snow kiting in norway hardangervidda haugastol

Hardangervidda & Haugastol, Norway: Snowkiting:

Snowkiting in Norway:
Accommodation at Haugastol, Norway:
ENQUIRY FORM:
Other things to do in Norway:
BOOKING FORM:
Getting to Haugastol, Norway:

Location information:

Haugastol is located on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau in southern Norway, in between from Bergen in the west and Oslo in the east.

With its 8760 km2, the Hardangervidda Mountain Plateau is the biggest mountain plateau in northern Europe and is recognized to be one of the best SnowKiting spots in the world.

Enormous flats, hills and small mountains with large amounts of snow and most importantly a great chance of getting wind all winter / spring all serve to make Hardangervidda the no.1 Snowkiting destination.

Many of the best Snowkiters in the world stay at Haugastol for the entire Winter due to the unbeatable conditions & terrain for honing their Snowkiting. All the best Snow Kiting films were shot on location at Haugastol (Something Stronger, Entropy, How to Snow Kite).

There are a vast number of SnowKiting spots in this area, all accessible by road which makes this Snowkiting destination truly unique in terms of the amount of accessible terrain, comfort, convenience & safety.

SnowKiting on Hardangervidda plateau, Norway:

Snowkiting conditions on Hardangervidda:
Snowkiting spots:
Snowkiting lesson prices:
Prices for Snowkiting equipment hire at Haugastol:
Accommodation:

SnowKiting conditions on Hardangervidda:

The Wind:

Wind directions : Various depending on spot
Best months for wind: Feb – Apr
Kite sizes needed: 7 – 14m
Most used kites: 12 / 14m
Good year round destination

Snow & temperatures:

Snow & wind all winter & spring: From Dec – May
Large annual snowfall. Every chance of powder days
Cold: Temperatures range from -1 to - 30 so bring your thermals!
Conditions can change very quickly

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SnowKiting spots:

Far too many to list.... but here are some of the most popular spots:

“The Football / Soccer Field”:

The closest Snow Kite spot on the plateau to Haugastol Turistcenter
The best chance of wind even if there’s no wind anywhere else
Small spot that can become crowded
Flat section with banks on either side

Ørteren & Halne:

Further along the road from the Soccer Field
Massive areas on both sides of the road, perfect for SnowKiting: Slopes for launching some huge, lofty jumps, exploring, freestyle, free-riding - whatever you want really
All types of terrain, from the frozen lake flats to small hills, kickers and larger, steeper hills

Click here for a more detailed spot map:

SnowKiting lesson prices:

Beginner Snowkiting lessons: Level 1 Intermediate Snow Kite lessons: Level 2	Prices:
12 Hours	250 Euro

Click here for detailed information about SnowKiting lesson content:

Advanced SnowKiting lessons:	Prices:
SnowKiting Clinics & Camps:	X Euro

Prices for Snowkiting equipment hire at Haugastol:

TO COME

SnowKite Accommodation:

Haugastol:

Haugastol 1000 m.o.h is a 1st class centre for visitors to Norway & the Hardangervidda plateau, located at the eastern end of the plateau road, right next to the barriers where the road is closed off in bad weather.

Haugastol is the best place to base yourself for easy access to all the best SnowKiting spots on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau, with a welcoming atmosphere, excellent, well equipped apartments and outstanding, freshly prepared, home cooked food.

The downhill ski resort of Geilo is just 25 mins away for skiing and snowboarding adventures & even some night skiing.

(Prices in Euro / person / night, subject to availability)	3 - 6 Nights: Price / night	7 + Nights: Price / night
Shared room (based on 2+ people sharing)	45 Euro	40 Euro
Self-catering accommodation ONLY	35 Euro	30 Euro
Half-board, shared accommodation	70 Euro	65 Euro

N.B:
Special offer in January for mid-week bookings. Contact us for more information

Facilities & Amenities at Haugastol:

Restaurant – the food is INCREDIBLE and worth double the price!
Very comfortable accommodation with self-catering facilities available
Cafe / bar & shop
Kite & outdoor shop
WIFI internet access throughout the entire hotel
Pool table & table tennis “ping-pong” room
Sauna
Ski-doo ‘taxi’ service to near-by snow kite spots when the plateau is closed

Haugastol’s own specially adapted bus onto plateau even when other cars are not allowed up
Amazingly helpful & friendly staff
Weather stations and web cameras at most popular snow kite spots so there’s no need to even leave the comfort of the hotel if conditions are not suitable!

Other things to do in Norway (apart from SnowKiting!)

Apart from Snow Kiting & Snow ball fights, there is lots more to do and explore in the vicinity of Haugastol:

Cross country 'Nordic' / 'Telemark' skiing in the hundreds of miles of marked slopes. The Norwegian Tourist Federation has a number of cabins on the plateau where you can stay at night if you want to do trips for more than a day.
Dog sledge trips can also be arranged, and it's a great way to see the plateau. The Hardangervidda mountain plateau is a national park with a quite unique wildlife, including the largest herds of Reindeers in northern Europe. If you are so lucky to come across their path, it will be an impressive sight
Skiing & Snowboarding at Geilo downhill ski resort only 24 kms from Haugastol. Geilo has become one of the biggest alpine resorts in Norway
39 slopes of varying difficulty
A good fun park with a huge half pipe, jumps and rails for any level
Giant Air-bag jump - excellent for practising your jumps
Restaurants & Cafe bars
The nightlife in Geilo is very good at the weekends, as a lot of people from the cities come up to the mountain to ski and enjoy themselves. Insider tip, its Chalet Girl night out on Sundays!!!

Geilo also offers the following activities:

Horse and reindeer-drawn sleigh rides,
Hiking,
Tobogganing,
Ice-fishing,
Ice-skating,
Ice climbing on the frozen waterfalls,
Ski-doo / Snow mobile trips,
Saunas,
Cinema,
Fitness centre,
Indoor swimming,
Bowling alley
Shopping Mall & other local shops
In the Spring & Summer, this area offers some fantastic Mountain biking on the 'Rallarvegen'
Some nights you can also see the famous northern light, although is not as common as in the northern parts of Norway

Getting to Haugastol, Norway:

Fly to either Bergen or Oslo (recommended)

There are 2 airports in Oslo

Oslo Torp
Oslo Gardermoen

Airlines who fly to these airports:

Bergen: Norwegian Air Shuttle (Norwegian.no), SAS
Oslo Torp: Ryanair (cheap flights from London)
Oslo Gardermoen

From the Airport to Haugastol: By Train or Hire Car:

Hiring a car is the best way to get to & enjoy your time at Haugastol. Norwegian hire cars come properly adapted for the conditions (with snow tires)
Alternatively, you can get the train all the way to Haugastol train station or the station before Haugastol which is called “Ustaoset”
Norwegian Trains: (nsb.no)

Transfer by road & train takes about 4 hours (but can be a lot longer if the plateau road is closed if coming from Bergen)

National Road no. 7: The road across Hardangervidda Plateau

Norways’ highest mountain crossing
The road conditions can at times be quite difficult. The elements that draw Snow Kiters from around the world (Snow & Wind) can cause the road to close quite frequently. You should make sure that your car is properly equipped with good winter tires and check the weather conditions at the Norwegian road service (vegvesen.no).
It is also essential to familiarise yourself with the rules of the road crossing the plateau (Road No.7). Should bad weather or strong wind descend, creating large amounts of drifting snow, the road can be closed quite suddenly. In this situation, a 'Column' is formed.
A Column is where a snow plough travels at the front and rear of a line of vehicles or 'Column' to clear the path. Vehicles already on the plateau must wait for a Column to pass and enter at the back of the line of vehicles. The Plough drivers will normally stop to explain what is going on.
HOWEVER, Columns only go in 1 direction at a time, so it is imperative that you have a mobile phone to find out in which direction it is travelling and indeed if the road has been closed.
It is always a good idea to have a mobile phone and the contact number for either station at the end of the road - you can call Haugastol ( +47 32 08 75 64) who are in constant contact with the plough drivers & road controllers:
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD YOU EVER BE TEMPTED TO SET OFF WITHOUT PERMISSION OR WITHOUT THE COLUMN IF THE ROAD HAS BEEN CLOSED! WAIT WITH YOUR VEHICLE STARTED AND POINTING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION