Snø reviews

You have to take this facility for what it is. Considered strictly as an indoor facility for downhill skiing, it is world class. At least as good as Ski Dubai, in my opinion. The longest run is 500 meters, which is impressive in this context. It is generally very flat (drop of 80 meters) but if you just get the speed up a bit, it works well for light training and pleasure skiing. There are steeper parts of the competition slope, but there are almost always clubs training, so it is usually closed to the public. There can be some lift queues at weekends, but they are cleared fairly quickly. And even if there are a lot of people in the lifts, it does not get very crowded on the slopes. A lot of kids who mostly hang out in the park. There is a regular piste right next to the wall at the park that quite a few seem to go in. There it is calmer than in the middle slope. Good layout with parking garage next door and plenty of restaurants and shops. Fun with a snow bar in the middle of the slope. This is a facility that deserves more attention. I have tested it on my Youtube channel as well, so just look up my channel Pistfettot there if you want to see movies from the resort.

When abstinence from skiing becomes too difficult during the summer and you can neither get to the southern hemisphere nor to a skiable glacier, maybe SNØ in Oslo could be an alternative. So the wife and I thought and spent half a July day there to get a much needed restorer after four skiless months.

What meets you when you have parked your car in the connecting car park is a newly built and functional building where everything you need for a day on the slopes is available. Changing rooms with lockers are included in the lift ticket and a shower can be purchased as an extra. All equipment can be rented, even clothes, it seems, but it is of course fine to bring your own equipment. You can either bring your own food or eat in a restaurant. And then there is a large hall with piste snow, of course.

The indoor climate is kept around zero degrees and it feels much like being in an ice rink. That damp raw cold that finds its way through all the layers. So don't skimp on your clothes just because it's summer outside, or at least on the calendar.

Up to the eighty meters in height is reached with a slow four-chair lift. I would estimate the speed to be about 1.5 m/s. Guess it's because they don't want too many people on the one slope at the same time when there are more visitors. The slow speed also makes the lift very easy to get on and off for beginners. Both when getting on and off, however, the surface was reminiscent of a hockey rink, so the well-sharpened edges of the rental skis came in handy.

The slope is initially narrow and flat. At the top there is a start ramp skiers right for training groups and for the rest of us there is a small hill to take off from. A little further down, the hill becomes wider and there you will find the skiers left park. We stayed in the middle and slalomed between the concrete pillars. Unfortunately, it's only at the end that the hill gets a little steeper, but then it also narrows and just as you pick up speed, it's time to brake. There is also a beginner area at the bottom.

The snow at SNØ is just as fun as it gets when it's sprayed just below zero, has been piste countless times and is kept going by cooling coils from below. It's not for a connoisseur, but it's there in July and we could have fun with it. At least for a few hours until the most acute ski withdrawal was temporarily cured.

If you are thinking about buying skis, there is a small test center at the ski rental where you can change skis as many times as you want for a slightly higher daily rental. The range is like in a smaller sports shop but with committed and knowledgeable staff.

Would I recommend SNØ? Yes, if I have the roads past Oslo, there will probably be more visits to SNØ, but I wouldn't go there just for SNØ.

This is how the indoor season got off to a flying start. It is with a measure of confidence that no matter what is going on in life, you can now always pull away and drive a little downhill. The Norwegians have built a nice and flexible arena with what you need in the form of food, shops, changing rooms, etc. The hill was divided into an icy red part and a perfectly ok softer green part, plus a park section. The ice may have been because they had slalom clubs there that took up most of that slope. The room is bright but you still feel that you have been indoors all day. 80 meters drop height is unfortunately just as high both inside and out and a round trip is, I took the time, 30 seconds slalom and 5 minutes in the chairlift. The energy you miss due to the absence of sunlight and a short hill you only get back because the facility is cool to be in. I did not try the cross-country skiing part.