Norwegian Tag Team Wrestling Championship 2010. 23.01.10, Oslo.

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Less fat. more meat.

Stay romantic, Norway.

The video was from a trip that involved skiing in -29°C weather (factoring wind) and passing through -38° valleys. Arriving back to Oslo at -18° or so seemed positively tropical.

I picked up a few cold weather tips and trivia that I was quite unaware of as an antipodean, and that I shall pass on here:

1. Wear wool close to the skin, then add a polar fleece and finally a jacket. Add multiple layers of fleece if need be. Don’t waste time with synthetic thermal underwear, go for wool-based.
2. Driving a car geared-down heats it up, keeping the fluids flowing and boosting cabin temperature. That said, it’s actually possible for a car to overheat because its engine cooling fluids are frozen up. Antifreeze only goes so far…
3. Use non water-based creams/gels such as Vaseline, which don’t freeze so easily.
4. Fleece wind-stopper tubes that fit around the neck are very useful, and if that isn’t enough, upgrade to the balaclava.
5. A bus can take a moose’s head clean off.
6. Thin Merino-wool inner gloves are surprisingly effective, especially when you need to take off your outer gloves to use your fingers.
7. Mobile phone batteries do not last for long, but warming them up can return a charge.
8. Hand-warmer chemical packs are quite the useful thing to slot into ski boots to keep your toes alive.

In this kind of weather, I would pay top dollar to be able to walk into on-mountain cafes and for someone to take my boots, give me some pre-warmed slippers and warm my boots up while I sip my hot chocolate. “Boot valet”, if you like. Are there any ski resorts out there that have such a service?

Obligatory snaps of NYE fireworks in Oslo. Blah.

Christmas in Åndalsnes