Spring: the downhill dream season

“Yee-haw!”

The primal alpine scream that means “I’m coming down the slope with a big smile on my face” expresses the real feeling of spring that you often hear, feel, and see at this lighter time of the year.

“Springtime in the mountain slopes is a lucky mix of the best of the Norwegian winter and summer”, says Thomas T. Kleiven, who for years has been considered Norway’s number one skiing reporter.

He gives you four reasons why you should hit the slopes in the spring:

First of all, people open both their shirts and their minds and create a party-like mood. “Sunny days make people super happy, also in the mountains”, he points out.

Moreover, warmer temperatures mean that you can dress far more lightly than in the winter season, which makes the whole experience enjoyable for children.

Fewer people in some of the slopes and often shorter queues add to the chill vibe.

Last but not least, the weather makes spring a perfect time to learn to ski or improve your skills, both for children and grown-ups.

Stylish slopes

“That sudden, wonderful spring feeling comes faster to the mountains than to the big cities”, says Fredrik Luytkis, a former professional freerider that now mostly skis at high altitudes together with his teenage son Storm.

“The result is that an urban fashion-oriented crowd arrive with their trendy sunglasses, colourful headbands, and other gear that hint to the look of the 1960s or 70s when alpine skiing was a jet-set thing”, Fredrik says.

“Just to watch them is worth the trip. Springtime is when Norwegian ski resorts become sexy.”

Festival mood

Fredrik enjoys combining downhill skiing with the outdoor concerts or pop-up festivals resorts often arrange on weekends: “Think the Glastonbury festival with top fashion model Kate Moss on the scene, or the party island Ibiza.”

The Norwegian snowboarder Silje Norendal is a two-time Olympian and four-time X Games gold medalist who for the last few years has spent the months of March and April in the ski resorts in Hemsedal and Trysil.

“Some people love the good mood so much that they come to the mountains without skis, just to enjoy the vibes and the fantastic weather”, Silje says.

Go fast – or slow down

“In Norwegian, we call it ‘kos’, which means ‘having a good time together’. To me, who is ordinarily busy with snowboard training and competitions, Easter is a rare occasion when I can come together with good friends around a campfire that we build ourselves.”

Several resorts provide fire pans where you can grill your own meal if you’re not heading for one of the many restaurants and cafés with tasty food.

Extended spring season

“Thanks to top alpine skiing and snowboarding destinations like Lofoten and Narvik, where snow conditions stay perfect all through spring, my snowboarding season can be very long and last until the end of May, at least”, Silje says.

At the Narvikfjellet mountain, you can go downhill on plenty of snow until the end of June. Depending on the snow conditions, the major mountain resorts in the south usually offer skiing until the end of April.

Nearby slopes

“But the fun is always closer than you think. My friends and I can spontaneously jump on the metro to the Oslo Skimore just a few minutes from the city centre, to spend a day of relaxed snowboarding there”, says Silje, who is based in Oslo.

The easy access to the slopes in Oslo Skimore makes the whole capital seem like a ski resort, spiced up with top restaurants.

Silje also points out that in some areas in Norway you can suddenly get two weeks of powder when you expect slush.

“Springtime in the Norwegian mountains is simply full of party surprises.”

“Yee-haw!"