Before the trip
Høvringen
A night or two to slow down before or after the trip - we can arrange a hand-picked stay through the same operator network.
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Cross-country skiing · Rondane, central NorwayA winter week in the fells that works just as well on snowshoes
Ski or snowshoe lodge-to-lodge through Rondane
Three lodges, two nights at each, and only three days of the week that involve going anywhere at all.
Photo: Yngve Ask / Mountains of Norway · Rondane
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Duration
7 days · 6 nights
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On the move
30 km + · three transfer days
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Region
Rondane National Park
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Lodges
3 fjellstuer · two nights at each
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Style
Self-guided · skis or snowshoes · luggage moved
Available on request
Arranged on the dates you choose, within the February - April window.
The journey
A winter week in the fells that works just as well on snowshoes.
If you have ever stood on the Cairngorm plateau in February and thought the landscape was right but the snow was not, this is the week that fixes the snow. Rondane is the older, rounder half of central Norway: broad fells rather than ridges, a wide dry plateau between them, and a groomed track network of more than 150 kilometres running out of the small mountain settlement at Høvringen. You move between three lodges, spending two nights at each, and only three days of the seven involve moving at all.
The unusual part is that the whole itinerary works on snowshoes. Britain has almost no cross-country tradition to draw on, and most walkers who fancy a Norwegian winter get quietly filtered out by the assumption that they can ski. Here they are not. The transfer days are 6 to 10 km, 9 km and 6 km, and where the prepared track goes the snowshoe trail goes as well, so a party in which one person has skied since school and another has never had skis on their feet can still travel together and turn up at the same dinner.
A Norwegian partner in Lillehammer runs it. The train from Oslo Airport to Otta and the transfer up to Høvringen are both in the price, bags move between the lodges by vehicle, and dinner is three courses each evening. There is no guide at any point and no fixed departure dates - you propose your week and the operator confirms it, which in practice means asking earlier rather than later.
Is this for you?
Who this trip is - and isn't - for.
A good fit if
- ✓Anyone who wants a week in the Norwegian winter mountains without first learning to ski - every transfer day works on snowshoes
- ✓Mixed groups where one person skis well and another has never tried it
- ✓Families: the operator gives one child under 12 a free bed in the parents' room, and half price for a second, alongside two full-paying adults
- ✓Walkers who like a week with only three moving days in it and two nights at every stop
Less good fit
- ·Ski-tourers looking for descents - this is prepared track and gentle fell, not skins and steep ground
- ·Anyone wanting a guided week: there is no guide on this trip at any point
- ·Travellers who need hotel-standard rooms - these are working mountain lodges
The route
Numbered pins mark the day the night is spent. Tap a pin for details.Where the week takes you.
Day by day
The shape of the week.
7 days · 30 km
Train from Oslo Airport to Otta, then the road transfer up to Høvringen - both are part of the booking, so the day needs no arrangement from you beyond landing. Høvringen sits at around 1,000 metres on the western approach to Rondane National Park, and the change in the last half hour of the drive is abrupt: valley farmland, then birch, then open winter fjell.
Included
What is in the price.
- Transport from and to Oslo Airport (train to Otta, road transfer up to Høvringen)
- 6 nights at three mountain lodges, in double or family rooms with private shower and WC
- 6 breakfasts
- 6 packed lunches (the Norwegian nistepakke)
- 6 three-course dinners
- Luggage transfer between the lodges
- Written route description
Not included
And what is not.
- Travel and cancellation insurance (we strongly recommend both)
- Drinks with meals, and snacks
Optional extensions
Ways to extend or shape this trip.
Many guests fold an extra night or two into a journey of this kind. Mention any of the below in your enquiry and we will fold them into the operator quote.
- An extra night at one of the lodges1 night
The operator can add a night at any one of the three fjellstuer, at either end of the week or in the middle of it. Worth doing at Smuksjøseter if you want a second full day on the edge of the national park.
Anyone who would rather not travel on the day they arrive or leave.
- Ski or snowshoe rentalHøvringen
Rental is arranged locally rather than through the booking: skis and snowshoes from Rondane Skisenter, 450 metres from Høvringen Fjellstue, and snowshoes also directly from Høvringen Fjellstue. We can put you in touch before you travel.
Indicative pricing is shown alongside each option in the enquiry form. Final pricing is confirmed with the operator quote.
Where you sleep
Lodges and stays along the way.
Høvringen Fjellstue
On the western approach to Rondane National Park, with the ski school and rental hut a few minutes away.
Nights
2
Putten Seter
Just below the treeline in light birch woodland, sheltered when the open fell is windy.
Nights
2
Smuksjøseter
The highest of the three, just outside the boundary of Rondane National Park.
Nights
2
Extend your stay
A few extra days in Høvringen.
Most travellers add a night or two at the start or end. We arrange these through the same operator network with the same single line of contact - write to us with your preference and we will fold it into your enquiry.
Before you come
Know-before-you-go.
Practical Norway
- Visa
- Schengen - most Western travelers visa-free for 90 days.
- Currency
- Norwegian krone (NOK). Cards accepted almost everywhere; cash rarely needed.
- Plugs
- Type F (European two-pin), 230 V / 50 Hz.
- Tipping
- Not expected. Round up if service was exceptional.
- Language
- Norwegian. English is widespread and fluent - you will not need a phrasebook.
- Tap water
- Some of the cleanest in the world. Refill, do not buy bottled.
Typical conditions
The cross-country weeks run from February into April, with the days lengthening fast through the season. Daytime temperatures are typically between about −10 and 5 °C, coldest in February; evenings drop further. Mountain weather can still close a stretch of track or change a plan at short notice, and the hosts at each lodge can advise on the day.
What to pack - for this trip
The five-to-seven things most travelers underpack for a Norwegian ski-touring week.
Skiing kit
- Classic cross-country skis with NNN bindings, boots and poles - or rent them through the operator where the trip offers it
- A small daypack for the packed lunch, a thermos and a spare layer
- Cross-country boots you have skied in before - not new for the trip
Layers
- Heavy merino base layer (top and bottom)
- Insulated mid-layer (synthetic or down) for breaks
- Hardshell jacket and trousers - Norwegian winter weather is no joke
- Spare warm gloves (you will get one wet)
In the pack
- Your own thermos - the lodges refill it on the winter trips, and plastic bottles freeze
- Goggles plus sunglasses (high-altitude sun on snow burns fast)
- Light headlamp for the early starts and late returns
The operator gives you access to its travel app about a month before departure; the app includes a suggested packing list for the trip.
The country
What the week looks like.
Photo: Yngve Ask / Mountains of Norway
Photo: Yngve Ask / Mountains of Norway
Photo: Yngve Ask / Mountains of Norway
Photography credits as shown on each image.
Practical questions
Do I need to be able to ski?
No. The itinerary is built so that every day can be done on snowshoes instead, which takes minutes rather than seasons to learn. The operator sells the week as a ski trip or a snowshoe trip without changing anything else about it, and that is unusual enough to be the main reason to consider this one.
How far do you actually travel?
Three of the seven days are transfers between lodges: 6 to 10 km, 9 km and 6 km. The operator gives the distance for the trip as 30 km +; the three transfer days alone add up to 21-25 km. The other three days have no fixed distance at all - you use the local network and come back to the same bed.
When does it run, and how are dates set?
The season is February to April, and there are no fixed departures: the operator runs this one on request, so you propose the week you want and they confirm it. Because of that, tell us your dates early rather than late.
What does it cost for children?
The operator gives one child under 12 a free place in the parents' room, and a second child under 12 half price in the same room, in both cases alongside two full-paying adults. Beyond that the price is NOK 16,100 per person in a double room, with a single supplement of NOK 2,340.
Can I hire skis or snowshoes there?
Yes, but locally rather than as part of the booking. Rondane Skisenter is 450 metres from Høvringen Fjellstue and rents both; Høvringen Fjellstue itself also rents snowshoes. We can make the introduction before you travel so nothing has to be sorted out on arrival.
How is the booking arranged?
We refer you to our long-standing Norwegian partner who runs this journey. The booking, the contract, the prepayment and the consumer protection (under Norway's Reisegarantifondet) sit with the operator. The price is the same as booking them directly; we are paid a small referral commission and there is no additional cost to you.
Is travel insurance included?
No. We strongly recommend booking comprehensive travel and cancellation insurance separately, ideally at the time of booking. The operator can suggest Norwegian providers if useful.
Further reading
See all Field Notes →Background reading on this kind of trip.
Regions Compared · 12 min read
Lofoten vs Jotunheimen vs Hardangervidda: which Norwegian region suits you?
Three regions, three different trips. Lofoten is Arctic islands at sea level. Jotunheimen is the high alpine country with the DNT lodge network. Hardangervidda is the open plateau. Here is the comparison we wish someone had written first.
Field Notes · 10 min read
Hut-to-hut walking with DNT: how the Norwegian system works
Norway has around 600 mountain huts run by a federation founded in 1868, opened with a standard key, paid for on your phone, and largely run on trust. For a British walker used to commercial walking holidays this is a different country. Here is how it actually works.
Field Notes · 9 min read
When is the best season for walking in Norway?
July is not always the right answer. September sometimes is. Here is the regional, month-by-month version, written for a walker with one good week and a strong preference for being told the truth.
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Start a conversation
If this looks like your kind of week, write to us.
Tell us when you are thinking of travelling and how you would like to shape it. A curator will reply within one working day with a considered first option, the operator we would arrange it through, and an honest pricing range for your specific dates.
Travel Guarantee Fund memberFluent English support
Refined by Nordic Curator from a journey by one of our long-standing Norwegian partners. The booking, the contract and the consumer protection (under the Norwegian Travel Guarantee Fund, Reisegarantifondet) sit with the operator. We are paid a small referral commission and there is no additional cost to you. The price is the same as booking the operator directly. How we work.