Storestølen is owned and operated by Anne Gørild Olavson Holtskog and Tore Holtskog, who are both involved in the hotel's offers and activities, and who are happy to share tips and experiences.
Where?
Storestølen is located in the middle of Skarvheimen at 1013 masl and right by Fv50 between Hol and Aurland.
Parking facilities are available outside.
Address: Strønde, 3577 Hovet, Norge
Before arriving, we had received some local tour tips from the rando-interested hotel owner Tore, who happily shared his experiences about the snow conditions and views of the peaks. Inside the hotel we were warmly received by co-owner Anne Gørild. She immediately started talking about the mountains and the opportunities around Storestølen, and their commitment to establishing themselves as an attractive ski touring destination. The landscape invites to ski touring and the nearest snow flanks are easily accessible from Storestølen without any form of transport.
The area is particularly suitable for courses and ski touring enthusiasts in the starting pit, but there are also opportunities for those who want to seek steeper and more challenging terrain. Another advantage that makes Storestølen suitable for beginners is also that there are few terrain traps in landslides, and only exceptionally areas that are steeper than 30 degrees. The terrain around Storestølen is also a good practice area because it has many small peaks, admissions, forest areas, short descent choices and the opportunity for a quick retreat back to the hotell if needed. This makes it easy to look for the best conditions, walk several small peaks in a day, practice practical things such as taking traps off and on repeatedly or walking with heel lifts. Storestølen is thus a beautiful starting point for being safe and creating good experiences with randoski on your feet under expert guidance if you wish.
Nordre Flishovd
Altitude: 1477 moh Climbing: 464 hm Length: ca. 7km roundtrip Time: ca. 2t roundtrip
On Saturday we went on a summit trip with Storestølen's guides, Kate Fletcher and Jack Wood, who both have extensive skiing and instructor experience from several of the world's most famous ski destinations, such as Chamonix. The two showed around in their playground of a mountain home and we went together to the local peak Nordre Flishovd. Along the way, they gave an introduction to reading terrain in relation to landslides, landslide traps and important assessments that must be taken on a trip. We had a great day in the mountains and even though the line was affected by the wind, it did not stop us from getting some nice turns with a view of the mighty Hallingskarvet on the other side of Strandavatnet.
A great base for ski touring enthusiasts!
When we came from Hagafoss and it really started to go uphill, it was not difficult to understand that we moved into the ski touring landscape and the rando hearts beat faster. The mountains and Hallingskarvet revealed more the closer we got to the destination. High, snow-capped mountains surrounded the Fjellhotellet and convinced us that here you could put on your rando skis and enjoy ski touring like pearls on a string.
A little down in the valley we dug a snow profile and this was a very educational training situation. We could see that the heat down in the terrain had bound together the snow layers and the conditions were safe for avalanches here. Well down from the mountain, we tried to do a practical search in a fictitious landslide area where we systematically went to work to find the buried transmitter. The search ended in us finding the clothes bag with the wrapped transmitter. This was very good training!
Storestølen Fjellhotell holds both guided ski touring tours and avalanche courses for participants. The courses run two weekends in February and two weekends in March.
After dinner, the guides were to be found in the warm and spacious fireplace room, where they mingled with the guests and the conversations revolved around the day's summit hike and avalanche training, as well as tomorrow's plans. We rounded off the day with a much-needed body massage on the treatment bench of masseur Reidun. Another great offer the service-minded staff at Storestølen happily organized for us.
Sunday's breakfast was eaten with Hallingskarvet in the morning sun as a backdrop. We were again ready with traps under the skis and went in search of local treasures. Together with Jack, we found a peak nearby where we bet the sun had done wonders with the crowd. Conditions worked well, but Randofolk's envoy must have waited a little longer for the sun to work. Fortunately, this did not prevent turns in glorious weather and fun forest driving.
Einsetnuten
Well back we said goodbye to the weekend's hosts and guides, and thanked for our stay. We left Storestølen convinced that this is a great place to start your top hiking career, or just simply for professional, vital replenishment from skilled instructors.
Facilities
Storestølen Fjellhotell offers various accommodation options. The guest department was built in 2011 and refurbished until today. The rooms are large and comfortable with a view of the striking nature of the national park. There are accommodation options from the single room type to family apartments. In the reception and dining area there is a common area that invites to well-deserved relaxation after a long day in the mountains. Storestølen focuses on short-distance food and the good outdoor experiences.
In addition to this, various courses, activities, health treatments, tailor-made group events and wedding events are offered by Storestølen Fjellhotell.
Nutrition
The staff at Storestølen are concerned that the raw materials are organic and local, the house wine is also biodynamic. Every night, delicious, well-composed three-course dinners are served. Storestølen adapts its menu to allergies, intolerances, vegans or different types of diets.