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Freeride week - Hemsedal

Develop your off-piste ski technique

Learn how to recognize avalanche terrain
Learn avalanche rescue
Learn how to plan and conduct alpine ski tours
Learn good group management routines when skiing off-piste

Description

This is a course aiming to develop skills needed in order to enjoy off-piste skiing and ski touring in a primarily "non-avalanche terrain". Main themes throughout the course is:

  • Off-piste ski technique (and some in-piste technique, trying to break down the barrier between so called "on and off piste technique)

  • Recognition/understanding of "Avalanche terrain"

  • Planning/doing alpine ski tours

  • Group management during offpiste skiing and ski tours

  • Avalanche rescue

The course starts with arriving in Hemsedal on day 1. After arriving all participants will be lodged in a cosy mountain cabin/apartment. 

After being lodged, you can shop food in nearby grocery store.

Day 1-2 will be a resort skiing days, where we are working systematically with improving each persons ski technique. The approach to this is very practical, and we will be doing video analysis and thus find approriate excercises to improve the technique.

 

Day 3 is being spent outside the resort, working hard on avalanche rescue and recognizing avalanche terrain.

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Day 4-5 are resort skiing days with focus on skiing all the good off-piste runs in connection to the resort. We will here continue to develop ski technique, recognizing avalanche terrain, and implenting good group management routines for skiing out of bounds.

 

Day 6-7 are ski touring days. The goal here is to make all of the themes with have worked with so far come together during these days. Participants has to plan and carry through ski tours on some of the classic ski mountains in Hemsedal.

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Arriving back during the afternoon on day 7, participants are leaving with the train/buss in the afternoon and evening.

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Who is this course for

This is a course with focus on learning all the skills needed skiing off-piste runs close to the resort, aswell as doing alpine ski tours in the terrain (Randonee).

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In order to sign up for the course, you need to have some basic skiing/touring experience from before. However it is not necessary to be a "world champion" or similar. Being able to ski down red runs in a resort with speed control, and having done some backcountry ski trips should do it. If in doubt about whether this is the right course for you, please contact me and let's discuss further.

 

The goal is to create a systematic approach to developing ski technique, aswell as making good decisions when skiing off-piste.

The emphasis is on making sure that all participants are getting the basics right from the start.

 

Main themes are described in the left section. 

However it is very important here to make it clear that "decision making in avalanche terrain" is not a theme during this course. 

The reasons for this is that first off all, there are already enough themes packed into a time frame of only 7 days. Secondly to make a point out of that it is possible to do so many really nice off-piste runs/tours, without being in avalanche terrain.

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It is mandatory to ski with an approved ski helmet during this course.

 

We will aim to build our skills in a gradual step-by-step way, making sure that we are never exceeding out capabilities as a group, for therein lies one of most important aspects of doing ski tours in wild mountain regions!
 

Dates & Price

Course price: 10.000 DKK 

Dates 2025:

On request

Arriving at "Gol station" or Hemsedal on the ? during the afternoon/evening.

Leaving afternoon/evening on the ?.

If you are  having any further questions  contact me:

Mail: thuleexpeditions@gmail.com

+47 48604292

If interested in booking the course, follow link below:

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Location & Transport

 

Hemsedal is located in the heart of mountain Norway. Winter starts early here and last for a long time. Here is long history of skiing in some of the finest terrain Norway has to offer.

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Hemsedal can be accessed by train via the trainline that runs between Oslo and Bergen. Train tickets can be booked here:

If arriving by train you should purchase a ticket to "Gol station". After which you can be picked up by car, this has to be coordinated with the guide as soon as possible. And driven the last bit up to Hemsedal. Alternatively you just take the buss from Gol to Hemsedal. Alternatively you can take the buss all the way from either Oslo or Bergen

Norwegian Train Company

It is thus possible to arrive in either Bergen or Oslo by plane and then take the train or buss from there to "Gol Station" or "Hemsedal".

Alternatively you can also drive all the way to Hemsedal by car.

What is included 

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  • Services of a qualified Arctic Nature Guide / Isia ski teacher

  • 7 night accomodation in shared apartment/cabin in Hemsedal 

  • All transport during the course, including pickup on arrival day in Gol if necessary

  • Satellite beacon in case of emergency



 

What is not included 

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  • ​​Transport to/from "Gol station" or "Hemsedal" in Norway

  • Randonee ski touring equipment: skis (minimum 100 mm in middle), ski boots, poles, skins, helmet/googles
  • Backpack (made for ski touring)
  • Avalanche beacon, probe, shovel (only metal blade/shaft)
  • Lift tickets (4 days = approximately 2730 NOK)
  • Personal clothing (must be able to cope with minus 20 celsius for multiple days
  • Food/snacks (grocery store located close to camping)
  • Personal Travel insurance 
  • Any extra expenses due to unforeseen events and changes (delayed flights, extra logistics and accomodation)
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