Skiing in Oslo

There are times when I am out for a run, a ski, or some other activity and lugging around 20 kg of camera gear just isn't practical. Yet there are still Postcards to be made, so I turn to my phone's camera to capture the moment. While a camera phone is not technically the best camera to create images, it certainly is better than not having any camera at all.

I went to Oslo to ski, but in my opinion there wasn't enough snow there to ski. There were still plenty of rocks peeking through the snow, waiting to destroy the bottom of any ski passing over them. When people ski on such snow, they usually use old skis that we call "rock skis".

I didn't bring my rock skis, so was stuck with running. There is a very nice system of trails just north of Oslo (although I suspect it is technically still in the city area). Within walking distance from the train, the trails are accessible by almost all who live in Oslo. I would often see people on the train with their rock skis going to or from the trail system.

Oslo is fairly far north, so the sun at this time of year doesn't come above the horizon until about 9:15. It is down again at 3:30, so it is a fairly short day. This meant I was often running in the dark, which was still quite nice.





In keeping with the festive season, I put on my Santa hat and draped Christmas lights on my reflective vest. This brought a few smiles out from passers-by and the occasional "God Jul" (Merry Christmas).




The running trail I preferred took me past a farm. One morning after a light snowfall, I came across these kids out practicing in one of fields.






Besides being addicted to snow, the Norwegians have a fondness for dogs. I saw many out with their peeps as they ran or skied.




One of my last runs in Oslo was just after a nice snowfall (which was just my luck!). I always enjoy being out after a snowfall, especially if there has been no wind. I love the way snow sits on trees and I am quite pleased with this photo. It is pretty good for an image from a phone's camera.




Just down from this tree is the farm I mentioned. The farmer has a stable and the horses were out feeding. A red blanket on one of the horses really caught my eye.




Unhappy with the amount of skiing I was able to do in Oslo, I decided to compensate the best I could with an outing to the Ski Museum at Holmenkollen.

I said in an earlier post that the word ski comes from an early Norwegian word for “plank”. Looking at the skis in the museum, I could certainly see why.




These early skis were something else. Wide and heavy, I’m not sure how people skied on them. Repairs were made with bolts.




For grip, furs were attached to the bottom of the ski.




Some of the skis used ropes to steer.




Back in the very early days, skiers used only one, long pole




The bindings were often just straps or ropes looped around both the ski and the boot.




I will say one thing, though. They sure knew how to decorate the skis.






Fortunately we have come a long way. Today, gear is pretty advanced and we can even provide equipment that enables disabled people to ski.




While at the ski museum, I swallowed my fear of heights and went up to the top of the ski jump and looked down.



It had an awesome view of the city, and at some point I will have to return with my regular camera to see about making a panorama photograph.



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Here is a quick index of my Postcard blog articles for this trip:

My post about some Accidental Abstracts I made during this trip is here.

My post about skiing in Oslo and some Postcards taken with my phone's camera is here.

My post about a side trip I made to Uppsala, Sweden and some early morning streetscapes I made is here.

My post about a fabulous stay I had at Brumma, a cabin above the tree line in Brummastølen, is here.

My post about the wonderful Norwegian Christmas Eve tradition of lighting a candle at the grave of family is here.

My post about my adventure in a hut up in the boreal forest canopy is here.

My post about a wonderful little church I discovered while up above the Arctic Circle is here.

My post about the commonality of fishing between Norway and Newfoundland is here.

My post about being above the Arctic Circle during the polar night is here.

My post about the Nobel Peace Prize fakkeltog is here.