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Scandinavia
It has produced many of the world's best skiers and snowboarders and has one of the world's highest population to snow users, yet the mountains are relatively small (compared to the Alps at least), the population centres are few and far between, and throughout much of the winter there is very little day time in which to actually use the mountains. A lot of this is obviously to do with the fact that Scandinavia has a very strong winter-sports culture. Skiing is thought to have originated in Norway; kids learn ski jumping at school; langlauf (cross-country skiing) is a very common activity; and Scandinavia's youth are all hugely into sporty pursuits such as skateboarding, ice-skating, ice hockey and football. They rightly see their mountains as a fantastic playground, and regularly make the most from what natural terrain they have been given. So look beyond the fact that the mountains are relatively flat and lack the grandeur of the Rockies and the Alps. The parks and facilities are great, and in reality it's not that much more expensive than what most westerners are used to. Add to that the chance to see the fabled Northern Lights, to meet some of the friendliest locals in the world, and to ski or snowboard while wearing a traditional sweater, and the makings of a fantastic holiday are complete.
Pros |
Cons |
|---|---|
| Beautiful scenery. |
Very expensive. |
| Geat vibes, welcoming people and a great party scene. |
It can get cold. Very cold. |
| If you’re serious about getting better at freestyle skiing or snowboarding this is the place. Just look at the average Scandinavian shredder to see what we mean. |
Mountains lack the scale of the Alps. |
| It’s different up there – whether it’s the light, the latitude or the high suicide rate, there is a different pace of life. |
Long journey times to some resorts. |
| Almost everyone speaks English. |
Short daylight hours in winter. Though this counts as a plus in May at Riksgränsen when the reverse is true. |
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