can catch a train to Røros (approx 5 hours, with a change). See "Which train from Oslo Gardermoen should I catch?"

    Or you can fly direct from Oslo Gardermoen to Røros - flights are run by DAT. See "Which flight from Oslo Gardermoen to Røros should I catch?"

  • On arrival day we will collect you from:

    • Røros airport at 19:30

    • Røros train station at 19:40

    The train station transfer is designed to meet the train arriving in Røros at 19:35.

    Røros is accessible from from Oslo Gardermoen airport with a change at Hamar. Travelling by train is straightforward and rail services in Norway are excellent.

    Once your trip is confirmed and you know your flights please book your rail journey as soon as possible because the trains can become booked up. Tickets go on sale 60 - 90 days before travel.

    Recommended train:

    Depart Oslo lufthavn stasjon 14:59
    Arrive Hamar stasjon 15:43
    Change trains in Hamar
    Depart Hamar stasjon 16:05
    Arrive Røros stasjon 19:35

    Book your tickets on the Vy website (https://www.vy.no/en) - which is easy to use and has an English version. Alternatively you can also use https://entur.no/.

    At Oslo Gardermoen airport (lufthavn) the railway station is in the same building as the airport, downstairs. You’ll find that the station staff speak excellent English and everything is well signposted. 

    Oslo city centre (in Norway this is called Oslo S or Oslo Sentralstasjon) is on the same rail line, so the same train can be caught from here.

    We will pick you up from the railway station in Røros. The transfer time to the hotel from the station is about an hour and a half.

  • On arrival day we will collect you from:

    • Røros airport at 19:30

    • Røros train station at 19:40

    The airport transfer is designed to meet the DAT flight from Oslo arriving in Røros at 19:10.

    You will need to fly to Oslo Gardermoen and then from Oslo Gardermoen to Røros with DAT - in general this means buying two separate flights and doing a self-transfer in Oslo.

    Recommended flight:

    DAT DX526
    Depart Oslo Gardermoen (OSL) 18:20
    Arrive Røros (RRS) 19:10

    You will need to arrange your own international flight to Oslo Gardermoen which gives you enough time to connect with this flight to Røros. You will need to do a self-transfer in Oslo Gardermoen. See "What's a self-transfer?"

    Please note that Gutsy Girls cannot book travel and is not responsible for your travel to Røros and this information is just provided as a guide to help you!

  • On arrival day we will collect you from:

    • Røros airport at 19:30

    • Røros train station at 19:40

    Recommended Flight:
    DAT DX526
    Depart Oslo Gardermoen (OSL) 18:20
    Arrive Røros (RRS) 19:10

    Recommended Train:
    Depart Oslo lufthavn stasjon 14:59
    Arrive Hamar stasjon 15:43
    Change trains in Hamar
    Depart Hamar stasjon 16:05
    Arrive Røros stasjon 19:35

    You will then be driven across the border to our Swedish hotel. This will take about an hour and a half. We'll have a late dinner and discuss the week to follow!

  • On departure day we will drop you off at:

    • Røros airport at 10:30

    • Røros train station at 10:45

    The journey back to Røros will take about an hour and a half.

    Recommended Flight:
    DAT DX523
    Depart 12:30 RRS Røros
    Arrive 13:20 OSL Oslo Gardermoen

    There are many onward flights from Oslo. You will need to arrange your own international flight from Oslo Gardermoen and leave enough time to connect from this flight to Røros. You will need to do a self-transfer in Oslo Gardermoen for any international flight. See "What's a self-transfer?"

    Recommended Train:
    Depart Røros stasjon 12:20
    Arrive Hamar stasjon 15:52
    Change trains in Hamar
    Depart Hamar stasjon 16:13
    Arrive Oslo lufthavn stasjon 17:01

    You will have a little time to spare before your train. There are luggage lockers in the station. We recommend exploring Røros: https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/trondelag/roros/

  • If you are flying internationally to Oslo Gardermoen and then connecting with a flight to Røros, you will need to check in separately for each connecting flight. Make sure you have enough time.

    • You will need to collect hold bags and check them in again for the next flight.

    • You must pass through security and passport control during each connection and you will need a visa if your connection is in a country that requires one.

    • You should check before you book that you have time to connect through the airport

    What if flights are cancelled or delayed?

    Booking with a flight consolidator or agent could provide you with some guarantee against cancellations or missed connections. Check the agent's policies before you book.

    If you book direct with the airlines, your transfers may not be guaranteed.

    Please note that Gutsy Girls cannot book travel and is not responsible for your travel to Røros and this information is just provided as a guide to help you!

  • If you have the time or need to spend an extra night to make travel options work, we highly recommend visiting Røros, one of the oldest towns of wooden buildings in Europe and a UNESCO World Heritage site. More information can be found here: https://www.visitnorway.com/places-to-go/trondelag/roros/

  • If you have the time or need to spend an extra night to make travel options work, we love Oslo!

    Ask us for recommendations on things to do.

  • We will connect you with others on the trip via WhatsApp, so you may be able to arrange to travel together. 

Accommodation

  • The hotel we stay at is a cosy family-owned hotel with 47 rooms and a restaurant well known for its great meals. The views are spectacular. You can ski right from the door! 

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

    There's a small pool, excellent sauna and relaxing area. Free Wi-Fi is available in all of the hotel. Downstairs from the cosy lobby, you find the lounge with a bar. In the area there’s also a ski area where you can wax your skis.

  • Yes! Hairdryers are shared, so pack your own if you always want access to one.

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

Food

  • The delicious food on this trip is a real highlight. In the hotel we will have a sumptuous breakfast buffet and a plentiful packed lunch for our days out.

    Some evenings we will eat a fantastic three course dinner in the hotel, and on two occasions we will have dinner at Brasserie Kerstin, just around the corner, which offers an à la carte menu using local ingredients and local recipes.

    One evening we will eat at the waffle hut Knallen, Bruksvallarna's top cabin at 1050 meters above sea level and with a magnificent view of the mountain world.

    The hotel is committed to catering for all dietary requirements and allergies.

  • We can cater for all dietary requirements and we will request information prior to 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!

  • Beginners Weeks

    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.

    Improvers / Intermediate Weeks

    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.

  • 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!

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 Sweden 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 Swedish Krone at all!