Travel to the best snowkiting place in the world, rent out the best snowkiting gear from Ozone, Cabrinha, and HQ kites for 2 weeks, and receive days of snowkiting instruction with Oslo Kite School! All of this is available at an incredible discounted price. Please contact dusan@online.no (Dusan) to make travel arrangements before purchasing this camp. This camp is available January through April as there is plenty of snow and wind on the plateau at these times. You can try out demo kites and receive them at a discount--2012 demo kites.
We will supply all gear (extra gear for you, including snowkites by HQ and Ozone, as well as inflatables of different sizes from Cabrinha and Nobile, along with harnesses of all sizes from Dakine, Prolimit, and Mystic, both seat and waist. Here is a link to some of the rental equipment available:
oslokiteskole.no/oslo_kite_utleie.asp
We will give three levels of instruction:
Beginner: learn to rig your snowkite, learn the different characteristics of inflatables, fixed bridle foils, and depowerable foils, learn how to launch, self-launch, and self-land, learn about basic meteorology, understand self-rescue, understand how to kite in high/moderate/light wind, understand the importance of a buddy system, understands how to pack a kite, understands the risks of cross country skiing and what to do when stranded, learns to ride downwind, understands the wind window, working on continuous riding
Intermediate: Can perform upwind riding and basic turns, spins, and transitions. Can ride continuously uphill and downhill. Can perform simple jumps
Advanced: can perform more advanced transitions and unhooked riding. Can perform kite loops and understands how to use ridge lift to increase hangtime. Can use any style of kite comfortably.
If you are already advanced, you can just simply use our kite rental for the two weeks. This will save you a great deal of money because you won't have to pack everything and pay extra airline fees. Isn't it a dream to arrive at the best place to snowkite in the world and have ALL the kite sizes you need for the whole trip?
You get to the Haugastol Centre by train from Oslo for around $120. Most of our guests arrive at Haugastøl either by train or by car. The train stops several times a day at Haugastøl Railway Station, which only lays about a 20 min walk away from the centre. It is also possible to catch a train to Ustaoset Railway Station. This lays about 12 km away from Haugastøl. If you contact us, a pick up/drop off from the station can be organized.
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The plateau is the largest eroded plain in Europe, covering an area of about 6,500 km2 (2,500 sq mi) at an average elevation of 1,100 m (3,500 ft). The highest point on the plateau reaches a height of 1,721 m (5,646 ft).
The whole of the Hardangervidda is above the tree line. Its alpine climate enables the presence of many species of arctic animals and plants further south than anywhere else in Europe. Its wild reindeer herds are among the largest in the world, with some 15,000 animals recorded in 1996 and about 8,000 in 2008.
Haugastol is located on the Hardangervidda mountain plateau in southern Norway, in between Bergen in the West and Oslo in the East.
The Wind:
- Wind directions : Various depending on spot
- Best months for wind: Feb – Apr
- Kite sizes needed: 7 – 14m
- Most used kites: 12 / 14m
- Excellent Winter & Spring destination
Snow & temperatures:
Haugastol is the site of the world renowned Entropy snowkiting video.
The advantages of our trip:
* You only pay $500 for equipment rental and instruction for two weeks! You can bring your own kite and gear, but Oslo kite school will allow you to use their brand new gear, including all sizes of Flexifoil, Ozone, and HQ kites, as well as Cabrinha and Nobile kites. You can choose to ride an inflatable one day, and you will be able to try out 2010 and 2011 kites on your trip! You will have a wide range of harnesses, gear, and kites supplied to you, and you don't have to transport it (imagine the costs of bringing all the snowkites and gear you need for every wind condition possible). If you are a beginner, you don't even have to pay for instruction if you pay this fee! If you are an advanced rider, we'll give you tips and instruction if you are unfamiliar with different types of gear! You will receive 2 days of snowkiting instruction with Dusan and snowkite with some of the best snowkiters in the world!
Learn how to set up gear, how to launch and land kites, how to kite with handles, how perform transitions, simple jumps, and more advanced jumps using ridge lift and paragliding techniques.
* We have local knowledge. Dusan, the manager of Oslo Kite School, has been teaching snowkiting in Oslo for over a year on a daily basis! You don't have to worry about language barriers because Dusan is fluent in Norwegian and has lived in Norway for many years. Most Norwegians learn English in school, so the language barrier will not be a problem.
Expenses:
Food and lodging: You must pay for your hotel room at the center. For 40 Euros per person per night, you get lodging. Food and lodging is around 80 Euros a night per person. There are discounts available. Plan to spend at least $300 per week on food as Europe is expensive. We can help you make reservations at the center, and Oslo Kite School is in the process of negotiating a lower price for a large group (this will depend on how many people sign up for the camp).
Flight: You have to plan for at least $800 for your round trip ticket. Contact us at customersupport@virginiapowerkites.com if you have any questions.
Transportation: Count around $1000 for car rental for two weeks. If you rent a car, you have access to all of the locations, and a car is a necessity since you will want to buy groceries in Geilo and go skiing on no wind days. For a compact car, you will pay $1000 for two weeks. It is best that you consider renting a car when traveling to Haugastol. This will give you the ability to visit the best snowkiting spots on the plateau. Most Norwegians speak English well, and the owners of the inn speak English very well, so you do not have to worry about any language barrier. There are different spots on the plateau where you can snowkite, and some of these do require a car. When you drive to Haugastol, Oslo Kite School will accompany you, so you will become familiar with the route to Haugastol,. The drive is five hours from the Oslo airport, and the roads to the plateau are very safe. At certain times, when the road is being plowed, you must follow the snow plows in a column along with other cars. If you park your car, you must plan to join the column. If you see the snowplows go one direction, you should know that you should pack up your kiting gear 2 hours after because in 3 hours, the snowplows will pass in the other direction. If there is a blizzard and the snow has drifted onto the roads on the plateau, then the plateau usually closes for 24 hours until the plows have cleared all of the excess snow on the roads. You can snowkite at the inn during this time because there is a lake there. One of the best spots to drive to from the inn is Dyranut, an area that is about 12 miles west from the inn. You also can drive to Geilo, which is one of Norway's top skiing and snowboarding destinations. It is to the east of Haugastol. You can also purchase groceries there. There are also other lakes and areas where you can snowkite very close to the inn, but if you want to snowkite in the backcountry, then Dyranut is the top location. There are many snowkiters who come to the inn in the late winter and the spring. To calculate the cost of a two week car rental:
comparecarrent.com/norway/oslo.html
For more information about Haugastol, please see the following link:
http://www.fluidfeeling.com/destinations/norway.php#Snowkiting
Please be aware that you are responsible for paying for lodging expenses (40-80 Euros per night at Haugastol, roughly $500 per week at the least), flight expenses, food expenses (count at least $400 per week), and train expenses (probably $200 or so dollars per person). This price only includes the price of instruction. For the beginning snowkiter, that means you can have instruction for much less than $100 a day.... For the intermediate/advanced snowkiter, you'll have all the gear you need, and we'll help with any tips that you might need. This translates into renting an unlimited amount of equipment for 2 weeks for $50 or less, a great deal when the cost of transporting your gear is so expensive.
Contact us at customersupport@virginiapowerkites.com if you have any questions.
