Holmenkollen

What is this????  It's the 90 meter ski jump at the world famous Holmenkollen National Arena, which has training facilities for ski jump, biathlon, cross-country skiing.  Basically ANYTHING nordic!

I've always wanted to watch ski jumping, so I'll just have to settle for the empty stadium and the jump with no snow....for now!  Hey, I've seen luge in action, who says I won't ever watch ski jumping live.

To get a sense of how steep the slope is, here is the climb.

Ok, let's look at it in cross section.  Yeah, these guys are headed down this slope....and then off a ledge to fly into the air.

Climbing up to the area where we can actually head up to the top!!!  YES!

So, this is what the ski jumpers see.  That wooden block is what they sit on before they stand up and jump!!

A private outfit is offering a simulated ski jump by using zip line technology.  I was willing to pay my $100 but it was closed!!

Florian and myself...and the Norwegian flag!

This is the view from the room where jumpers wait their turn.  Oslo looks so much like the Pacific Northwest!

The view from Holmenkollen upon suburban Oslo and the Oslo fjord.