From

£1299

8 Days including UK flights

More info:Mimimum age 16.

“Enjoy a flexible cross country ski itinerary as part of a small group based in a historic lodge around the shores of Lake Mosvatn, close to the snow coated hills and valleys of Hardangervidda National Park.”

Highlights

Description of Mosstrond cross country skiing in Norway

If you've never been cross country skiing before, Norway is a great place to start. Not only does the country boast pure and simple isolation but you'll also find a small group ready and waiting to make your acquaintance as you explore together around the frozen shores of Lake Mosvatn close to the realm of Hardangervidda National Park.

This week of cross country skiing is ideal for solo travellers and fairly fit lovers of the great outdoors who are looking to make the most of snow covered Norway during the winter as well as strengthening technique and building confidence in some seriously serene surroundings.

Over the course of the holiday you'll be cross country skiing on six out of eight days with new routes and lesser known trails providing ample chances to ski without a soul in sight other than the beady eyes of elk and reindeer peering across frozen lakes or from out of snow-bowed pine forests.

Hello. If you'd like to chat about this holiday or need help finding one we're very happy to help. Rosy & team.

01273 823 700 rosy@responsibletravel.com

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Check dates

For departure dates contact us on 01273 823 700

Vouchers

Accepted

Holiday type

Small group holiday

Small group travel is not large group travel scaled down. It is modelled on independent travel – but with the advantage of a group leader to take care of the itinerary, accommodation and tickets, and dealing with the language. It’s easy to tick off the big sights independently – but finding those one-off experiences, local festivals, travelling markets and secret viewpoints is almost impossible for someone without the insider knowledge gained from years in the field. If you’re heading off on a gap year your, perhaps – but for those with a two-week holiday, a small group tour will save valuable planning time.

The leaders are not guides – they’re not there to shepherd you around. Instead, they’ll let you know which local restaurant serves great value food – without running the risk of travellers’ tummy. They’ll allow you to avoid hour-long queues at train stations and attractions.

We like to think of small group travel as the Goldilocks option. It is independent travel without the fuss, worry and bunk beds – and organised travel without the coaches. And it’s cheaper than a tailor made tour. It’s sits somewhere in the middle – and we think it’s just about right.

What are the main benefits?

Big experiences
Have big, life-enriching experiences that would be impossible to organise without lots of time and insider knowledge.

Simplicity
Make the most of your holiday time by letting someone else do the hard work and boring logistics!

Peace of mind
Small group tours take care of the security aspects – and provide a safety net should anything unexpected happen.

Who is it ideal for?

Travellers who are short of time
If you don’t have three months to spend exploring, small groups trips let you cover more ground in less time. Your days are not spent queuing for tickets or finding hotels – so you can squeeze more into your holiday.

Solo travellers who’d like company
Likeminded travel companions plus peace of mind for those travelling alone. Single supplements are usually available – providing privacy if you want it.

Less confident travellers
Stray from the tourist trail without worrying about getting lost, and meet local people without dealing with the language barrier.

Mythbuster

“I won’t get any privacy!”
Couples and friends have private rooms, and you can choose to eat alone or not. Single supplements give solo travellers their own room.

“There won’t be any free time”
Free mornings or afternoons let you explore on your own, or just relax.

“The accommodation will be basic”
Trips are as high or low end as you like. Though off the beaten track destinations won’t have luxury hotels, this is all part of the adventure.

“I won’t like the other travellers!”
Tour operators try to create groups with a similar demographic – age, families, activity levels... Chances are, you’ll even make new friends.

“Will we be following an umbrella?”
No.

Meet a group Leader

Name: Valerie Parkinson

Story: The first British woman to climb Manaslu, Valerie climbed Everest for her 50th birthday. She’s spent fourteen Christmas Days trekking to Everest Base Camp, and is involved insetting up Responsible Tourism initiatives in the Himalayas.

Meet a local guide

Name: Roshan Fernando

Story: Roshan has led over 130 trips – he adores showing travellers around Sri Lanka. He won the company Leader Award in 2010, but his career highlight was working on their Tsunami Project – which earned him a responsible tourism award.

Responsible tourism

Responsible tourism: Mosstrond cross country skiing in Norway

UK office
It all starts at home so we have first worked at reducing our carbon footprint in our UK offices. Through energy conservation measures and recycling policies in place, we are proud to be actively reducing the waste produced and our impact on the environment. We support various projects all over the world to try and give something back to the places we visit.

Leaders & local suppliers
Our cross-country skiing holidays in general avoid large alpine ski areas, and are less dependent on snow cannons, graded pistes and ski lifts, creating significantly less environmental impact than alpine skiing holidays. On this trip, we are even further away from the winter resorts and skiing in this area brings tourism into a very small community. Situated in the centre of a lake where road access is impossible during the winter, our base is a renovated boarding school that offers a warm welcome from our hosts who are also experienced cross-country skiers. Thanks to the limitless amount of trails available every day, there is no need to use any transport during the week so the only imprint on this pristine environment should be our cross-country ski tracks.

Group size
This tour operates on a maximum group size of 12, which ensures a low impact on the community and allows us to stay in the unique and characterful boarding house accommodation that would not have benefited from tourism due to their limited size. We always ensure our operations do not disrupt or lead to the displacement of local people.

Activity
Our selection of alternative winter activities seeks to make the most of the natural environment in its pristine state, rather than changing it. Snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and dogsledding are best suited to remote wilderness areas and the development of these alternatives is key to the long-term survival of many mountain communities.