Flights/transfers
We flew from Humberside via Amsterdam to Oslo. This was with KLM. All went like clockwork and very civilised. Oslo airport is very classy indeed. All wood, glass and polished concrete. Picked up some warming Minttu 50% on the way through. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minttu
There is a pre bookable ski bus which picks up directly outside the arrivals terminal (50 yard walk). £70 each return. It takes 3.5 hours and drops off at the main reception at the resort (Alpin Lodge)
Resort accommodation
We stayed in the Radyrlia cabins about a 5 minute walk from the main reception building. These are at 700m. http://www.ski-norway.co.uk/accommodation/raadyrlia-chalets.aspx
Very modern with open plan living space with seating for 8, dining table, dishwasher, TV, DVD player, open fire. 4 bedrooms. 2 bathrooms, one with a whirlpool bath, one with a sauna. Heated ski/boot store. Very warm with underfloor heating. Sound proofing not great though within the cabin and particularly on the party wall between ours and the adjoining cabin. It was quiet all week, but a group of 'youngsters" arrived for the final weekend and occupied the adjoining cabin. Lots of loud music and shouting into the night thereon. We dug out our earplugs and managed to block out most of the noise. We got our own back on our final morning though as we were up at 6am.
We've previously stayed part way up the mountain at approx. 1000m in Skarsnuten. This was a modern 3 bed apartment. Quieter up there but further away from the base/supermarket etc although we had a car when we there. The Skarsnuten area has it's own two seater chair lift (up and down) and also has a small feeder ski slope.
There is lots of other accommodation, mainly a mix of self catering apartments and cabins.
Slopes
It's not a large resort (only 40km of pistes) but quite a nice variety. There are three main peaks, all at circa 1,400 to 1,500m. I don't have much context for the classifications but I would say they are relatively generous. The greens are very easy as are most of the blues. One or two reds have challenging sections but again relatively easy. There are 4 blacks although 3 of these were not open as they are low down and presumably had poor cover. I've not skied these previously but they look pretty challenging and I think are usually mogulled. The wide black no. 8 is good fun. Nice and wide and not too tricky. There is quite a lot of off piste but we're not yet ready for this so can't really provide any feedback. There are lots of little areas of trees below 1,000m which run parallel to the groomed slopes and are fun to traverse through. Hemsedal is popular with boarders and there are some big jumps for those who like that sort of thing. We went through the smaller terrain parks a few times. Slopes are not particularly crowed other than the main green no 11 which goes down to the base.
Lift system
Pretty good. There are a series of short button lifts at the bottom which get you quickly up to the main chair lift. This is a quick 8 seater which takes you half way up the mountain. From there you can ski down and get a four seater up to Tinden at 1,400m. Some decent reds and blues from there. There are a few drag lifts higher up but these can be avoided in the main (I hate drag lifts). One or two chair lifts are slow but most pretty good. In our three visits (2 at easter, 1 at Christmas) we've hardly had any waits at lifts. Maybe 5 minutes at very worst. On this holiday max queuing times were 1 or 2 minutes.
Snow conditions
We arrived to see brown grass everywhere at base level. Fairly unusual I should think. However it started snowing within an hour and didn't stop for 48 hours! On the first morning we encountered lots of hard compacted icy patches on many of the slopes – not much fun, but by the afternoon the new snow had freshened everything up. Conditions for the rest of the week were fantastic, other than some slush puppy snow at the base. We were skiing in semi powder conditions for a couple of days which was a new and enjoyable experience. Temperatures ranged between + 4 degrees at the bottom to – 5 degrees at the top.
Therefore we were very jammy. If we'd opted for the 1st week of Easter things would have been very different.
Hired equipment
I'd give it about 6 out of 10 (7 out of 10 earlier in the season). There isn't the competition that you would find in the larger resorts. Our skis were quite battered this time round – maybe because of the low levels of snow this season.
Food/bars
There a couple of mountain restaurants. Food decent but pricey.
Soup and bread - £8
Coffee/hot chocolate - £3
Meals (stews, burgers etc) - £10 to £15
Yummy cakes - £3
Spring water on tap – free
Only 2 or 3 bars in the main resort. £24 for a round of drinks (2 bottles of beer, orange juice and a coke). We didn't spend much time in these. The Norwegians clearly have plenty of disposable income.
Supermarket
One in the resort. Fairly sparse but most basics accounted for. All fairly expensive though. Six pack of Corona about £22. Couple of larger supermarkets in the town which are well stocked.
Transportation
There is a free bus that shuttles between the main reception area, Skarsnuten at 1,000m and the town which is approx. 1.5 miles away.
Alcohol (in supermarkets)
A word of warning. There is no wine or spirits for sale anywhere in Hemsedal due to tight government restrictions. We bought some duty free wine and spirits in Oslo airport. Nearest town selling wine/spirits is Gol about 25 miles away.
I bet lots of people have been caught out by this.
Summary
We really like Hemsedal. It has a very different feel to the Alps. Lots of Scandinavians + Germans, Dutch and Russians. Only a few Brits. Everyone speaks perfect English.
The absence of queuing is refreshing and it was a great place to visit as a 1st holiday. No nasty surprises on the slopes so perfect for beginners.
We'll be exploring new resorts for the next few years but hope to go back at some point.
Some photos:
Our cabin (snow starting to fall 1 hour after arrival)
Our cabin the next day
A view of the beginner slopes
A view from the main mountain restaurant towards the reception building
Bottom of slope 19 (green)
Eldest daughter emerging from trees (great fun!)
About 1,200m (I think a blue run)
Quiet slopes
Easy wide blue run
View from Rogjin at 1,370m
