A wonderful ski-hike through old mountain forest in well prepared ski-tracks The hike offers many fine alternatives, both on the Swedish side as well as the Norwegian side. The hike starts with a short drive.
In prepared ski-tracks, a ski-pass is required. These can be purchased at all facilities in the area. In the Excursion-tracks you may ski with a pulk. Leashed dogs are welcome, with the exception of dog-sledges
For current ski-track status, see: livetracks.se
Take part of our code of conduct, before you hit the tracks.
Drive towards Elgå, shortly before the Norwegian boarder you’ll find a car park on the left hand side. Follow the signs to Valdalsbygget along a marked winter trail 2 km to the Chalet, where you can enjoy your packed lunch inside one of the cabins equipped with a wood-burner. From here you can continue to Gammeldalen-Valley, 1 km west from Valdalsbygget. The hike can be made from Storsätern/Västsätern and through the forest over Dyllen, which offers wonderful views of Gröveldalen-Valley You can also park the car by the old Peat-tipi along the road to Elgå, from here you’ll find ski-tracks towards Olån and Valdalen. The southern slope of Bersetskallen on the Norwegian side offers a fantastic view over the open mountain landscape.
Several alternative routes along prepared ski-tracks From Grövelsjön via Olån, its a 9 km hike.
About Valdalsbygget:
In 1831 the Norwegian farmer Per Persson Lillebo and his wife Dordi Jonsdatter purchased a large piece of land from a farmer in Idre. The couple had as early as 1825 settled at Gammeldalen, short of 1 km from Valdalsbygget on the Norwegian side of the boarder. In 1865 the family consisted of 9 persons, one horse, nine cows, ten sheep and four goats. The winter feed for the animals was taken from the hay meadows at Gammeldalen, Valdalsbygget and the vast mires in the south The hay from the mires was heatherd in the meadows, and brought by sledge back to the farm in winter. Later on the family moved from Gammeldalen to Valdalsbygget.
Here they stayed for 3 generations, until 1922. Valdalsbygget was then used as a chalet until 1958. But, Valdalsbygget may be a lot older than that. According to local lore, older buildings have stood where the residential buildings stand today,. How old or who built them no-one knows. The farm gives a good picture of what a settlement looked like in the 19th century The location is typical for that time, in the way people chose where to build there home, on a little slope by a nice stream. Almost all buildings needed on a farm, residential building, winter and summer barns, stores, stables and a small shed by the stream that times refrigerator. There is also remains of a tar-pit and a cellar. The old houses are well preserved, and has recently been restored with new timber and roofs. There is a large building open for hikers to get a rest, and shelter from the weather. The farm is today owned by the National Property Board and lies with in a Nature Reserve. Take an extra glance at the larger cabins door and walls. There you find many inscriptions and carvings form the time of World War II, and you can still see the names of the men in the Boarder Patrol carved into the logs.