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64-486: In winter, Finse is a popular destination for cross-country skiing and other winter sports, while during summer it is a popular start point for hiking and bicycling trips. Tourist facilities include a hotel (Finse 1222), a hostel (Finsehytta) operated by the Norwegian Mountain Touring Association (DNT), as well as a number of private cabins. Just west of Finse station, the railway passes through

128-427: A wax or texture on the ski bottom under the foot for traction on the snow to allow the skier to slide the other ski forward in virgin or tracked snow. With the skate skiing technique a skier slides on alternating skis on a firm snow surface at an angle from each other in a manner similar to ice skating. Both techniques employ poles with baskets that allow the arms to participate in the propulsion. Specialized equipment

192-410: A coordinated use of poles and the upper body to add impetus. Three common techniques are "V1", "V2" and "V2 alternate". In "V1" the skier pushes with a double pole plant each time the ski is extended on a temporarily "dominant" side, this technique is optimal for climbing. In "V2 alternate" the skier performs the double pole plant before the "dominant" ski is extended, this technique allows for maintaining

256-452: A foot (called a basket) near the end of the shaft that provides a pushing platform, as it makes contact with the snow. Baskets vary in size, according to the expected softness/firmness of the snow. Racing poles feature smaller, lighter baskets than recreational poles. Poles designed for skating are longer than those designed for classic skiing. Traditional skiing in the 1800s used a single pole for both cross-country and downhill. The single pole

320-415: A gliding surface and, for classic skis, a traction zone under foot. The base of the gliding surface is a plastic material that is designed both to minimize friction and, in many cases, to accept waxes. Glide wax may be used on the tails and tips of classic skis and across the length of skate skis. Each type of ski is sized and designed differently. Length affects maneuverability; camber affects pressure on

384-425: A higher speed and is often used on slightly downhill terrsin. In "V2" the skier performs the double pole plant each time the ski is extended on either side, on flat ground and in slight inclines this technique is often the fastest and most efficient of the 3. Skiers climb hills with these techniques by widening the angle of the "V" and by making more frequent, shorter strides and more forceful use of poles. A variant of

448-583: A natural fur traction surface , the andor , and one long for gliding, the langski —one being up to 100 cm (39 in) longer than the other—allowing skiers to propel themselves with a scooter motion. This combination has a long history among the Sami people . Skis up to 280 cm have been produced in Finland, and the longest recorded ski in Norway is 373 cm. Ski warfare , the use of ski-equipped troops in war ,

512-468: A public ski competition occurred in Tromsø , 1843. In Norwegian, langrenn refers to "competitive skiing where the goal is to complete a specific distance in groomed tracks in the shortest possible time". In Norway, ski touring competitions ( Norwegian : turrenn ) are long-distance cross-country competitions open to the public, competition is usually within age intervals. A new technique, skate skiing ,

576-518: A skating motion (skate skiing), aided by arms pushing on ski poles against the snow. It is practised in regions with snow-covered landscapes, including Europe , Canada , Russia , the United States , Australia and New Zealand . Competitive cross-country skiing is one of the Nordic skiing sports. Cross-country skiing and rifle marksmanship are the two components of biathlon . Ski orienteering

640-536: A sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a means of travel. Variants of cross-country skiing are adapted to a range of terrain which spans unimproved, sometimes mountainous terrain to groomed courses that are specifically designed for the sport. Modern cross-country skiing is similar to the original form of skiing, from which all skiing disciplines evolved, including alpine skiing , ski jumping and Telemark skiing . Skiers propel themselves either by striding forward (classic style) or side-to-side in

704-678: A stickier substance, called klister . Ski boots are attached to the ski only at the toe, leaving the heel free. Depending on application, boots may be lightweight (performance skiing) or heavier and more supportive (back-country skiing). Bindings connect the boot to the ski. There are three primary groups of binding systems used in cross-country skiing (in descending order of importance): Ski poles are used for balance and propulsion. Modern cross-country ski poles are made from aluminium , fibreglass-reinforced plastic , or carbon fibre , depending on weight, cost and performance parameters. Formerly they were made of wood or bamboo . They feature

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768-452: A traction zone, called the "grip zone" or "kick zone", underfoot. This comes either from a) texture , such as " fish scales " or mohair skins, designed to slide forward but not backwards, that is built into the grip zone of waxless skis, or from applied devices, e.g. climbing skins , or b) from grip waxes . Grip waxes are classified according to their hardness: harder waxes are for colder and newer snow. An incorrect choice of grip wax for

832-415: A utilitarian means of transportation to being a worldwide recreational activity and sport, which branched out into other forms of skiing starting in the mid-1800s. Early skiers used one long pole or spear in addition to the skis. The first depiction of a skier with two ski poles dates to 1741. Traditional skis, used for snow travel in Norway and elsewhere into the 1800s, often comprised one short ski with

896-546: A variety of formats for races over courses of varying lengths according to rules sanctioned by the International Ski Federation (FIS) and by national organizations, such as the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and Cross Country Ski Canada. It also encompasses cross-country ski marathon events, sanctioned by the Worldloppet Ski Federation , cross-country ski orienteering events, sanctioned by

960-449: A volunteer effort in the 1960s and 1970s. Motorised vehicles are permitted only by application in order to prevent damage to the trail. A railway navvy museum is located near the station, displaying exhibits concerning the construction of the railway line as well as two decommissioned snow-clearing engines which visitors are free to explore. During the winter, Finse is popular for cross-country skiing , snowkiting (due to its location on

1024-418: Is a form of cross-country skiing competition that requires navigation in a landscape, making optimal route choices at racing speeds. Standard orienteering maps are used, but with special green overprinting of trails and tracks to indicate their navigability in snow ; other symbols indicate whether any roads are snow-covered or clear. Standard skate-skiing equipment is used, along with a map holder attached to

1088-558: Is a form of cross-country skiing, which includes map navigation along snow trails and tracks. The word ski comes from the Old Norse word skíð which means stick of wood. Skiing started as a technique for traveling cross-country over snow on skis, starting almost five millennia ago with beginnings in Scandinavia . It may have been practised as early as 600 BCE in Daxing'anling , in what

1152-412: Is adapted to each technique and each type of terrain. A variety of turns are used, when descending. Poles contribute to forward propulsion, either simultaneously (usual for the skate technique) or in alternating sequence (common for the classical technique as the "diagonal stride"). Double poling is also used with the classical technique when higher speed can be achieved on flats and slight downhills than

1216-472: Is also the setting for the climax of the 1948 Hammond Innes novel The Blue Ice . For the 1980 movie The Empire Strikes Back , the second feature film of the Star Wars franchise, Finse was used as filming location for several scenes taking place on the ice planet Hoth . The hotel at Finse hosted the production crew during filming, and a festival for Star Wars fans was held there from 2017—2020. According to

1280-434: Is available in the diagonal stride, which is favored to achieve higher power going uphill. The classic style is often used on prepared trails (pistes) that have pairs of parallel grooves (tracks) cut into the snow. It is also the most usual technique where no tracks have been prepared. With this technique, each ski is pushed forward from the other stationary ski in a striding and gliding motion, alternating foot to foot. With

1344-734: Is first recorded by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus in the 13th century. These troops were reportedly able to cover distances comparable to that of light cavalry . The garrison in Trondheim used skis at least from 1675, and the Danish-Norwegian army included specialized skiing battalions from 1747—details of military ski exercises from 1767 are on record. Skis were used in military exercises in 1747. In 1799 French traveller Jacques de la Tocnaye recorded his visit to Norway in his travel diary: Norwegian immigrants used skis ("Norwegian snowshoes") in

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1408-453: Is late summer and autumn, and the driest season is spring. The closest weather station is Finsevatn, which has been operating since 1993 and is located about 1.5 kilometers south-east of Finse station. There is usually snow on the ground from late October or November to late May or June. Finse, including the Finse tunnel and the hotel Finse 1222, is the setting of Anne Holt 's 2007 novel 1222 . It

1472-656: Is now China . Early historical evidence includes Procopius 's (around CE 550) description of Sami people as skrithiphinoi translated as "ski running samis". Birkely argues that the Sami people have practiced skiing for more than 6000 years, evidenced by the very old Sami word čuoigat for skiing. Egil Skallagrimsson 's 950 CE saga describes King Haakon the Good 's practice of sending his tax collectors out on skis. The Gulating law (1274) stated that "No moose shall be disturbed by skiers on private land." Cross-country skiing evolved from

1536-667: Is one of the most successful crime novelists in Norway. She has been published in 25 countries. Val McDermid , a Scottish crime writer, has said that "Anne Holt is the latest crime writer to reveal how truly dark it gets in Scandinavia". In 2004, Holt took part in the founding of the Norwegian branch of the Swedish publishing house, Piratforlaget, which had been started by the celebrated Swedish authors Jan Guillou and Liza Marklund . The objective, to publish bestselling writers at reduced prices,

1600-401: Is purely a competitive sport and not for amateurs. He further noted that in some competitions the skier "is also required to show his skill in turning his ski to one side or the other within given marks" at full speed on a steep hill. Nansen regarded these forms (i.e., jumping and slalom) as "special arts", and believed that the most important branch of skiing was travel "in an ordinary way across

1664-596: Is referred to as stå på ski (literally "stand on skis"). Fridtjof Nansen , describes the crossing of Greenland as På ski over Grønland , literally "On skis across Greenland", while the English edition of the report was titled, The first crossing of Greenland . Nansen referred to the activity of traversing snow on skis as Norwegian : skilöbning (he used the term also in the English translation), which may be translated as ski running . Nansen used skilöbning , regarding all forms of skiing, but noted that ski jumping

1728-538: The Boreal Loppet , held in Forestville, Quebec , Canada. Biathlon combines cross-country skiing and rifle shooting . Depending on the shooting performance, extra distance or time is added to the contestant's total running distance/time. For each shooting round, the biathlete must hit five targets; the skier receives a penalty for each missed target, which varies according to the competition rules. Ski orienteering

1792-563: The Finse Tunnel , the longest tunnel on the Bergen Line. When opened, the tunnel replaced a section of rail that was frequently blocked by snow and difficult to clear, causing delays and cancellations on the railway. According to the BBC, explorers Roald Amundsen , Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton all trained for their expeditions at Finse. Since there are no public roads linking Finse to

1856-681: The International Orienteering Federation , and Paralympic cross-country skiing, sanctioned by the International Paralympic Committee . The FIS Nordic World Ski Championships have been held in various numbers and types of events since 1925 for men and since 1954 for women. From 1924 to 1939, the World Championships were held every year, including the Winter Olympic Games . After World War II,

1920-655: The Norwegian Labour Party and the time after Anders Behring Breivik 's terror attacks in Norway in 2011 . In 2017, Holt wrote an op-ed in Dagens Nyheter in which she rejected the far-right view that Sweden's immigration policies were reckless and dangerous. She has won several awards, including the Riverton Prize (1994) for Salige er de som tørster , the Bokhandler Prize (1995) for Demonens død , and

1984-995: The Ski Classics , which started in 2011, and the Worldloppet . Skiers race in classic or free-style (skating) events, depending on the rules of the race. Notable ski marathons , include the Vasaloppet in Sweden , Birkebeineren in Norway, the Tartu Maraton in Estonia , the Engadin Skimarathon in Switzerland , the American Birkebeiner , the Tour of Anchorage in Anchorage , Alaska , and

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2048-408: The "diagonal stride" variant the poles are planted alternately on the opposite side of the forward-striding foot; with the "kick-double-pole" variant the poles are planted simultaneously with every other stride. At times, especially with gentle descents, double poling is the sole means of propulsion. On uphill terrain, techniques include the "side step" for steep slopes, moving the skis perpendicular to

2112-644: The High Mountain Ecological Research Station. The Centre hosts numerous workshops, conferences, and research projects from both Norwegian and international institutions. It is part of the EU funded International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT). Located at a high altitude, Finse has an alpine tundra climate ( ET in the Köppen climate classification ). The wettest season

2176-617: The International Ski Federation, or national standards. Standards address course distances, degree of difficulty with maximums in elevation difference and steepness—both up and downhill, plus other factors. Some facilities have night-time lighting on select trails—called lysløype (light trails) in Norwegian and elljusspår (electric-light trails) in Swedish. The first lysløype opened in 1946 in Nordmarka and at Byåsen ( Trondheim ). Cross-country ski competition encompasses

2240-694: The Norwegian consul in Kobe imported ski equipment and introduced skiing to the Japanese , motivated by the death of Japanese soldiers during a snow storm. Starting in 1919, Vladimir Lenin helped popularize the activity in the Soviet Union. Norwegian skiing regiments organized military skiing contests in the 18th century, divided in four classes: shooting at a target while skiing at "top speed", downhill racing among trees, downhill racing on large slopes without falling, and "long racing" on "flat ground". An early record of

2304-717: The US midwest from around 1836. Norwegian immigrant " Snowshoe Thompson " transported mail by skiing across the Sierra Nevada between California and Nevada from 1856. In 1888 Norwegian explorer Fridtjof Nansen and his team crossed the Greenland icecap on skis. Norwegian workers on the Buenos Aires - Valparaiso railway line introduced skiing in South America around 1890. In 1910 Roald Amundsen used skis on his South Pole Expedition . In 1902

2368-660: The World Championships were held every four years from 1950 to 1982. Since 1985, the World Championships have been held in odd-numbered years. Notable cross-country ski competitions include the Winter Olympics, the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships , and the FIS World Cup events (including the Holmenkollen ). Cross-country ski marathons —races with distances greater than 40 kilometers—have two cup series,

2432-479: The ban, most race waxes combined fluorinated hydrocarbon waxes with fluorocarbon overlays. Fluorocarbons decrease surface tension and surface area of the water between the ski and the snow, increasing speed and glide of the ski under specific conditions. Either combined with the wax or applied after in a spray, powder, or block form, fluorocarbons significantly improve the glide of the ski. Skis designed for classic technique, both in track and in virgin snow, rely on

2496-445: The base using an iron or applied in a liquid form. The excess wax is first scraped off and then finished by brushing. Most glide waxes are based on paraffin that is combined with additive materials. The paraffin hardness and additives are varied based on snow type, humidity and temperature. Since the 2021-2022 race season, fluorinated products are banned in FIS sanctioned competitions. Before

2560-488: The chest. It is one of the four orienteering disciplines recognized by the International Orienteering Federation . Upper body strength is especially important because of frequent double poling along narrow snow trails. Paralympic cross-country ski competition is an adaptation of cross-country skiing for athletes with disabilities. Paralympic cross-country skiing includes standing events, sitting events (for wheelchair users), and events for visually impaired athletes under

2624-500: The condition of the snow—crystal structure, temperature, degree of compaction, moisture content, etc. Depending on the initial condition of the snow, grooming may achieve an increase in density for new-fallen snow or a decrease in density for icy or compacted snow. Cross-country ski facilities may incorporate a course design that meets homologation standards for such organizations as the International Olympic Committee,

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2688-410: The country". In Germany, Nansen's Greenland report was published as Auf Schneeschuhen durch Grönland (literally "On snowshoes through Greenland"). The German term, Schneeschuh , was supplanted by the borrowed Norwegian word, Ski , in the late 19th century. The Norwegian encyclopedia of sports also uses the term, skiløping , (literally "ski running") for all forms of skiing. Around 1900

2752-495: The edge of the frozen lake Finsevatnet ) and expedition training. The ill-fated Scott expedition to the South Pole trained here, and outside the hotel there is a monument to those that died. There is one small drag lift which allows downhill skiing on one slope back into town. In summer, the recreational focus switches to mountain cycling (including on the aforementioned Rallarvegen trail) and hiking, including glacier hiking on

2816-458: The fall line, the "herringbone" for moderate slopes, where the skier takes alternating steps with the skis splayed outwards, and, for gentle slopes, the skier uses the diagonal technique with shorter strides and greater arm force on the poles. With skate skiing, the skier provides propulsion on a smooth, firm snow surface by pushing alternating skis away from one another at an angle, in a manner similar to ice skating . Skate-skiing usually involves

2880-436: The heel to enable a walking pace, as with Nordic disciplines and unlike Alpine skiing . Ski touring's subgenre ski mountaineering involves independently navigating and route finding through potential avalanche terrain and often requires familiarity with meteorology along with skiing skills. Ski touring can be faster and easier than summer hiking in some terrain, allowing for traverses and ascents that would be harder in

2944-478: The line during the previous decade. In summer, it is possible to walk or cycle to Finse on the Rallarvegen rail trail , which stretches from Myrdal station or Flåm to Finse's west to Haugastøl station to its east. Originally built around the turn of the twentieth century as an access road for the workers constructing the railway, Rallarvegen has been open to the public as a bicycle trail since 1974 following

3008-517: The nearby "blue ice" glacier Hardangerjøkulen , the sixth largest glacier in mainland Norway. Owing to its high altitude and cold climate, Finse is a centre for teaching and academic work on high-altitude biology. It is home to the Alpine Research Center operated by the University of Oslo and the University of Bergen . The research centre began its work in 1972, initially under the title of

3072-403: The official PlayStation account on Twitter , the team behind the 2015 video game Star Wars Battlefront went to Finse to film in preparation for building the game's Hoth map . Cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as

3136-414: The other one during endurance events; this became known as the "marathon skate". The word ski comes from the Old Norse word skíð which means "cleft wood", "stick of wood" or "ski". Norwegian language does not use a verb-form equivalent in idiomatic speech, unlike English "to ski". In modern Norwegian , a variety of terms refer to cross-country skiing, including: In contrast, alpine skiing

3200-522: The outside world, the railway provides the sole means of year-round motorised transportation to and from Finse. As of 2023, the long-distance trains between Bergen and Oslo called at Finse with four daily departures in each direction on weekdays. Apart from these long-distance trains, Finse is not served by any railway services. Because the railway is the only means of transportation into or out of Finse, especially difficult weather conditions, rail accidents or damage to rail infrastructure can isolate it from

3264-406: The outside world. In 2020, a particularly difficult year, several separate incidents caused the Bergen Line to be closed for 4 days in total during the first three months of the year. These incidents included the destruction of an avalanche gallery and the derailing of a freight train , both occurring near Finse. The four days of closure equalled the total number of days without passenger traffic on

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3328-643: The period 1984 to 1988. She then worked at the Oslo Police Department for two years, earning her right to practise as a lawyer in Norway. In 1990 she returned to NRK, where she worked one year as a journalist and anchor woman for the news program Dagsrevyen . Anne Holt started her own law practice in 1994, and served as the Minister of Justice in Cabinet Jagland for a short period from 25 October 1996 to 4 February 1997. She resigned for health reasons, and

3392-442: The rules of the International Paralympic Committee . These are divided into several categories for people who are missing limbs, have amputations, are blind, or have any other physical disability, to continue their sport. Cross-country skiing has two basic propulsion techniques, which apply to different surfaces: classic (undisturbed snow and tracked snow) and skate skiing (firm, smooth snow surfaces). The classic technique relies on

3456-408: The snow beneath the feet of the skier; side-cut affects the ease of turning; width affects forward friction; overall area on the snow affects bearing capacity; and tip geometry affects the ability to penetrate new snow or to stay in a track. Each of the following ski types has a different combination of these attributes: Glide waxes enhance the speed of the gliding surface. The wax is either melted on

3520-415: The snow conditions encountered may cause ski slippage (wax too hard for the conditions) or snow sticking to the grip zone (wax too soft for the conditions). Grip waxes generate grip by interacting with snow crystals, which vary with temperature, age and compaction. Hard grip waxes do not work well for snow which has metamorphosed to having coarse grains, whether icy or wet. In these conditions, skiers opt for

3584-402: The success of Bill Koch ( United States ) in 1982 Cross-country Skiing Championships drew more attention to the skating style. Norwegian skier Ove Aunli started using the technique in 1984, when he found it to be much faster than classic style. Finnish skier, Pauli Siitonen , developed a one-sided variant of the style in the 1970s, leaving one ski in the track while skating to the side with

3648-590: The summer and skiers in the winter. Groomed trail skiing occurs at facilities such as Nordmarka (Oslo), Royal Gorge Cross Country Ski Resort and Gatineau Park in Quebec , where trails are laid out and groomed for both classic and skate-skiing. Such grooming and track setting (for classic technique) requires specialized equipment and techniques that adapt to the condition of the snow. Trail preparation employs snow machines which tow snow-compaction, texturing and track-setting devices. Groomers must adapt such equipment to

3712-480: The summer. Skis can also be used to access backcountry alpine climbing routes when snow is off the technical route, but still covers the hiking trail. In some countries, organizations maintain a network of huts for use by cross-country skiers in wintertime. For example, the Norwegian Trekking Association maintains over 400 huts stretching across thousands of kilometres of trails which hikers can use in

3776-685: The technique is the "marathon skate" or "Siitonen step", where the skier leaves one ski in the track while skating outwards to the side with the other ski. Turns, used while descending or for braking, include the snowplough (or "wedge turn"), the stem christie (or "wedge christie"), parallel turn , and the Telemark turn . The step turn is used for maintaining speed during descents or out of track on flats. Equipment comprises skis, poles, boots and bindings; these vary according to: Skis used in cross-country are lighter and narrower than those used in alpine skiing . Ski bottoms are designed to provide

3840-656: The word Skilaufen was used in German in the same sense as Norwegian : skiløping . Recreational cross-country skiing includes ski touring and groomed-trail skiing, typically at resorts or in parklands. It is an accessible form of recreation for persons with vision and mobility impairments . A related form of recreation is dog skijoring —a winter sport where a cross-country skier is assisted by one or more dogs. Ski touring takes place off- piste and outside of ski resorts . Tours may extend over multiple days. Typically, skis , bindings , and boots allow for free movement of

3904-602: Was controversial in Scandinavia, where book prices and author advances are highly standardized. Anders Heger, head of the Cappelen publishing house, expressed a widespread concern that Piratforlag would "intensify differences" between "the authors who earn a lot and those who don't". Holt is a social democrat and a lifelong member of the Labour Party . She is outspoken against racism. In 2012, Holt wrote an op-ed in Dagbladet about

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3968-460: Was experimented with early in the 20th Century, but was not widely adopted until the 1980s. Johan Grøttumsbråten used the skating technique at the 1931 World Championship in Oberhof, one of the earliest recorded use of skating in competitive cross-country skiing. This technique was later used in ski orienteering in the 1960s on roads and other firm surfaces. It became widespread during the 1980s after

4032-593: Was longer and stronger than the poles that are used in pairs. In competitive cross-country poles in pairs were introduced around 1900. Anne Holt Anne Holt (born 16 November 1958) is a Norwegian author, lawyer and former Minister of Justice . She was born in Larvik , grew up in Lillestrøm and Tromsø , and moved to Oslo in 1978. Holt graduated with a law degree from the University of Bergen in 1986, and worked for The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) in

4096-440: Was replaced by Gerd-Liv Valla . In 1993, she made her debut as a novelist with the crime novel Blind gudinne , featuring the lesbian police officer Hanne Wilhelmsen. The two novels Løvens gap (1997) and Uten ekko (2000) are co-authored with her former state secretary Berit Reiss-Andersen . Her 2015 novel Offline is about a terrorist attack on an Islamic cultural center by a group of extreme Norwegian nationalists. She

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