Bohemian Trails Gets Physical

Commercial – Skiing

It’s been about five years since the last time I skied so I didn’t want to challenge my skills too much. I’ve only ever skied in the US and most of those times involved artificial snow as opposed to real snow in Norway. After a few runs on the Bunny Slopes, I started feeling more confident and eventually moved on to slightly more difficult hills. In Norefjell we had the opportunity to take a class with a former professional skier and Olympic coach, Marius Arnesen (his coaching abilities led to three Olympic Gold Medals for his team).

Traditional – Rump Racers

When our Lillehammer tour guide for the day handed us our Rump Racers I wasn’t quite sure what she intended us to do with it. She then demonstrated how to squat on the wooden plack and ride down the mountain. While this looked difficult at first glance, once I gave it a try I realized it was easy and highly amusing. Local kids in the area and throughout Norway use Rump Racers as a fun snow activity.

Local – Kick-Sledge

Kick sleds are a very traditional mode of transportation for Norwegians young and old. It’s basically like a scooter you use in snowy weather and since Norway has snow on the ground most of the winter, these sleds are very useful. I took a turn driving the sledge and also sitting along for the ride down a small hill. In everyday life, kids take these to school and adults use them to run errands.

New and Exciting – Bob Rafting

I took a few pictures of this before and after the 2 minute raft ride but I think this video illustrates it much better than I can put down in words. Luckily two journalists from our press group were able to capture the whole thing on film. It’s been a few years since I’ve been on a roller coaster and this ride definitely tops any theme park attraction I’ve every encountered.

Indoor – Rock Climbing 

Upon our arrival at the luxurious Quality Resort & Spa at Norefjell, I immediately noticed a large rock climbing wall on the floor below. After some interest from a few other members of our group we successfully added rock climbing into the itinerary. Travel is all about adventure and challenging yourself both mentally and physically so I was eager to give this indoor sport a shot.

Surprisingly Challenging – Tobogganing

Tobogganing is a typical winter activity for local Norwegians but for this bohemian, it was a completely new experience. After watching several children skillfully ride down the corkscrew-style hill I assumed that tobogganing would be relatively simple. However, I quickly realized that it wasn’t as easy as it looked but by the end of the trail I had channeled the Megan who used to  horseback ride lessons and treated the sleigh rope like reins on a horse. he trick worked and I completed the ride in style.

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