While on ski adventures in Norway ,eyes wide open as they gaze upon the surrounding snow-covered Norwegian mountains. Your excitement builds as your mind fills with fantasies of perfect powder conditions, steep lines, and beautiful backcountry trails.
But while multiple days of a Norway ski adventure may be all you’ve ever dreamed of, the secret spice you have yet to taste, the one that turns incredible experiences into magical ones, is none other than cultural immersion.
This may seem a little unusual, because people who travel the world for ski excursions tend to want to focus on one thing only – skiing. However, at Outdoor Norway, we encourage people on our ski road trips to also partake in local customs, traditions and norms.
But why is this important?
One of the most important principles of responsible tourism is to make sure that you support locals. Instead of spending money at global chain hotels, restaurants and services, it’s important to give back to the community that’s hosting you.
After all, the people who live here have deep roots in these shared spaces, and, as a visitor, you can help small local communities survive economic ups and downs, ensuring long-term growth and prosperity, even when the going gets tough.
A successful ski adventure is in part due to the land it takes place on, and our subsequent respect for it. On this same note, many cultures have developed unique values, stories and food due to their special closeness to a particular type of nature.
Here in Scandinavia, learning about traditional Nordic mythologies is an excellent way to gain a new perspective regarding the mountains and the landscapes you’re exploring. Many Norse gods are associated with elements of nature including Thor, the most well-known Norse figure and the god of thunder and storm. Funny enough, the giant goddess Skaði is known to be the goddess of snowshoes (or skiing) among others.
Cultural immersion also gives you novel insight into the way that different kinds of communities exist. There’s so much to learn about how traditional ways of living can actually be super sustainable.
Taking these lessons to heart can help you incorporate positive values into your own life. In fact, you can even learn a lot about social equality through your interactions during your adventure travel.
One aspect of traveling that always has people yearning for more is gaining new culinary experiences. Local foods in smaller communities tend to be traditionally prepared and are usually a delight! Expanding your palate and tasting unique drinks from breweries in those spaces will offer a refreshing break from the food you’re used to having. We highly recommend indulging in whatever locals have to offer you.
So whether you’re aboard our ski adventures, or our mountain bike trail tours, we encourage our clients to interact with local communities and learn from them. Check out the adventures and outdoor activities in Voss, Norway we offer for some sustainable adventure experiences and our new designed itinerary The Fjord Ski trip in Norway.