Cross-country skiing is one of the best ways to experience winter in Valdres. Around Vaset and Gomobu, you can find everything from easy trails through sheltered forest to longer trips across the open mountain plateau. It is an area where I ski a lot myself, and if I had to choose one favorite cross-country skiing area close to Jotunheimen, this would probably be it.
My favorite trip: Gomobu to Syni
My personal favorite is the trip from Gomobu Mountain Lodge towards the viewpoint at Syni.
There are several ways to reach Syni, so you can adapt the tour depending on how far you want to ski. A longer round trip can be around 25 kilometres.
The terrain is rolling, with plenty of smaller climbs and descents, so it is a little more demanding than the easiest trails around Vaset. Still, you do not need to be an expert skier. If you are comfortable using classic cross-country skis and have some experience with hills, it is a wonderful full-day trip.
What I particularly like about this area is the change in landscape. Around Vaset, many of the trails pass through forest and birch trees, giving you some protection from the wind. Higher up around Gomobu, the landscape becomes much more open. Here you get the feeling of being properly out in the mountains, with wide views and kilometres of ski tracks ahead of you.
One thing to remember is that skiing from Vaset up towards the Gomobu plateau involves a longer climb. Coming back down also means some steeper descents, so beginners should take this into consideration when choosing their route.
Sometimes the best ski days are not the ones where you cover the greatest distance, but the ones where you take time to enjoy the mountains.
A good tour for beginners
For those who are newer to cross-country skiing, I recommend starting from the ski stadium at Vaset.
There is a classic round trip of approximately 8 kilometres. It has some elevation and gives you a good introduction to skiing in slightly rolling terrain, without being too demanding.
Much of the route is sheltered by the forest, which makes it a good choice on colder or windier days. It is also an area with a long ski season. Depending on the snow conditions, you can often ski here from November until April.
It is the kind of route where you can concentrate on finding your rhythm, practising your technique and simply enjoying being outside.
Looking for a longer day?
If you want something more demanding, there are plenty of possibilities.
Besides the longer routes towards Syni, you can make a bigger tour through the mountains towards Nøsen Fjellstue before returning towards Gomobu.
This is one of the things I enjoy most about skiing here: you are not limited to one fixed route. There is an extensive network of tracks, and you can often decide during the day whether you want to make your tour a little longer or head back earlier.
Bring something good in your backpack, choose a trail that suits you and make a day out of it.
When is the best time to ski?
For me, February and March are the best months for cross-country skiing in this part of Valdres.
By then, there is normally plenty of snow, the days are getting longer and conditions in the mountains are often very good.
March in particular can be fantastic. You have more daylight, the sun starts to feel warmer and there is nothing better than finding a nice place along the trail, sitting down in the snow and enjoying lunch with the mountains around you.
Make time for a proper break
A ski tour does not always have to be about skiing as many kilometres as possible.
Around Vaset and Gomobu, you will find several gapahuks – simple wooden shelters – along or close to the ski trails. They are perfect places to stop for a break, especially when it is windy.
At some of them, you can make a small fire where permitted, warm something to drink or grill some food. For me, this is part of the experience.
My personal advice is therefore simple: bring some good food and something warm to drink.
Plan enough time so that you do not have to rush. Find a nice place, take off your skis and enjoy being outside. Sometimes the best ski days are not necessarily the ones where you have covered the greatest distance.
A little local Easter secret
And finally, there is one small place that makes this area even more special.
Close to the little mountain Knatten, there is a traditional small kiosk that normally opens only during the Easter period.
If you happen to ski past when it is open, you can stop for sausages, coffee, warm drinks or a soft drink. It is simple, traditional and very local – exactly the sort of place you would probably never know about unless somebody from the area told you.
For me, places like this are part of what makes cross-country skiing in Valdres special.
You can start with an easy morning tour through the forest, spend an entire day skiing across the mountain plateau, stop at a gapahuk for lunch or simply follow the tracks and see where the day takes you.
And that is probably my best local tip: do not always be in a hurry. Bring something good in your backpack, choose a trail that suits you and make a day out of it.