KITING

Yiii-haaa! Hold on tight!

Norway is made for snowkiting, thanks to accessible mountain areas with guaranteed snow – from the southern parts of the country up to the far north in Finnmark.

Meet Bernard O’Sullivan, one of the founders of Tundra Tours. He is an experienced kiter and instructor.

“Kiting gives a wonderful sense of freedom. You get close to untouched nature when you whiz over powder snow. It is something very special to feel the force of the wind in the kite. The green power can transport you several kilometres”, he says.

The best thing you can do – both for safety and for fast progression – is to join a kiting course.

Oops! You may crash and fall. But that’s OK – you’ll land in soft powder snow, after all.

Before you know it, you’ll be back on your feet to enjoy that exhilarating feeling of moving forward with the help of the wind.

You can snowkite with either skis or a snowboard, but if you are a beginner, it’s usually easier to with skis.

A weekend course gives you the basic skills you need to practice on your own.

But before you head out without a guide, remember to always respect nature and the animals living there.

Read up on local regulations and make sure you don’t venture into a protected area. If you meet reindeers or other animals, lay down your kite and retire peacefully.

“But it looks so heavy! Can I handle it?”

No worries! According to the instructors, everyone can learn snowkiting, regardless of fitness level and age.

So where should you go?

In Fjord Norway, Haugastøl, Haukeliseter, and Finse are just some of many places where you can snowkite. In Trøndelag, an option is Namsskogan in Namdalen.

There is plenty of snow in the Norwegian mountains, where you can go snowkiting in exciting terrain and stable wind conditions.

And the season lasts from November to the end of May!

Does the whole thing sound just too cold? Go kiting in the summer instead – on water.

There are great places for kitesurfing all over the country, both along the coast and on the larger lakes.

One of the most popular kite resorts in Norway is the long sandy beaches in Jæren, just south of Stavanger.

Some people find it easier to learn kiting on snow rather than on water. This is because it’s technically more demanding to get going on water – but that’s entirely up to you.

There are plenty of summer courses to choose from, both for beginners and advanced kiters.