February 2022
DALSETER, NORWAY
The first thing to say is that we and, I think, everyone else in the group had a good trip to Dalseter in Norway and enjoyed ourselves. The second thing to say is – it didn’t go quite as we’d planned!
My daughter Ebony and I had previously skied with the visually impaired group in Finland, which is a great destination in that it’s organised as a package holiday so planning is simple, tracks are great, terrain is rolling and there are lots of cafes en route for lunchtime stops. Dalseter was always going to be more challenging in every way, but the practicalities of planning a skiing holiday during COVID times, together with Pam's links to the hotel made it the best option. We finally took the decision mid November to commit to the trip and organised flights, and then had to mentally put everything on hold for a couple of months as Omicron took over and everything became uncertain again. Against all the odds, including Storm Eunice causing a cancelled flight for one of our members, four visually impaired skiers, three instructors and seven guides/non guiding friends made it to Dalseter. There was considerably less snow than usual, particularly off track but, for all who know the location, it was as lovely as ever.
My daughter Ebony and I had previously skied with the visually impaired group in Finland, which is a great destination in that it’s organised as a package holiday so planning is simple, tracks are great, terrain is rolling and there are lots of cafes en route for lunchtime stops. Dalseter was always going to be more challenging in every way, but the practicalities of planning a skiing holiday during COVID times, together with Pam's links to the hotel made it the best option. We finally took the decision mid November to commit to the trip and organised flights, and then had to mentally put everything on hold for a couple of months as Omicron took over and everything became uncertain again. Against all the odds, including Storm Eunice causing a cancelled flight for one of our members, four visually impaired skiers, three instructors and seven guides/non guiding friends made it to Dalseter. There was considerably less snow than usual, particularly off track but, for all who know the location, it was as lovely as ever.
The four visually impaired skiers were of very different abilities, and we hadn’t broken it to them beforehand that every route back to the hotel involved a fairly substantial downhill, but the ratio of instructors and sighted skiers meant we could adapt to everyone’s needs and we had some good skiing. For me the best day out was when four of us made it up and down to a warming hut named Bingsbu, despite there being no tracks anywhere near the hut and it being decidedly windy and chilly. Being a skier who likes my metal edges, I’d taken the decision to overcome my fear of track skis and had hired them for the week, and the descent in the biting wind felt decidedly hairy to me. I was in awe of visually impaired Rachel who took it all in her stride and had no more falls than the rest of us during the day.
All went to plan until the end of Wednesday of the first week, and we had some good skiing. The trip changed for me on the Thursday of the first week when Ebony, and one of the others in our group, tested positive for COVID. When we arrived we were told that two of the hotel staff had picked up the virus so, despite the Brits wearing masks and keeping in our social groups away from others it was no real surprise that it spread. I had an hour or so of gulping at the prospect of having to isolate in a room with Ebony for an indefinite period, so was relieved to find that Norwegian recommendations were only four days isolation and that there were no problems with going outside. I then spent the next few days offering tlc and getting familiar with the local livestock on our gentle outings, alongside a few hours each afternoon of fantastic, but solo skiing. My husband arrived during this period, so we waved at each other from a distance and he joined the table of rapidly diminishing spaces.
The intention had been that our group of 14 would ski together for the first week and that most would then remain for the following week to join the GB Nordic groups which are based at the hotel during this period. COVID, however, put the whole GB Nordic 2 set up into question and left Pete and Pam who’d been leading us, with something of a logistical nightmare as guests and instructors alike found themselves unwell and isolating.
In the end, seven of our group succumbed to the virus, including me five days after Ebony. By that time the British in the hotel had a COVID positive Whatsapp group which meant we could socialise together and have our own gentle walks in the sun.
The intention had been that our group of 14 would ski together for the first week and that most would then remain for the following week to join the GB Nordic groups which are based at the hotel during this period. COVID, however, put the whole GB Nordic 2 set up into question and left Pete and Pam who’d been leading us, with something of a logistical nightmare as guests and instructors alike found themselves unwell and isolating.
In the end, seven of our group succumbed to the virus, including me five days after Ebony. By that time the British in the hotel had a COVID positive Whatsapp group which meant we could socialise together and have our own gentle walks in the sun.
We can’t speak highly enough of Pam and Pete, who somehow negotiated their way through the logistics of increasingly poor snow, the organisation of the GB Nordic 2 group alongside the vi group and tending to the needs of an increasing number needing food, etc with great kindness and good humour. The remainder of our group left at the end of the second week and Ebony spent a fantastic final day out with Pam, getting to and from Bingsbu in less than two hours in the morning and then heading out off track in the afternoon. By that time I was managing a very little gentle skiing as I recovered and taking the lift upstairs at all times!
So, on Saturday 5th March, we left sadly for Vinstra where we waved goodbye to my husband as we headed south and he headed north to the Lofotens with his camera – virus free. As for would we have gone had we known we were walking into a COVID den – well, no. But are we glad we didn’t know? – definitely, as it was a good trip with many happy memories and we’ve no regrets about going. And we’ve already booked and are looking forward to going with the vi group to Finland in February 2023 – whatever the trip may bring!
Vivienne
Vivienne