Skiing in Bortelid

It's January 30, 2021, a Saturday.

We have decided to go skiing or snowboarding with five others from our 'Outdoor Education' course. I can borrow skis, poles, and ski boots for free from a shop called BUA. I think it's pretty cool! The BUA shop is supported by the municipality of Kristiansand, and you can borrow all winter sports equipment there as often as you like, free of charge.

We are going to Bortelid, a ski resort 100 km north of Kristiansand. We have already bought the ski passes online the night before. The day ski pass costs about €36, which is not too expensive. After leaving on Saturday morning at 8:00 a.m., we arrive in Bortelid after a good 1.5 hours. On the way there, the car thermometer shows temperatures between -17°C and -20°C. But still, the sky is clear blue and sunny. Perfect weather! Plus, there is plenty of snow here.

Due to the very low temperature, I put on an extra layer after arriving in Bortelid, and at exactly 10:00 a.m. when the lifts open, we are ready to go. It is a rather small ski resort with six lifts and fourteen slopes. The slopes are relatively steep. But skiing is a lot of fun and surprisingly goes well after a long time! Twice, we leave the slope, which becomes more and more crowded from noon, and spend about an hour each off-piste in the deep snow. Since I have never skied in deep snow before, it feels a bit unfamiliar. The ski tips get slightly stuck in the deep snow, and I end up in the snow a few times. But the joy definitely outweighs it. Skiing through the fluffy and soft deep snow almost feels like flying! We enjoy the great view of the beautiful white landscape around us, and especially the huge lake Gjuvvatnet.

We ski until the lifts close at 4:00 p.m. Then we drive back to Kristiansand and a beautiful day comes to an end.

Stay tuned for the next post!

Until then,                                                                                            Sara