We’re approaching the top of the mountain and I experience a jolt of adrenaline as I count down from three, preparing to disembark the chairlift without crossing my skis or entangling my poles with the unsuspecting person next to me, or indeed just failing to get off entirely… but after a smooth glide down the short descent from the lift, I convene with the group and look up to be rewarded with the most dazzling view over Norway’s Valdres region, featuring a vast frozen lake, alpine forests and sweeping slopes dotted with cabins.
It’s day three of my Slope Starters experience with Crystal Ski Holidays, and I am amazed at how quickly I’ve advanced from barely being able to scramble onto the nursery slopes in my ski boots, to preparing to ski down a red run (ski routes are categorised by green for beginners, blue for intermediate, red for advanced, and black for expert terrain). If only my children could see me now, they’d be gobsmacked at what their mum can do.
The friendly mountain village of Beitostolen in Norway is the latest addition to Crystal Ski Holidays’ Slope Starters offering, with 2025/26 going on sale today. Norway joins Andorra and Austria on the programme (France has been switched out), with flights to Oslo available from Gatwick or Manchester (see box for more information).
Slope Starters is designed for beginner skiers and snowboarders, who will spend a week honing their skills as well as socialising – think welcome drinks at the hotel, partying at apres-ski and access to the hotel’s spa and wellness facilities. “We are always looking for different ways to make skiing and snowboarding more accessible for beginners,” says Crystal Ski Holidays managing director Chris Logan. There are plenty of activities on offer beyond the slopes too, to showcase the whole breadth of a ski holiday.
I am staying at the Radisson Blu Mountain Resort, Beitostolen, which is where your clients would be staying. What strikes me on arrival after a scenic three-hour transfer is it doesn’t feel like a typical “chain hotel”. We’re greeted by a crackling fire in a cosy foyer, and when I open my curtains on the first morning I am bowled over by the view of a streaky sunrise over the valley, with the moon sinking behind the mountains.
Ideal terrain for beginners
Norway might be better-known for its cross-country skiing, but Beitostolen has all you need for a brilliant “downhill” ski holiday for all ages, and it’s all based in one easily-navigable place, making the experience less daunting for those unfamiliar with ski resorts. There are 21km of slopes with nine ski lifts, and a fun snow park with 15 rails and several jumps.
The ski lifts are just across the road from the hotel, forming part of Beitostolen’s little central high street dotted with all the amenities you need, and I come to really enjoy our routine of taking a leisurely breakfast with twinkly views before heading over to the ski school to get our kit on and meet our guides – Per, Bobo and Patrick – for a sunny day on the mountain. A personal highlight is skiing down to Aasgaard, a large wooden cafe on the slopes serving up freshly made Scandinavian buns, hotdogs and fries, and cold beer.
I feel well-supported from the beginning of the process, with the instructors meeting us to help us hire our ski gear (boots, skis, poles and helmets included in the package) and I’m pleased that after the first day there is capacity for the guides to split the group according to ability and confidence for a more tailored experience.
Many of the ski instructors – who oversee the resort’s other activities too – have worked Valdres for decades and have a story or two to tell, like Lasse, who waxes lyrical about the history and legends of the mountain as we huddle around a campfire and psych ourselves up for snow rafting one evening. Amazing fun!
Other extra-curricular activities include ice fishing and husky sled tours (with the possibility of seeing the northern lights). We’re lucky enough to also take a sunset trip to the local wilderness spa, where you can take an icy plunge into the frozen Oyangen lake before warming up in the wood-fired hot tub and sauna with a glass of wine and impossibly-bucolic, uninterrupted views.
As we clamber into our transfer back to Oslo airport, I take a sweeping look around the happy year-round eco-system and smile, pleased to have taken a “dørstokkmil” – the untranslatable Norwegian word for “the daunting first step”.
Booking information
Slope Starters seven-night package holidays for 2025-26 are now available in three locations, costing from £1,095pp, including return flights, 20kg luggage, half-board accommodation, transfers, five days’ ski lessons, equipment hire and a six-day lift pass.
Norway* will take place 10-17th January 2026, departing from Gatwick or Manchester.
Austria will run 18-25th January 2026, departing from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle or Stansted.
Andorra will take place 1-8th March 2026, departing from Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Gatwick or Manchester.
In Norway, clients will be able to add some excursions, such as the snow rafting, on during the booking flow, with additional activities (such as the wilderness spa) available to book separately in-resort.
*Only ski lessons are offered for Norway packages (not snowboarding), but snowboarding is bookable for Austria and Andorra.
crystalski.co.uk
