Sledding Hill Attempt

Today I tried to go to the sledding hill. This past week has been pretty rainy, but I was hoping the higher elevation would have protected it. I took the train up and brought along some crampons along as well, so I could go hiking if plan A failed. I’ve learned to pay attention where lots of people get on and off on the train – it usually means that something is going on or there is something good there. Lots and lots of people were getting on the train today and then they all pushed their way off at the Holmenkollen stop – the ski jump from the 1952 Olympics. Hmm, I made a mental note.

I got to the last stop and took one look at the sledding hill – pure ice. I had already told myself it was a No Go if it was icy. 2 weeks ago a woman had severely injured her spine on this sled run and it was snowy then, so the ice was no good, especially given the number of turns that the run has. I walked down the hill to a stua (restaurant / cabin where you go to buy warm food after skiing) to see what was going on. The hill down was the sledding hill, so I almost killed myself in that icy covered process, but eventually made it to the stua, where I could look out over Oslo, the surrounding hills, and the encroaching fjords. I stepped inside to ask what was going on, because I thought I could just barely make out the sound of a crowd in the distance. A boy working there said – yes it’s the biathlon down at Holmenkollen – just walk 500 meters down the road. So down I went (more like a kilometer), but I found the crowd and then I found the hill that was free to watch from (as opposed to the stands where you have to pay). Who cares if its below freezing? People bring their foam sleeping pads to sit on, they bring small makeshift grills to make hot dogs on – its like a picnic. No, actually its not even “like” a picnic, it is one.

The men’s event started 12 minutes after I got there and I found 2 Norwegian guys to explain what was going on. Don’t laugh and say “silly Laura it’s skiing and shooting” yes, I know, but do you know what happens when people miss? They have to go around this small circle and do penalty laps for every missed shot.

In the competition everyone does a total of 5 longs laps and then they shoot after the first 4. Each time they shoot they have to hit 5 targets. Twice they shoot standing up and twice laying on the ground. The start times were based on their results in a race on Thursday. A French guy was in first, then a German, then a Russian, then the Norwegian. The Norwegian pulled into a neck and neck race on the 4th lap with the German. Then in the final round of shooting the German missed 2 shots and had to take 2 penalty laps. This ensured the Norwegian win!

And that’s what happens when the sledding hill is icy.