Cycling Training Camp in Valdres — 5-Day Camp in the Mountains

Valdres has everything a cycling camp needs: long climbs from 300 to 1,389 metres above sea level, quiet roads with minimal traffic, varied surfaces and accommodation with good food. Here's a complete 5-day programme for club teams, training groups or anyone wanting to structure their own training week.

Why is Valdres good for a cycling training camp?

Valdres offers over 1,000 metres of available climbing (300–1,389 m asl), very little car traffic, varied terrain from flat valley floor to steep mountain passes, and accommodation at all price levels. Beitostølen (930 m asl) provides moderate altitude training, and the route network has over 430 marked cycling routes across all difficulty levels.

Why Valdres for a Training Camp?

Traditional training camps head to Mallorca or Provence. But for Norwegian club teams wanting to save on flights and train in home conditions, Valdres is a fully viable alternative. Road quality is good, climbs are long enough for serious training, and there's enough space for groups to ride intervals without disturbing others.

Choose Your Base

Beitostølen (930 m asl) is the top choice for most training groups. You stay at moderate altitude with Valdresflya right up the road for mountain stages, and the lowlands in Slidredalen 15 minutes away for easy recovery rides. Radisson Blu Resort Beitostølen and Beitostølen Resort welcome groups.

Fagernes (360 m asl) suits those who prefer training from the valley floor. The advantage: every ride starts with a climb — you go uphill no matter which direction. Scandic Valdres is centrally located with good facilities.

Vaset (900 m asl) is the alternative for groups wanting to focus on gravel. The mountain dairy roads around Vaset offer endless gravel kilometres in open terrain.

5-Day Training Plan

Day 1: Mountain Intervals — Valdresflya

Goal: Threshold training on climbs · Distance: 50–70 km · Elevation: 800–1,200 m

Start from Beitostølen and ride up towards Valdresflya. The first 22 km up to Valdresflya's highest point (1,389 m asl) is one long, steady climb — perfect for threshold intervals. Ride 3×10 min at threshold zone on the way up, with 5 min easy between each effort.

Turn at the top or continue to Bygdin. The descent back provides active recovery.

Tip: Wind on Valdresflya can be strong. Check yr.no and bring a wind jacket — it's 10–15 degrees colder than in the valley.

Day 2: Long Ride — Panoramavegen or Mjølkevegen Stage

Goal: Endurance, steady intensity · Distance: 80–100 km · Elevation: 1,000–1,500 m

The big day. Choose between Panoramavegen (undulating kilometres with views of Jotunheimen) or a Mjølkevegen stage like Beitostølen–Golsfjellet.

Keep the intensity in zone 2 — endurance zone. Eat every 30 minutes. Refill bottles at the mountain lodges along the route.

Day 3: Recovery — Slidredalen

Goal: Active rest, loosen the legs · Distance: 30–40 km · Elevation: < 300 m

Ride easy along Slidredalen on flat tarmac or easy gravel. Keep your heart rate in zone 1. Stop for coffee. Use the afternoon for stretching, foam rolling or a dip in Slidrefjorden if the water is warm enough.

Recovery day is just as important as the hard days — it's not optional.

Day 4: Intervals — Fagernes Hill Repeats

Goal: VO2max, short hard efforts · Distance: 40–60 km · Elevation: 600–900 m

Use the Fagernes hill route or another route with repeated short climbs (2–5 min). Ride 6–8×3 min at VO2max zone with 3 min easy between. The tarmac surface gives consistent resistance.

Alternatively: find a 1–2 km hill and do repeats up and down. Valdres has many steep side roads that work perfectly.

Day 5: Test Ride — The Challenge

Goal: Put the week's training together · Distance: 90 km · Elevation: 2,000 m

The Challenge is Valdres' toughest road route — 90 km with 2,000 metres of climbing. Use it as an informal test. Ride the first 60 km controlled, then go full gas for the last 30. Compare with previous times if you've been here before.

Not everyone needs to ride The Challenge. An easier alternative is to repeat the Day 1 route and compare watts/heart rate.

Practical for Group Training

Food and Nutrition On Route

Mountain lodges along the routes serve food in season (June–September), but hours vary. Always carry 2 extra bars and 1 gel. Drink 0.5–0.7 litres per hour — more in warm weather.

After training: protein-rich food within 30 minutes. Most hotels in Valdres can adapt breakfast and dinner for cycling groups if booked in advance.

Alternative 3-Day Programme

Only got a long weekend? Ride Day 1 (intervals), Day 2 (long ride) and Day 5 (test). Skip the recovery and VO2max days — they're the bonus you get with five days.

Season for Training Camp

June: Perfect temperature (12–20°C). Valdresflya just opened — early season gives extra motivation. Long days with light until 11 PM.

July–August: Warmest (15–25°C), but also most traffic on main roads. Use side roads and gravel to avoid cars. Mountain dairies serving food are open.

September: Cooler (8–15°C), colourful autumn nature, almost no traffic. Perfect for a quiet training week without distractions. Some mountain lodges close at the end of September.

Level Groups — Everyone Trains Optimally in One Group

Most clubs and training groups have mixed ability levels. That needn't be a problem — Valdres' geography makes it easy to split the group en route.

Split on the climb, regroup in the valley. Beitostølen as base makes this natural: A-group takes Valdresflya to the top, B-group turns halfway, C-group rides along Slidredalen. Everyone meets for dinner.

Day 2 (the long ride) is the key day. A-group rides all of Panoramavegen, B-group takes Mjølkevegen Stage 3 which is flatter, C-group does a shorter version with e-bike support.

Recovery day (Day 3) brings everyone together. Slidredalen is flat enough for everyone to ride together — use it for a social group ride with a mandatory coffee stop.

Concrete split for the 5-day plan:

Bad Weather — Plan B When the Mountain is Closed

Valdresflya can be unusable in bad weather — wind over 15 m/s and temperatures below 5°C make it dangerous, not just uncomfortable. Have a plan B ready for the entire group.

Slidredalen is weather-proof. The fjord valley sits at 300–500 m asl and is sheltered by mountains on both sides. Even when it's blowing 20 m/s on Valdresflya, it can be calm along Slidrefjorden. Slidrefjorden tempo loop (28 km, 180 m) is flat enough for threshold training and long enough for endurance.

The Fagernes alternative. Leira–Dokka high road (52 km, 680 m) gives solid training without going above the treeline. The valley road along Begna is sheltered and has good tarmac.

Rain is OK — storms are not. Norwegian cyclists handle rain. But the combination of rain + wind + mountain road = hypothermia risk. Check yr.no the evening before and make the decision at breakfast. Moving a mountain day to the next day is better than sending someone to A&E.

Turbo training as a last resort. If everyone brought their turbo trainers, set up an indoor interval session at the hotel. 60 min with 5×5 min at threshold zone replaces a half-hearted ride in sideways rain.

Strength Training and Stretching — Making the Most of Off-Bike Hours

A training camp isn't just about saddle time. The hours between sessions determine whether you come home stronger or just tired.

Morning Routine (15 min, before breakfast)

Do this every morning before your first meal — it takes fifteen minutes and prepares the body for the day's session:

Evening Routine (20 min, after dinner)

After the day's session and dinner — this is the most important thing you do to perform again tomorrow:

Equipment tip: Bring a foam roller and a resistance band. They weigh almost nothing and make the difference between five good training days and three good + two mediocre.

Strength Exercises for Recovery Day (Day 3)

Use 30 minutes of recovery day for cycling-specific strength — after the easy ride, before lunch:

Standing single-leg squat — 3×8 per side. Builds strength in the single-leg power you use on climbs.
Hamstring sliders (socks on smooth floor) — 3×10. Prevents the posterior weakness that causes knee pain on Day 4.
Lunge with rotation — 3×8 per side. Hip mobility + strength in one.
Back extension (lie over bed edge) — 3×12. The lower back takes more punishment than you think after 80 km in the drops.

Planning Your Own Camp — Checklist

Organising a training camp for your club or training group? Here's a complete checklist — everything you need to think about, in the right order.

3 Months Before

1 Month Before

Share the training plan — send the 5-day programme to all participants so they know what to expect
Check bikes and equipment — everyone should service their bike BEFORE departure, not during
Order food — arrange with the hotel for early breakfast (7 AM), evening snacks and packed lunches
Download GPS routes — share GPX files for all five days in the group's Strava club or WhatsApp group
Check road openings — Valdresflya (RV51) and Panoramavegen have variable opening dates, typically June. Call Statens vegvesen 175 for current status.

Packing List — What People Forget

What Makes Valdres Better Than Mallorca?

Nothing — they're different tools. Mallorca gives guaranteed sun, flat speed and Sa Calobra. Valdres gives Norwegian mountains, gravel options, tranquillity and training conditions that match the races you'll ride at home. For Norwegian clubs wanting to train on Norwegian roads in Norwegian weather, Valdres is the smart choice.

Also read: Training guide with climbs and toughest cycling challenges.

Cycling Training Camp Valdres — 5-Day Camp